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441. Majorities and Minorities in Post-Soviet Space

Author:
Federica Prina and Aziz Berdiqulov
Publication Date:
11-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The concepts of ‘majority’ and ‘minority’ are challenging terms to define in a clear and precise manner, especially in the unique environments of post-Soviet space. Linking the definitional complexities of ‘majority’ to the post-Soviet and postcolonial condition, this paper examines the majority-minority dynamics through the lenses of the fluidity of groups, the interaction of communities and the power differentials between communities. In doing so, the paper analyses cases from two post-Soviet countries. First, the case of Russia illustrates contentious identification of majority and minority communities, where an alternative vocabulary for definition of ‘minority’ and ‘majority’ emerged along with alternative understanding of related concepts. Second, the case of Tajikistan looks at the interplay of majority-minority concepts and discusses how the Russian community as a former ‘political majority’ adjusts to its new status of non-dominant group, while the Tajik community becomes the single subject of the nation-building policies.
Topic:
Post Colonialism, Minorities, Ethnicity, Identity, and Post-Soviet Space
Political Geography:
Europe and Post-Soviet Europe

442. Local Bodies for Interethnic Relations in the Western Balkan States

Author:
Ljubica Djordjevic
Publication Date:
11-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The paper examines local mechanisms for interethnic dialogue which have been established in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia, with the main question concerning why they have remained ineffective for such a long period of time. The focus lies on local councils (Serbia), commissions (Macedonia), and committees (Kosovo) established in the respective laws on local self -governance, as specific institutional mechanisms for both participation of national minorities in municipal affairs and dialogue among communities residing in a municipality. In all three countries these bodies have been institutionally set as consultative bodies attached to a municipal assembly which deals with the issues relevant for national equality (Serbia), relations between communities (Macedonia) or respect for rights and interests of the communities (Kosovo). The main purpose of their activity is to address recommendations and opinions , primarily to the municipal assembly. They should serve as a channel for smaller communities to express their needs and interests, and as a forum for interethnic dialogue in a municipality. Yet, although legally established almost 15 years ago in Serbia and Macedonia (2002) and 10 years ago in Kosovo (2008), these bodies still remain more of a form than a content. Legal vagueness, lack of municipal support, inactivity, poor transparency and democratic legitimacy are just some of the weak points which cause their po or performance.
Topic:
Governance, Minorities, Ethnicity, Local, and Identity
Political Geography:
Europe and Balkans

443. (Un)Friendly School Environments? Bully and Microagression as a Cause for Roma Children's Academic Underachievement

Author:
Andreea Carstocea
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
When it comes to education policy-making for Roma children, both research and policy-making focus mostly on issues related to segregation, access to education, poverty, and social exclusion. One item that has so far been mostly absent is a focus on the school and classroom environment, namely the prejudiced, hostile, and discriminatory attitudes and actions either of teachers or of classmates towards Roma pupils. In response to this gap, this Working Paper will focus on bullying and microaggressions against Roma pupils in schools, acknowledging it as a significant factor shaping these children’s experience at school. After reviewing the relevant academic debates on bullying and microaggressions, the Working Paper will attempt to summarise the existing evidence of bullying of Roma children in schools across Europe. Finally, following an overview of the existing recommendations by European organisations, as well as of national level policy responses to this issue, the Working Paper will conclude that there is a pressing need for comprehensive data collection, academic research, and policy-making concerning bullying and microaggressions against Roma pupils in schools.
Topic:
Education, Minorities, Children, Ethnicity, Discrimination, Academia, and Identity
Political Geography:
Europe

444. Minority Communities in Contemporary Tajikistan. An Overview

Author:
Aziz Berdiqulov
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the legal framework for minority-related issues in Tajikistan and discuss international and national commitments the country has signed concerning protection of minority rights. An overview of some minority communities living in Tajikistan, namely Kyrgyzs, Pamiris, Russians, and Uzbeks will follow afterwards to illustrate how the Tajik minority-related legislation works in practice and what challenges communities usually face. In this section, demographic, linguistic, religious, and socio-economic profiles of selected minority communities will be discussed as well.
Topic:
Minorities, Ethnicity, Community, Identity, and Protected People
Political Geography:
Central Asia, Middle East, Asia, and Tajikistan

445. Universal Basic Income as a Tool of Empowerment for Minorities

Author:
Sonja Wolf and Craig Willis
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
Minority empowerment is a relatively new approach on research and policy-making in the field of minority studies. At its core lies the ideal to remove the marginalisation of minorities by providing room for them to take agency on their own behalf. One policy that has been identified as having the potential to rapidly affect marginalised communities is the implementation of a Universal Basic Income; a monthly amount paid equally to all residents of an area without any means-testing or conditions. This working paper explores how these two fields of research can connect and identifies the key areas of everyday life that could be affected. This includes focus on employment, education, relationships and family life, community work, and government intrusion and social stigma; core elements for any individual and society, including minority communities. The analysis section finds that UBI has the potential to alter all of these aspects, but only if it is used to increase the existing standard of welfare and government services and not as an opportunity to reduce government spending by cutting the vital existing programmes.
Topic:
Labor Issues, Minorities, Income Inequality, Universal Basic Income, Welfare, and Social Services
Political Geography:
Global Focus

446. The Influence of Dialogue Projects on the Reconcilation Process in Kosovo: Give Peace a Chance? - The Case of the Youth Peace Camp

