RAINBOW-Organization of the Macedonian minority in Greece Stefanou Dragoumi 11 Florina/Lerin Τ.Κ. 53100 PO box 51 Greece Tel/fax 0030 23850 46548 www.florina.org e-mail rainbow@florina.org ............................................................................................................................................. Second statement made by the speaker but in Item VI Tuesday 16th of December, oral presentation. Good morning ladies and Gentleman. Thank you Mrs. Chairperson very much for giving us even two minutes of expressing orally views and recommendations. It’s great for us representatives of Macedonian minorities organization participating, listening, learning and exchanging views among participants, regarding UN institutions as well as here in the Forum of Human Rights Council, all these days, particularly listening to experience from experts and speakers about educational policies related to minorities in various countries. Unfortunately there is not possible to be organize in Greece a similar forum, or at least a dialog between us from the Macedonian minority and our Greek government. On this occasion as indirect dialog with the Greek government here in UN, Geneva we appeal our government of Greece to implement at least article 26 paragraphs (1), (2), (3) from the UN Universal Declaration from 1948 to respect a minimum of rights regarding educational policies for the Macedonian minority in Greece. Let me mention that we have information regarding minority policies, state policies in Southeastern Europe, the situation of minorities, and off course the disaster situation, discriminations and war in former Yugoslavia from the previous decade. We suggest that a comparative study regarding national minorities in Balkan states should be very useful for the implementation of minority rights in all Balkan States. We believe that Human Rights Council could recommend to Balkan States comparative studies particularly about educational minority rights. It’s very important for us, having on mind the Social Cohesion and Integration discussed in this afternoon’s Session, the respect for linguistic rights and peaceful living among citizens. On this occasion we are suggesting continually to the Greek state to include Macedonian language in the educational state system in the elementary and secondary level and not separate, segregate education in Macedonian language. This is very important for respectful coexistence of language and culture learning and teaching pupils and children in a joined system between the