10 December 2008
Moldovan Human Rights Activist Honored
Eleonora Cercavschi fights for cultural identity in Transnistria
Washington — Eleonora Cercavschi, a teacher and human rights advocate in the separatist region Transnistria in Moldova, is the 2008 recipient of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture Award.
Introducing her to a Woodrow Wilson Center audience that included diplomatic representatives from Moldova, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Latvia, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky said, “Clearly, her voice has been heard far beyond the classroom.”
Cercavschi, who spoke through an interpreter at the December 4 ceremony, described her efforts for cultural identity in Transnistria, a troubled region that lies between the Dniester River and Moldova’s border with Ukraine. “Its history is tragic,” she said.
The Moldovan language is almost identical to Romanian. Some Moldovans identify themselves as part of the larger Romanian nation, while many see themselves as a separate ethnic group. Native Moldovans make up almost 70 percent of the population of the Republic of Moldova, but constitute only 32 percent of the population of Transnistria, followed by ethnic Russians (more than 30 percent), Ukrainians (almost 29 percent) and other groups (nearly 9 percent).
The regime that claims control of Transnistria has tried to suppress Moldovan and Romanian identity in the region. The Russia-backed separatist regime, which has declared its independence from Moldova but is not recognized by any country, has forced the Russian language and Cyrillic alphabet on the Moldovan-speaking citizens of Transnistria.
“The right to educate in native tongue is a fundamental human right,” said Cercavschi. At times she was forced to withdraw from the public eye, but she persisted in her convictions. She has faced discrimination and imprisonment, and was told she never would see her children again, for continuing to teach in Romanian. “I think it’s my duty as a citizen to help bring about necessary changes in society,” she said.
She continued her work, even after the secondary school where she is principal was shut down in Transnistria and relocated to a village under Moldovan control, forcing students to travel farther to receive an education.
Distance and language are not the only barriers to education in Transnistria, Cercavschi said. Often, students in the region must use books that are 25 years old and do not reflect post–Cold War reality. Administrators also face their own battles because schools must come up with funding themselves.
In response to these and other challenges, Cercavschi, in 1999, formed Lumina, the Association of Transnistrian Teachers, to improve access to education. Since its inception, the organization has given scholarships to high school and university students to study in Romania and filled libraries in Transnistria with books, often donated by the Romanian government.
“Prosperity and progress can only flourish when our education is a priority, where democracy and freedom of choice take precedence,” she said.
Cercavschi, who became emotional at several points in the speech, remains focused on her goal: educating students and instilling in them a sense of dignity to confront whatever challenges they may face.
Despite the obstacles, she says her students are flourishing and their success only strengthens her resolve to keep fighting. “We have a duty to promote moral, ethical and national values, the national language, a history of the Romanian people, the cultural traditions, national ideals and right of the local population.”
ABOUT THE LECTURE SERIES
Cercavaschi spoke at the fourth Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture Award sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center.
The first award, given at Georgetown University in 2005, recognized individuals who are working on behalf of democracy, much like the series’ namesake, Ion Ratiu, did during his lifetime.
Ratiu often is described as “the best president Romania never had.” In 1940, he joined the Romanian foreign service. After Romania’s decision to ally itself with the Axis powers during World War II, he resigned and sought political asylum in Great Britain.
In exile in London after the Communist takeover of Romania, he became a passionate voice against communism and promoted democracy in his native land. Returning to Romania in 1990, he launched a failed bid for its presidency. He did find success in political office as a member of parliament, serving as both deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and as Romania’s roving ambassador to NATO. He was also a successful businessman and supporter of the arts. He died in 2000.
An annual event, the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture Award is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation and the Ratiu Center for Democracy. Past recipients are Sergio Aguayo (Mexico), Saad El-Din Ibrahim (Egypt), and Anatoli Mikhailov (Belarus).
