Dear Colleagues,

On the 25th of June I did ask President Arpad Goncz if He had an opportunity
to bring up the plight of the csangos to the Holy Father during the Saint
Adalbert celebrations in Poland. He told me that the format of the meetings
was such, that he could not, but that he has already sent 5 or 6 letters to
the appropriate authorities in Rome and that he will continue his efferots.

Because the Vatican Information Service, the Vatican Radio and paper have not
even replied to the thousands of letters we have sent them, I would be
grateful for any suggestions on alternate means of influencing the policy of
the Vatican?

Best regards: Bela Liptak

Dear Colleagues,

It is good news, that  the HL-Danube-action, (which we directed at Laszlo
Kovats and sent copies to all the Hungarian MPs on May 9, 1997) succeeded.

The Environmental Committee of the Hungarian Parliament wrote a letter to
Gyula Horn, in which it requested, that Hungary DOES NOT WAIT for the ruling
of the Hague Court, but develop the Hungarian position right away.

The Hungarian Government has been very negligent by allowing these last
months to pass without even identifying the Minister(s) who is/(are)
responsible for working out the Hungarian position. Until April, 1997, the
Foreign Minister, Laszlo Kovats was responsible for handling the tasks
associated with handling the Danube conflict, but this responsibility ended
with the verbal presentation in The Hague and right now NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR IT.

We congratulate the MPs on the Environmental Committee for their extremely
important initiative and ask Mr. Horn to take immediate action.

Best regards: Bela Liptak

On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, Joe Szalai commenting on the OECD (Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development) Economic Outlook for Hungary:

> Real wages, real income, and household incomes continue to fall in Hungary,
> although the future is always made to look bright.  Perhaps Hungary should
> have a "one country, two systems" policy like China has re: Hong Kong.

But not for everybody. The entrepreneurs are getting richer as everywhere
else. The problem is the growing inequality. Here is a part of Michael
Valpy's Friday June 27, 1997 column in The Globe and Mail, where he quotes
Jaques Cousteau about the problem inequalities:

    Throughout the world, the gulf between rich and poor is widening.

      There will be in the future, Mr. Cousteau said, horrendous shortages
    of food and energy and living space. But, displaying the optimistic
    side of Jeremiah, he said: "Yes, I do believe life on the planet can be
    bearable if we can bring down the inequalities.

      I don't mean 'equality'. People are not equal. Some can jump higher
    than others, but not 20 times higher.

      In a society, people will understand a 10-to-1 ratio of difference,
    but not 2,000-to-1. They will not forever tolerate a situation, such as
    we have today, where 60 human beings [the world's mega-billionaires]
    possess more wealth than all Africa and a large chunk of Asia
    combined."

     -- end of quote from Valpy ----

Unfortunately there is no solution to this problem. I doubt that the Hong
Kong millionaires will help the poor Chinese to become richer. Most of them
(250,000) hold Canadian passports, if they will be taxed to help to reduce
the inequalities they will move to Canada.

Barna Bozoki

****************** 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>

Bela Liptak writes:

>Dear Colleagues,
>
>On the 25th of June I did ask President Arpad Goncz if He had an opportunity
>to bring up the plight of the csangos to the Holy Father during the Saint
>Adalbert celebrations in Poland. He told me that the format of the meetings
>was such, that he could not, but that he has already sent 5 or 6 letters to
>the appropriate authorities in Rome and that he will continue his efferots.
>
>Because the Vatican Information Service, the Vatican Radio and paper have not
>even replied to the thousands of letters we have sent them, I would be
>grateful for any suggestions on alternate means of influencing the policy of
>the Vatican?


Have you guys considered nailing the request to the front door of the church
in Wittenberg, that seems to have had some affect in the past in getting the
attention of the Vatican.

Regards,Jeliko

The following is from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development) Economic Outlook for June 1997.
---------
Hungary

The restrictive effects of the March 1995 stabilisation package continued
into 1996, with real wages and real disposable income falling though GDP
did grow by around 1 per cent.  Output growth is now strengthening and
demand is becoming more balanced with investment picking up strongly.
Household incomes and consumption should begin to grow following two years
of decline.  Continued restructuring will translate into further employment
losses and labour force contraction, but by 1998 employment should have
stopped falling.  Despite a significant fall during 1996, inflation remains
high and the pre-announced crawling-peg policy will exert only a limited
disinflationary influence in 1997.  While there has been a substantial
improvement in the government balance, a deficit in the social security
funds and poor tax compliance have prevented faster progress in bringing
government revenues and expenditures into balance.
--------

Real wages, real income, and household incomes continue to fall in Hungary,
although the future is always made to look bright.  Perhaps Hungary should
have a "one country, two systems" policy like China has re: Hong Kong.

Joe Szalai

On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, Bela Liptak wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> On the 25th of June I did ask President Arpad Goncz if He had an opportunity
> to bring up the plight of the csangos to the Holy Father during the Saint
> Adalbert celebrations in Poland. He told me that the format of the meetings
> was such, that he could not, but that he has already sent 5 or 6 letters to
> the appropriate authorities in Rome and that he will continue his efferots.
>
> Because the Vatican Information Service, the Vatican Radio and paper have not
> even replied to the thousands of letters we have sent them, I would be
> grateful for any suggestions on alternate means of influencing the policy of
> the Vatican?

If the pressure on the Vatican isn't working, I would suggest expanding
the campaign.  Handing out information leaflets in front of Saint
Patrick's in New York City, with the media present, might help.  And,
although very expensive, ads in major newspapers would also be effective.
Also, getting onto radio talk shows would help spread the word and change
the Vatican policy.

By the way, two weeks ago, I wrote a letter to the Vatican Information
Service about this issue but have not received a response yet.

Joe Szalai

At 10:42 AM 7/3/97 -0400, Barna Bozoki wrote:

<snip>
>Unfortunately there is no solution to this problem. I doubt that the Hong
>Kong millionaires will help the poor Chinese to become richer. Most of them
>(250,000) hold Canadian passports, if they will be taxed to help to reduce
>the inequalities they will move to Canada.

No, there's no solution to the problem if we continue to look at it as "a
national problem".  But we do, and it's not easy not to.  I think we tend
to look at the growing inequality, and other economic concerns, on a
national level.  Yet, capital - "the problem" - is international.
Therefore, the solution - whatever it might be - will also have to be
international.

It just goes to show you that Lenin and the Bolsheviks were wrong.
"Socialism in one country" doesn't work.  Unfortunately, there's so very
little anyone of us can do about it.

Joe Szalai