The Department of National Minorities announced the enrolment of motions in order to get a financial help for projects in 2017

Until 15th of December 2016 non-governmental organisations, institution of public utility, foundations representing national minorities and those that are working in favour of national minorities can formally apply for a financial help for projects that will be realised in 2017. They can submit their motions in the Department of National Minorities by the Republic of Lithuania government.

Grants that amount to 80% of all costs of a project one will be able to get for cultural projects, but also for educational ones, directed to children and youngsters, for the operation of Saturday-Sunday schools, for undertakings that aim at preservation and popularisation of national minorities’ culture and at building tolerance on the national background. On this year’s contests the Department of National Minorities credited projects that aim at intercultural cooperation of schools and developing dialogue as priority.

From the pool intended to be used for supporting activity of organisations of national minorities cannot be co-financed such actions as cultural objects’ renovation, also there are no funds for the property assets purchase.

The motions can be submitted until 15th of December 2016, you can find more information here: http://tmde.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/tautiniu-mazumu-departamentas-prie-lietuvos-respublikos-vyriausybes-skelbia-projektu-skatinanciu-tautiniu-mazumu-kulturu-pletote-konkursa-2017-metams

In 2016 for financial help for organisations of national minorities Ministry of Lithuanian Culture gave 156 thousand euro. Financial help was granted to 116 projects submitted by the organisations which integrate Poles, Belarusians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Russians, Jews, Tartars living in Lithuania. There were 116 “Polish” projects on the list. Among the beneficiaries were such organisations and institutions as: The Association of Teachers of Polish Schools in Lithuania “Macierz Szkolna”, Polish Culture Centre in Vilnius, bands like “Wilia”, “Zgoda”, “Wilenka”, Polish Debating Society. The biggest amount of money- 5000 euro was granted to the educational project of Public Benefit Institution “Vilnvarsa”. In other cases financial help was around 400-2000 euro.

According to the public census from 2011 representatives of 154 various nationalities live in Lithuania. National minorities are about 16% of all the inhabitants of Lithuania. The most numerous minorities are: Polish one (6,6%), Russian (5,8%), and Belarusian (1,2%).

On the basis of: tmde.lrv.lt