Author:
Nevena Radosavlijevic
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The armed conflict in Kosovo was finished in 1999. Even though almost 20 years have passed, the process of reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians, who were the main actors of the war, is still under question. Even though most of the efforts towards reconciliation in Kosovo are attempted from the top-down level of governance, there are significant bottom-up activities as well. The aim of my research is to explore the influence of dialogue projects as a bottom-up tool to achieve the reconciliation in Kosovo. In order to explain this influence of dialogue projects, I am using the case of Youth Peace Camp (YPC) which can be seen as a dialogue project, organized by the Council of Europe. Through the empirical research about the Youth Peace Camp, my research seeks to find elements of reconciliation recognized by a theoretical framework. According to this framework, reconciliation can be seen as space where two sides of the conflict are meeting in order to work on (re)building relationships; where they speak of the past and share their sufferings and experiences, work on acceptance of each other without feelings of hatred, change perceptions by getting to know the “other” and work on a common, interdependent future. Based on survey and questionnaires with previous participants of the YPC, as well as on the participant observation and interviews with participants at the YPC 2018, I found correlations between the YPC impact and reconciliation. The results of this study are emphasizing the positive impact of the dialogue projects such as YPC on the reconciliation process in Kosovo. The biggest influence of the YPC is made on the theoretical components such as relationship building, experience sharing, mutual acceptance and the changing of perceptions. The aspects of acknowledgment and future planning are also tackled and recognized in my empirical research, but not in the same range as the other components. The overall impact of the Youth Peace Camp on the reconciliation process in Kosovo can be seen as a positive one. Since there is no negative influence, the main recommendation of this research is to implement and organize these kinds of projects as much as possible in order to foster the reconciliation process. Besides the practical implementation, more academic research is needed.
Topic:
Governance, Minorities, Youth, Peace, and Reconciliation
Political Geography:
Europe, Kosovo, Serbia, and Albania

447. Roma Policy-Making in Romania and Bulgaria: In Need to Prioritise Combating Anti-Gypsyism

Author:
Andreea Carstocea
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
Policies instituted with a view to improving the situation of the Roma in Romania and Bulgaria in recent years have resulted in very limited positive outcomes, as evaluated by international organisations and independent NGOs. Based on a broad outline of these policies, this Working Paper will argue that recognising the impact that anti-gypsyism has on the lives of the Roma, as well as strongly prioritising actions to combat it, represent fundamental conditions for improving the situation of this community.
Topic:
Minorities, Ethnicity, Discrimination, NGOs, and Identity
Political Geography:
Europe, Bulgaria, and Romania

448. The Trembling of a Complex Regional Consociation: 2018 Provincial Election in South Tyrol

Author:
Guido Panzano
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
Located in the northeastern part of Italy, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen, also known with the historical name of South Tyrol, is one of the two provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region. It is a border region and a deeply divided place, with a majority of German-speaking population (62.3%) and minorities of Italians (23.4%), Ladins (4.1%) and past and recent migrants (10.2%). On the 21st October 2018 almost 400,000 South Tyrolean citizens (69.1% Germans, 26.4% Italians, and 4.5% Ladins) casted their vote to elect the Provincial Council. This Working Paper therefore aims to analyse the party competition in this electoral campaign, underling specificities and evolutions of such a peculiar political system.
Topic:
Minorities, Elections, Local, and Regionalism
Political Geography:
Europe and Italy

449. The Mixed Tale of Croatia;a Implementation if the FCNM: Successful Legislative and Institutional Implementation Marred by Local Administrative Resistance and Misapplication

Author:
Dimitrios (Jim) Molos
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
With the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), the Council of Europe recognized that national minority protection was essential for European “stability, democratic security, and peace”. Yet, because the FCNM is nonjusticiable, and because its monitoring mechanism is voluntary and highly discretionary, many legal commentators’ initial predictions were ambivalent or pessimistic. Two decades and several monitoring cycles after the FCNM entered into force, there is sufficient data to begin assessing the accuracy of the initial predictions. This working paper answers a narrow question: to what extent have the FCNM’s monitoring procedure and the Advisory Committee’s recommendations been effective in facilitating Croatia’s implementation of its legal obligation under the FCNM? In brief, the Croatian implementation record reveals mixed results. Whereas Croatian authorities have made significant progress toward full and effective constitutional, legislative and institutional implementation of their FCNM obligations, this success has been marred by resistance and disobedience at the level of local application. An analysis of Croatia’s progress demonstrates that its national minority protection measures are not properly characterized as legislative lip-service, and that even though Croatia has much work to do to fully implement the FCNM, including on several issues of pressing concern, its real progress should be neither underestimated nor devalued. Ultimately, there are good reasons to be optimistic about the FCNM’s monitoring procedure’s ability to encourage States Parties to enhance their national minority protection, particularly at the legislative and institutional levels.
Topic:
Minorities, Ethnicity, Discrimination, Legislation, Identity, and Protected People
Political Geography:
Europe and Croatia

450. National Minorities Vis-A-Vis Political Developments in Their Kin States. The Case of Flensborg Avis Newspaper

Author:
Sergiusz Bober
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
Numerous national minorities residing in Europe produce their own printed or on-line media. In most of the cases, the content such minority media offers, includes also information regarding developments (political, economic, social) taking place in kin states. This Working Paper, through the analysis of content published in Flensborg Avis (the newspaper of the Danish minority residing in the bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein), aims to examine how such information is presented. In other words, does minority media rather passively convey content concerning aforementioned developments or actively participate in debates taking place in their kin state? Another related question is also addressed: does minority media feel obliged to follow the political line currently dominant in a kin state? The conducted analysis shows that Flensborg Avis is an example of a minority media actively engaged in debates concerning issues important for Denmark and presenting views not infrequently on a collision course with narratives dominating there.
Topic:
Nationalism, Minorities, Media, Ethnicity, Identity, and Information Technology
Political Geography:
Europe and Denmark