Alliances

Origin of the twinning agreement

The town of Simmern/Hunsrück

Twinning between municipalities in Europe enables the process of unification undertaken by the member states of the European Union to be reproduced on a smaller scale, giving a human dimension to the construction of Europe and contributing to the creation of a European consciousness.

Against this backdrop, the municipalities of Roeser and Turi (Province of Bari, Italy) held two preparatory meetings in 2003, at which they confirmed their shared desire to twin up.

Aim of the twinning

The aim of the town twinning is:

• to initiate forms of socio-economic cooperation between the two communes in the interests of their development;

• promote innovative environmental policies;

• to encourage cultural exchanges involving young people, in particular through internships.

Signature of the official twinning oath

The official twinning agreement between Roeser and Turi was signed on June 5, 2004 in Turi by Arthur Sinner, mayor of Roeser, and Dott. Vito Nicola DE GRISANTIS, mayor of Turi.

The second copy of the oath was signed on June 21, 2004 in Roeser by the mayors of both communes.

Website of the municipality of Turi

Comparison and description of twinned towns

The municipality of Turi has "close links" with Luxembourg, since 62% of Turi's emigrants have settled in the Grand Duchy, some of whom live in the municipality of Roeser.

*2003

Launch of the partnership

Decision of principle of April 2, 1992

1. By decision of principle of April 2, 1992, the local council decided to commemorate the discovery of the Americas on October 10, 1992:
   

   • with a declaration of solidarity and partnership containing:

   • a reference to human rights and the rights of peoples,

   • a reference to the ideal of sharing cultures while respecting differences, customs, religions, crafts and other expressions,

   • einen Bezug auf die Geschichte und eine Verpflichtung zu gegenseitigem Respekt und gegenseitiger Hilfe für die Zukunft,

   • a reference to history and a commitment to mutual respect and support for the future,

   • a reference to the particular situation of this community

2. by an act of recognition of the Kolla community of the villages of Los Naranjos, Rio Blanquito and Angosto del Parani in the province of Salta in Argentina as a partner community, facing injustice and an unbearable situation.

Declarations and resolutions signed by the partners

Declaration of October 10, 1992

The following partnership declaration was signed on October 10, 1992:

We, the communal council, representing the population of the commune of Roeser in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,

We, representatives of the three Kolla communities of the villages of Rio Blanquito de Santa Cruz, Los Naranjos de San Andrés, Angosto del Paraní, in the province of Salta in Argentina

declare

• to recognize each other as free and equal, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

• to affirm our right to self-determination for our communities, while respecting our traditions and cultures;

• to pledge mutual support and solidarity in order to guarantee our aforementioned rights and preserve our natural environment, which is the foundation of our existence.

Resolution of October 10, 1994

The resolution of October 10, 1994 confirmed and clarified the objectives of the partnership, which were to:

1. defend the rights of the Community through legal action at all possible levels, backed up by political pressure in solidarity, in particular for the recovery of ancestral territory, the cessation of deforestation and the claim for compensation for unlawful devastation suffered;

2. promote projects proposed by Community representatives and co-financed with the support of the Commune of Roeser, the NGOs Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) and Solidaresch Hëllef Réiserbann (SHR), and Luxembourg institutions in the following directions:

   • Strengthening community organization, with a view to gradual self-administration. A first step is to identify the sectors of the population to be targeted by priority actions.

   • Safeguarding Kolla culture, in particular by creating a cultural space in schools, through the production of appropriate school materials, with the help of the Roeser schools, which are involved in this project with their own educational objectives.

   • Economic initiatives to promote intra-community production and marketing, starting immediately with the development of land allocated under the expropriation law, at least on a symbolic basis, pending the effective application of the law.

   • Implementation of the first sanitary infrastructures (drinking water supply) and health and prevention campaigns for the benefit of the population.

3. raise awareness among the Luxembourg population by using this partnership to organize cultural exchange and information events that treat the realities of underdevelopment not as inescapable catastrophes, but through the establishment of direct links between people, for new forms of cooperation.

Declaration of October 12, 2002

With this resolution, taken on the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Roeser:

1. Reiterates
   

   • its solidarity and moral support for the Kolla Tinkunaku community, comprising the villages of Los Naranjos, Rio Blanquito, Angosto de Parani and San Andres;

   • its desire to pursue political cooperation with the Kolla community;

   • its desire to continue working with Solidarësch Hëllef Réiserbann (SHR) and Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM).

2. Invites
   

   • the college of aldermen to continue to raise awareness among the local and national population, as well as the school community, of the problems persisting in Argentina and especially among our brothers of the Kolla Community;

   • the college of aldermen to continue its cooperation and dialogue with national and European authorities;

   • the leaders of the Tinkunaku Community and the representatives of the villages of Los Naranjos, Rio Blanquito, Angosto de Parani and San Andres to work together to defend their interests;

   • Community leaders to continue their efforts in the areas of organization, school education, infrastructure and the recovery of their ancestral land;

   • the Chamber of Deputies and the Luxembourg Government to intervene with the Argentine authorities to ensure that the rights of the indigenous populations, and in particular those of our Kollas partners, are respected and enforced;

   • the national and European authorities to support the commitment of the Commune of Roeser, the associated NGOs and the Kolla community to reclaim their ancestral lands.

3. Appeals to

   • the Governor of the Province of Salta to intervene in the interests of the Kolla communities, so that their lands can be returned to them;

   • the Fiscal d'Estado (Attorney General) to ensure that the trials currently underway are pleaded and finalized within a short timeframe and with respect for the rights of indigenous populations as set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Argentina, despite the current difficult economic and political situation in Argentina;

   • ENARGAS (Argentina's Public Gas Distribution Administration) to move the gas pipeline along a route that has fewer harmful consequences for the natural environment, poses less danger to the lives of the region's inhabitants, and avoids the effects of erosion in the future;

   • the American company Seaboard Corporation to halt all deforestation measures with immediate effect, and to voluntarily return their ancestral lands to the Kollas of Finca San Andres.

Resolution of September 30, 2020

1. the Municipal Council Reiterates

• its solidarity and moral support for the Kolla Tinkunaku community, which includes the villages of Los Naranjos, Rio Blanquito, Angosto de Parani and San Andres;

• its willingness to pursue political cooperation with the Kolla community, particularly in the field of indigenous rights. These rights concern their ancestral territory, culture and history, as well as the protection of nature, the environment and biodiversity, and their economic and social development;

• its desire to pursue collaboration with Solidarësch Hëllef Réiserbann (SHR), Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) and any other organizations and associations wishing to join our common cause;

2. the Municipal Council  Affirms

• its willingness to work for a fairer, more equitable world by continuing its efforts and commitments in the field of North-South cooperation and development aid (Klimabündnis, Fairtrade, etc.);

• its determination to work for peace in the world and to take a stand against nuclear weapons and a new policy of rearmament;

• its commitment to sustainable living by pursuing its efforts and commitments in the areas covered by the climate pact;

3. the Municipal Council Invites

• the college of aldermen to continue to raise awareness among the local and national population, as well as the school community, of the problems of indigenous populations in South America, in Argentina and particularly among our brothers and sisters of the Tinkunaku Community of Finca San Andrés;

• the college of aldermen to continue its cooperation and dialogue with national and European authorities;

• the leaders of the Tinkunaku Community and the representatives of the villages of Los Naranjos, Rio Blanquito, Angosto de Parani and San Andres to commit themselves to a true union of solidarity in order to be able to defend their interests forcefully;

• the leaders of the Community and of the various ayllus that make it up, to pursue their efforts in terms of organization, school education and infrastructure, but also in protecting nature, maintaining biodiversity and combating deforestation of the ancestral forest of the yungas;

• the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies and Government to stand up for the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly in South America, where recently elected politicians seem intent on going back in time and the course of history by once again calling into question the rights of indigenous populations;

• the national and European authorities to support the commitment of the Commune of Roeser, the associated NGOs and the Kolla Community of Finca San Andrés to their rights and claims.

