Moldova: Strength in Diversity
One of the fascinating things about Moldova is its multi-ethnic and multilingual character. Many different ethnic groups live here and many different languages are spoken: Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Gagauzian and Bulgarian.
Take the city of Bălți, located in northern Moldova, for example. It is the country’s third largest municipality after Chisinau and Tiraspol, the second in terms of economic activity. It is sometimes called “the Northern capital” because of its size and economic importance. Ambassador Jennifer Brush, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, visited the city last October to meet with the authorities and representatives of the Jewish, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian communities. The issue of national minorities, the use of and respect for their native languages, was one of the most important topics she discussed with the authorities. For Ambassador Brush,“Bălți is an important hub for Moldova, not only for its economic activity, but also because of its particular multiculturaland multi-linguistic identity."
The Russian diaspora, with whom the Ambassador met, is quite active in the region, presenting issues important to Russian speakers to the Government of Moldova and serving as a bridge between Moldova and the Russian Federation. As opposed to Chisinau, Bălți remains a predominantly Russian-speaking environment, and there is little likelihood that this will change in the near future.
Bălți is an important hub for Moldova, not only for its economic activity, but also because of its particular multicultural and multi-linguistic identity.
Ukrainians are the most numerous ethnic minority in Bălți, making up more than 20 per cent of the population. Ambassador Brush met with representatives of this community in their cultural centre, named after Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, to get acquainted with their problems. These mainly concern education in the Ukrainian language and the poor economic prospects that are forcing their youth, as well as many other Moldovans, to emigrate to other countries.
The Polish diaspora also has a significant presence in Bălți. Around 1,000 Poles were already living there at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In fact, due to its historical ties with Poland the city has a Polish name: Bielce. According to the Polish Embassy in Chisinau, there are currently more than 2,000 ethnic Poles in Moldova. Most of them do not speak Polish, but in Bălți they have their own cultural center, called Polski Dom (The Polish House), where they can take language lessons and participate in cultural activities.
Ambassador Brush also visited the Jewish cemetery, the local synagogue and the Holocaust memorial. The presence of Jews in Bălți is part of the history of the town. Before World War II, we were told, almost half of the population of Bălți was Jewish; in 1930 there were more than 40 synagogues, most of them destroyed during World War II. Very few remain in Bălți today, the Holocaust claimed the lives of approximately 20,000 and survivors ultimately emigrated to Israel and other countries. But a very active Jewish centre and one small synagogue remain. Moldova is a country that lies at the crossroads of civilizations. People here have seen civilizations rise and fall, and each of those civilizations has left its mark. This diversity is the strength of the country, a strength which needs to be embraced, in a climate of tolerance and respect between cultures,” says Brush. In fact, this is one of the tasks of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
It is required by its mandate to advise the authorities in Moldova on human rights and democratization issues, including minority and language rights. Currently the Mission is engaged in a dialogue with the Government of Moldova to help ensure that the reform of the educational system currently underway respects international obligations regarding the educational rights of persons belonging to national minorities.
“Moldova is a country that lies at the crossroads of civilizations. People here have seen civilizations rise and fall, and each of those civilizations has left its mark. This diversity is the strength of the country, a strength which needs to be embraced, in a climate of tolerance and respect between cultures,” says Brush. In fact, this is one of the tasks of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities also works to promote the integration of national minorities in Moldova. Efforts since 2012 have focused on supporting the Moldovan Government’s development of a comprehensive integration strategy, informed by the Ljubljana Guidelines on the Integration of Diverse Societies. A key component of this is the education system, and its importance as an instrument for integration rather than division. The High Commissioner also remains active on the issue of Latin script schools in Transdniestria.