Carinthia decorates Slovenian minority activist
Klagenfurt, 10 November - August Brumnik, president of the Slovenian Education Association in Carinthia, has been honoured with the Grand Badge of Honour of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia. He received the award from Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser on Wednesday in Klagenfurt, the association said on Thursday.
Brumnik has led the Slovenian Education Association, one of two main cultural associations of the Slovenian minority in Austria's Carinthia, since 1990.
He is also vice-president of the Association of Slovenian Organisations (ZSO), a minority umbrella organisation, and is active in many other minority organisations.
A retired judge, Brumnik is a committed and active cultural worker and official who is appreciated far beyond the borders of Carinthia, the association said.
An advocate of the equality of the Slovenian language and culture in Carinthia, he resists discrimination against them in any form or at any level.
The association added that he had been one of main advocates of organising the Cultural Days of the Carinthian Slovenians festival in the German-speaking area of Carinthia.
The Education Association was set up in 1934 from the Slovenian Christian and Social Association, which was established in 1907 upon priest Lambert Ehrlich's initiative.
Its aim was to set up and support non-political associations based on Christian principles and take care of education of Slovenians in Carinthia.
The association now supports its 47 members - local cultural and educational associations, taking care of professional education of their staff and links with cultural institutions in Slovenia.