4. the Municipal Council Appeals

• the Government of the Republic of Argentina to intervene in the interests of the indigenous community of the Kolla Tinkunaku people of the former Finca San Andrés y Santa Cruz, with regard to the lands remaining the property of the Seaboard Corporation, so that the mandate of Law 26160 on Territorial Survey is respected and the remainder of its ancestral territory is returned to the community and integrated into the parts already recovered (lands appearing on a community's official survey can no longer give rise to eviction). This applies in particular to the wooded areas between the "expropriated" and "donated" parts, which have already been identified by the title deeds handed over to the Tinkunaku community. These woods are part of a biodiversity reserve recognized by UNESCO in 2002;

• ENARGAS (Argentine Public Administration for Gas Distribution) and, through it, the companies operating in the Tinkunaku community territory, to assess the environmental, social and cultural impact of the Norandino gas pipeline, which unfortunately began in 1998. The aim is to ensure that the institutions involved in community life adopt measures to mitigate these impacts, and in particular that the effects of erosion on farmland and woodland are contained in the future;

• the multinational "Seaboard Corporation" to definitively renounce any economic activity that has an impact on the natural environment and on the social and cultural context of the community; to refrain from obstructing the free occupation and ancestral use of the TINKUNAKU community's territory, which is in the process of being regularized; in particular, to voluntarily return to its original inhabitants the forested lands located between the expropriated part and the donated part;

     5. the Municipal Council Instructs the College of Aldermen to forward this resolution to all parties concerned.


You will find below four information brochures concerning the partnership.

Tinkunaku_No_1.pdf

Tinkunaku_No_2.pdf

Tinkunaku_No_3.pdf

Tinkunaku_No_4.pdf

The Municipal Council of the Municipality of Roeser,

The Municipal Council of the Commune of Zoufftgen,

Considering that the Commune of Roeser, commune of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, canton of Esch-sur-Alzette, and the Commune of Zoufftgen, commune of the Lorraine Region, French Republic, share common historical roots and have, for several centuries, formed a single administrative and political entity;

Considering that the two communes are part of the Greater Saar-Lor-Lux Region, and therefore share the same destiny within this entity whose history has perpetually associated, since the earliest antiquity, its various components, including Luxembourg and Lorraine, sharing the same cross-border area formed largely by their former iron and steel basins;

Considering that the European Union Treaty lays down the political, social and economic foundations necessary and indispensable to the development of the member countries of the Union, from which the communes of Roeser and Zoufftgen benefit;

Being of the opinion that the freedom of exchange and circulation must not only take place at national and regional level, but also at local, and therefore communal, level;

Considering that the disappearance of physical and economic borders is bringing the inhabitants of the member states of the European Union, and consequently the inhabitants of Roeser and Zoufftgen, closer together;

Considering that the bonds of friendship forged between the communes of Roeser and Zoufftgen during the annual border control meetings should be strengthened;

Considering that this approximation can best be achieved through exchanges and cooperation at various levels;

Convinced that the local political authorities have a key role to play in bringing the communities of Roeser and Zoufftgen closer together, and that it is their responsibility to be the initiators;

Considering that, in this context, the local authorities must initiate projects to create new objectives, so as to create the basis on which exchanges between the two communities can be concretized, strengthened and multiplied;

Considering that this desire to strengthen relations and cooperation between the communes of Roeser and Zoufftgen should be institutionalized and perpetuated by a solemn declaration of partnership;

Decide

To strengthen relations and initiate cooperation between the Commune of Roeser and the Commune of Zoufftgen through the development of an inter-communal partnership involving joint projects and cultural, sporting and associative exchanges between the various components of their respective communities.

Commit

To ensure the continuity of the partnership between the Commune of Roeser and the Commune of Zoufftgen and to perpetuate it in particular by an official annual meeting of the councils which will take place alternately in Roeser and Zoufftgen.

Signed in Zoufftgen on October 16, 2006

Website of the municipality of Zoufftgen