The Rights of national minorities
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Tautinių mažumų teisės; Teisės į mokslą; Teisės į kultūrą; Religijos laisvė; Rights of national minorities; Rights to education; Rights to culture; Freedom of religion.
ENThe rights of national minorities are treated as human rights. According to them the democracy of the state is qualified. Although the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania is not considered to be favourable to national minorities, provisions required for the existence of national minorities in comparison with international dimension are embedded in it. It is notable that the Constitution does not include a special chapter dedicated to national minorities. However, Article 29 Paragraph 2 of the Constitution is important because it emphasizes that the rights of people can not be restricted, nor can they be granted any privileges on the ground of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, beliefs, convictions, or views. Each national minority or ethnic group has its mentality, culture and traditions. Such peculiarities indicate the singularity and ethnic identity. Therefore cultural rights (the right to knowledge, the right to choose schools, religion and moral education, the right to take part in cultural life, the right to embrace science achievements, the right to embrace copyright, the freedom of science research and creative activities, etc.), which are treated as programmed, are gradually being implemented and the implementation needs actions and expenditure of the state. Such rights are necessary in saving and cherishing these features. The purpose of cultural rights is to ensure the dignity of a person, to integrate a person to social life, because people landed underneath certain cultural, social welfare and boundary of development cannot take part in social life as citizens much less as equal citizens. [Extract, p. 88]
