IV Finno-Ugric Students' Seminar Camp

The camp took place 9-12.05.2002 traditionally in Kiidi, South Estonia, and gathered together about 30 participants, among them 10 new and 10 old students from the Finno-Ugric regions of the Russian Federation studying at the University of Tartu; 10 students came from universities of Estonia, Finland, Karelia, Udmurtia, Mordovia and Mari-El. The camp was organized in cooperation of the Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples at the University of Tartu and the Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples MAFUN.

The main objectives were: to share with the students basic knowledge on the status of indigenous Finno-Ugric peoples today; to draft the texts of a thematic booklet; to share with the students basic information on the organization and political/social activities of Finno-Ugric indigenous peoples as well as on youth NGOs currently active; to promote the Estonian and world experience on the survival strategies of indigenous identity and culture among youth; to adapt students to the conditions of life in Estonian civil society. A number of lectures were presented and couple of workshops will be carried out. Evenings the participants represented cultures of their peoples, the national dishes were cooked, movies shown.

PHOTOS: Click image to enlarge!

1^st Finno-Ugric students’ camp took place 25-28. November, 1999, in Kiidi, South Estonia, with 25 participants. The themes of the lectures (12) and workshops (2) were: The Finno-Ugric students in Estonia, their status, rights and obligations, Estonians and Estonia, Finno-Ugrians in Russia, others. More information, however, in Estonian only: http://www.suri.ee/il/99/4/kiidi.html.

2^nd Finno-Ugric students’ camp was organized at the same place 27-30. April, 2000 and continued the work begun in Autumn. The themes of lectures were: Estonian foreign policy and the European Union, the problems of integration in Estonia (the Minister for the Population Affairs Katrin Saks), the opportunities of “small” peoples nowadays (professor emeritus of the University of California Rein Taagepera), others. More information: http://www.suri.ee/il/00/3/kiidi.html.