Finno-Ugric Peoples' Committee to hold session in Karelia

PETROZAVODSK, April 5 (Itar-Tass) - International Consultative
Committee of Finno-Ugric Peoples is expected to hold a session Tuesday in
Petrozavodsk, the capital of Russia's northwest region of Karelia.
The participants who represent Finno-Ugric nations and ethnic groups
in Russia, Hungary, Finland and Estonia are going to discuss preparations
for the 6th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, due in Hungary next
year, as well as to sum up the results of activity in 2010.
The International Consultative Committee was set up at the First
Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in 1992 for the purpose of promoting
cooperation between the nations of the Finno-Ugric language family and
building up their collaboration with international agencies, including the
UN.
Each Finno-Ugric nationality or ethnic group residing in Russia,
Hungary, Finland and Estonia delegates two representatives to the
committee.
Zinaida Strogalshchikova, the chairperson of the Society of Vepsian
Culture, who is a member of the Consultative Committee, told Itar-Tass
delegates from virtually all the Finno-Ugric ethnic groups living in
Russia - the Karelians, the Vepsi, the Komi, the Mansi, and Moksha
Mordovinians, the Nentsi, the Maryi, the Udmurts, and the Hansi - are
expected to join the congress."
He main issue the delegates will focus on is the performance of
national organizations.
Russia has a special program for support to its indigenous Finno-Ugric
peoples, Strogalshchikova said.
It envisions "tuition and exchange of students, publication of books
and textbooks in Finno-Ugric languages, and the organization of numerous
festivals, public functions, conferences, and exhibitions devoted to the
traditions, culture and languages of these ethnic groups."
The region of Karelia is home to at least Finno-Ugric ethnic groups -
the Finns (2% of the population), the Vepsi (0.7%) and the Karelians
(9.2%).
All in all, Russia has more than 3 million people with Finno-Ugric
roots.
The previous congress were held in Syktyvkar /northern Russia/,
Helsinki, Budapest, Tallinn, and the West-Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk.