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Natalija Kasatkina passed away

By admin on February 16th, 2008

NATALIJA KASATKINA (1949-2008)

Prof. Natalija Kasatkina, PhD, sociologist, the founder and a member of the board of the Open Society Fund, and activist in the independence movement, passed away late in the evening of March 10.

In 1949 Natalija Kasatkina was born in Kaunas, where she grew up, studied, and graduated from the Kaunas Polytechnics Institute. For many years, she devoted herself to sociology, namely studies of Lithuanian society and its cultural and ethnic groups.

In 2002, she founded and took the helm of the Centre of Ethnic Studies at the Institute of Social research. Ms Kasatkina was an initiator of the studies of the adaptation of the ethnic minorities in Lithuania and was a founder and editor of the scientific journal Ethnicity Studies.

Ms Kasatkina was a member of a series of international projects and an expert for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and for the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). She has published several monographs and many articles in both international and national scientific publications.

Ms Kasatkina was a professor at Vytautas Magnus University, lector at the Centre for Stateless Cultures at Vilnius University, and academic advisor for the doctoral dissertations. Even while battling a severe disease, she devoted herself for the students and consulted and supervised their works.

Natalija Kasatkina was an activist in the independence movement (Sąjūdis) in the 1990s, and she devoted a lot of effort to helping the Lithuanian Russian community be able to accept and support Lithuania’s push for freedom. In January 1990, at a meeting of Mikhail Gorbachev and members of the Lithuanian intelligentsia, Natalija Kasatkina made an exceptionally outstanding speech in which she defended the ideas of the Lithuanian independence and democracy.

Her social activities contributed significantly to the development of a democratic, independent and tolerant society. Ms Kasatkina took part in creating the Russian Cultural Centre, which united the Russian-Lithuanian intelligentsia and supported the restoration of the independence of Lithuania.

In 2003, Natalija Kasatkina was awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, the Cross of the Knight.

As a scientist, Ms Kasatkina was distinguished by her original insight and sensitively and clearly defined political and social challenges. As a person, she was an example of tolerance and honesty. Her critical analysis was always in accordance with distinct respect for a person.

The funeral of Natalija Kasatkina will take place at 3 p.m. on 14 March in Vilnius Antakalnis Cemetery.

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RAXEN – European Information Network on Racism and Xenophobia

By admin on February 15th, 2008

The Centre of Ethnic Studies of the Institute for Social Research is the Lithuanian National Focal point for the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). The EUMC is the official independent European institution established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1035/97 of 2 June 1997 (OJ L 151, 10 June 1997). The Centre of Ethnic Studies (previously – Department of Ethnic Studies) of the Institute for Social Research became partner of the EUMC by way of an open tender in 2004.

European Information Network on Racism and Xenophobia (RAXEN) is composed from 27 national focal points; one in each member state. The organisations working as the national focal points are responsible for gathering and structuring information on national level. RAXEN is one of the central tools of the EUMC in providing the European Union and its Member States with objective, reliable, and comparable data (including examples of and models for „good practices”) at the European level on the phenomena of racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism.

The task of Lithuanian National Point of the EUMC is to collect and generalise information from the state institutions and NGOs, monitor situation of ethnic minorities, migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable groups in Lithuania. EUMC is to set up, maintain and regularly review a national information network including the key players in the field.

EUMC coordinates RAXEN project and appreciate activity of partners in all the member states. EUMC calls for cooperation all the institutions in providing information about racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

For more info: http://eumc.eu.int

Each year the National Focal Points (NFPs) prepare the Annual Report.
The Annual Report 2004 covers evidence of racism and discrimination in the following five thematic areas: employment, legislation, housing, education and racist crime and violence.

Summary of National Report 2004, Centre of Ethnic Studies – NFP Lithuania
Annual Report 2004 – Summary – EUMC

The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) presented its Annual Report 2005 to the European Parliament on 23 November 2005. The report looks at the evidence of discrimination in employment, housing and education, as well as racist crime data, and at measures being taken to combat this.
Annual Report 2005 – EUMC