Highlanders will be officially recognized as a national minority in Slovakia. This was decided by Robert Ficy's government during an away meeting in the red monastery. What can the authority mean for highlanders on the other side of the Tatra Mountains?
– this is satisfaction for highlanders, because the highlander community occupies the entire northern Slovakia. From Stara Lubowla to Jabłonków in the Czech Republic. We are specific because we are shaping in the environment in which we grow up, we confess values such as hard work, responsibility, family or faith in God. We want highlander culture to be preserved for future generations – the mayor of Zdziar at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, Pavol Bekeš told journalists. He added that together with the Poles and Czechs They want to be entered on the UNESCO list. Highlanders submitted an application for entering national minorities on the list in 2023.
Highlanders of the national minority in Slovakia
“The government's decision will enable state support to preserve highlander culture,” said Think Tank Inštitút Mateja Bela (IMB) on its website on Wednesday, adding that the recognition of the highlanders as a national minority may also result in the introduction of highlander's dialect to teaching programs in municipalities “in which is a significant representation of this community. “
IMB for several years conducted field research among Slovak highlanders. They showed that significant clusters of this community are located in over 80 municipalities of the country. Think Tank cites estimates according to which the highlander community in Slovakia has 57 thousand. people. Some highlander activists believe that there are about 70 thousand highlanders. A detailed answer will be brought by the universal list in 2031. Census forms will take into account the possibility of choosing highlander nationality; In the last census in 2021 there was no such possibility. You could define your nationality yourself – different than official. At that time, 5 273 people took advantage of this possibility.
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“Last minute” decision
These studies also showed that a group of people in highlander is decreasing. Ábel Ravasz, a retired president of IMB, indicated that the government took appropriate steps “at the last minute”. – You can't stop at symbolic recognition. Specific steps should be taken to include representatives of the highlander community in participatory processes or support mechanisms. Supporting the highlanders, we strengthen the cultural diversity of Slovakia and I am convinced that it is in the common interest of all of us – added Ravasz, quoted on the IMB website.
Highlanders will be the 15th national minority in Slovakia. Until now, the last recognized was the Vietnamese National Minority. The official status have, among others Czechs, HungariansPoles, Roma, Moravian, Ruthenians, Ukrainians, GermanyRussians, Serbs and Jews.
PAP, Inštitút Mateja Bela
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock