Dear Colleagues,
I would like to suggest two new potential action for the Hungarian Lobby:
1) Defending Bela Bartok
Paul Kovesdy, the president of the Hungarian Anti-Defamation League has
written a 4-page, single-spaced letter to Peter Laki, the editor of "Bartok
and his world." In his letter, he gives a very detailed set of arguments for
his conclusion that Bartok was neither a chauvinist, nor an anti-semite.
In a letter last September, this is what I wrote:
"Bartok and His World, Edited by : Peter Laki
Published by Princeton University Press in 1995, the 50th anniversary of
Bartok's death.
In a chapter written by Leon Botstein, I read: "parallel exists between
Bartok's youthful.. antisemitic nationalist ardor and.." On an other page I
learn, that Bartok's traditional Hungarian outfit had: "chauvinist and
implicitly anti-semitic symbolism." Later, quoting a certain Judit Frigyesi,
he explains Bartok's "anti-Semitism" and quoting a Susan Gal, explains
Bartok's chauvinism..
Being an engineer, I am not the right person to take on the President of Bard
College (the author) or to lecture the Budapest musicologist Peter Laki (the
editor) that what this is, is slender and defamation. Therefore I ask for all
of you to write letters to the publisher and post them on the HL-list for all
of us to learn from
them. Please send your letters by regular mail to:
Mr. Sanford G. Thatcher
Editor-in-Chief or
Peter Laki, Editor
Princeton University Press
41 William St.
Princeton, NJ 08540"
Now, that Mr. Kovesdy has mailed his letter, I think it would be appropriate
for us to also write to these editors.
2) On the 17th of July will be the 50th anniversay of Raoul Wallenberg's
death (according to the Russian authorities.) For the 7th of July (on St.
Raoul's day), in Madrid, is planned the formal announcement of NATO's
enlargement. If that declaration was dedicated to the memory of Raoul
Wallenberg, that might show that the new "world order" is not directed
against anybody, that its aim is to serve the humanitarian ideals of the
wallenbergs of this planet. If you agree with this, the Lobby might consider
an action, which would suggest to the leaders of the world, to call this
document: the "Wallenberg Declaration."
Best regards: Bela Liptak
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****************** CALL FOR ACTION ****************
Priority:
normal
Background:
Hungary's position in the Danube lawsuit at the International Court
of Justice in The Hague is very promising. However, even if the court
rules in favour for the environment it is possible that the Slovak
government does not accept the verdict.
It is important that influential politicians of USA support our
position, since in this case Slovakia probably does not dare to reject
the decision of the court.
What to do:
Please ask president Clinton, vice president Al Gore and secretary of
state Albright to make a statement in favour for the environment of
Szigetkoz. Feel free to use the attached NEW form letter. Al Gore and
Albright will only take notice if he receives thousands of letters.
SAVE THE DANUBE!!
SEND SEVERAL LETTERS A DAY!!! PLEASE DO NOT ONLY
SEND THEM BY E-MAIL! Send them even by fax or
"priority mail".
e-mail address of Clinton:
president@ whitehouse.gov
e-mail address of Al Gore:
e-mail address of Albright:
*************************************************************
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Clinton:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Honorable Bill Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20001
(E-Mail: president@ whitehouse.gov)
RE: First Environmental Lawsuit (Danube) in The Hague
Dear Mr. President:
On the 21st of August, 1993, Vice President Gore wrote to professor
Bela Liptak about his concern for the future of the Danube ecosystem
at Szigetkoz. Today, we are approaching an important precedent: This
year the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will rule
on the first international environmental lawsuit.
By the end of the year, the ICJ will decide on this case involving
the Danube and the destruction of its ancient wetland region: the
Szigetkoz. This name, losely translated, means: "The region of a
thousand islands," yet today there are no islands left there,
because the water is gone. Still, the implications of this case go
beyond the future of just one river or just the 400 endangered
species of the only inland sea delta ecosystem of Europe.
This lawsuit will set a precedent for the whole planet and will
answer a much more basic question: Do national governments have the
right to destroy the natural treasures of this planet, or does
mankind as a whole have the right to protect them?
Dear Mr. President, in 1995, nine international NGOs have submitted a
memorial to the ICJ, which the Court accepted. A Compromise Plan was
also submitted to the Court, which would guarantee the restoration
of the ancient Szigetkoz wetlands, together with fulfilling the
water-supply, shipping and energy needs of the region. For details,
information is available at the web-site:
http://www.goodpoint.com/duna.htm or from prof. Liptak.
Dear Mr. Clinton. There is little question, that in October, the ICJ
will order Slovakia to return the Danube into its natural riverbed
and will also order the restoration of the Szigetkoz wetlands. But
the ICJ has no powers to enforce its rulings. Therefore it will be up
to the international community to force the parties to the lawsuit to
obey the ruling. This being the first international environmental
lawsuit before the ICJ, the outcome will establish an important
precedent. All governments must understand that there is a price to
be paid for being admitted into the European Community or into NATO.
That price must include the respect for international law. A
statement by you, would guarantee that the parties understand this.
Please make that statement.
Respectfully yours,
<name, title, address>
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Gore:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<date>
The Honorable Al Gore
Vice President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20001
(e-mail:  )
RE: First Environmental Lawsuit (Danube) in The Hague
Dear Mr. Vice President,
On the 21st of August, 1993, you wrote to professor Bela Liptak about
your concern for the Danube ecosystem. Today, humankind is approaching
an important precedent: By the end of 1997 the International Court of
Justice will rule on the first international environmental lawsuit in
The Hague.
By this fall the ICJ will decide on this case involving the Danube and
the destruction of its ancient wetland region: the Szigetkoz. This
name, loosely translated, means: "The region of a thousand islands,"
yet today there are no islands left there because the water is gone.
Still, the implications of this case go beyond the future of just one
river or just the 400 endangered species of the only inland-sea delta
of Europe.
This lawsuit will set a precedent for the whole planet and will
answer a much more basic question: Do national governments have the
right to destroy the natural treasures of this planet, or does
humankind as a whole have the right to protect them?
Mr. Vice President, in 1995 nine international NGOs have submitted a
memorial to ICJ, which the Court accepted. A Compromise Plan was also
submitted to the Court, which would guarantee the restoration of the
ancient Szigetkoz wetlands, together with fulfilling the water-supply,
shipping, and energy needs of the region. For details of this plan,
information is available at the Web site:
http://www.goodpoint.com/duna.htm or from prof. Liptak.
Dear Mr. Gore. There is little question that in October the ICJ
will order Slovakia to return the Danube into its natural riverbed and
will also order the restoration of the Szigetkoz wetlands. But the ICJ
has no powers to enforce its rulings. It will, therefore, be up to the
international community to force the parties to obey the ruling. Since
this is the first international environmental lawsuit before the ICJ,
the outcome will establish an important precedent. All governments
must understand that there is a price to be paid for being admitted
into the European Community or into NATO. That price must include
respect for international law. A statement by you would guarantee that
the parties understand this. Please make that statement.
Respectfully yours,
<Your name, title and address>
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Albright:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<date>
The Honorable Madeleine Albright
United States Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
( E-Mail:  )
RE: First Environmental Lawsuit (Danube) in The Hague
Dear Madame Secretary,
Please accept my congratulations on your well-deserved appointment. I
do hope that your leadership will contribute to progress and stability
in Central Europe.
Madame Secretary, you now have a great opportunity to set a new tone
for American policy in connection with international environmental
standards in general and with the Danube lawsuit in particular, which
is in progress at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
This new tone would be consistent with the US policy of expanding
Western structures to Eastern and Central Europe. It would also engage
the US more actively in helping resolve emerging inter-country
conflicts in the Region (i) by urging your West European partners to
assist more pro-actively, and (ii) by calling on both parties (Hungary
and Slovakia) to accept the Compromise Plan prepared by the
environmental NGOs and thereby cooperate in the quest for a solution
that can set an example for the future.
Your help in resolving the Danube problem would also be consistent
with the present US policy based on a global approach to environmental
issues and based on seeking to mobilize all relevant political
(multilateral, international, non-governmental, and civic society)
forces to assist in avoiding environmental catastrophes caused by
bilateral agreements that have been drawn up by non-representative
governments under a regional policy framework which was imposed by
Moscow.
This, the first international environmental lawsuit in human
history, also involves the United States, because it was the Paris
Peace Treaty which set the border between Czechoslovakia and Hungary,
and it was that Treaty which named the Great Powers as the guarantors
of the integrity of the two nations' territories. The Treaty also
stated that the two nations DO NOT have the right to change their
border, unless the Great Powers first approve of the change. Yet in
1977, under Soviet direction, the two nations signed a contract to
move the Danube, previously their border river, into an artificial
canal on Slovak territory. By so doing, they did not ask nor did they
receive, the approval of the Great Powers. Therefore, the Moscow
initiated 1977 Contract was and is INHERENTLY INVALID, and the Danube
must be returned into its riverbed.
Madame Secretary. There is little question, that in the fall, the
International Court of Justice will order Slovakia to return the
Danube into its natural riverbed and will also order the restoration
of the Szigetkoz wetlands. But, as you know, the ICJ has no powers to
enforce its rulings. Therefore, it will be up to the international
community to force Slovakia to obey the ruling. Since this is the
first international environmental lawsuit before the ICJ, the outcome
will establish an important precedent. It must be understood that
there is a price to be paid for being admitted into the European
Community or into NATO. That price must include respect for
international law. A statement by you, would guarantee that the
parties understand this. Please make that statement.
Respectfully yours,
<Your name, address, title>
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