Minority Question Research Articles

Living Next Door to Germany: Denmark and the German Problem

This article analyses Danish relations with the two German states. After 1949 Denmark found itself in a special position as the only West European country that was neighbour to both Germanys, having a land border with the Federal Republic and a sea border and important communications links with the German Democratic Republic. But Denmark recognised only the Federal Republic as the legitimate representative of Germany. Germany had historically constituted a serious problem for Denmark, and even in the after-war period Danish relations with its big neighbour were beset with problems. After 1955, when the minority question was settled and Denmark and the FRG were both members of NATO, relations with West Germany improved. Relations with the GDR were much more troubled because Denmark was to an extent forced to bow to West German interests, but could not ignore the existence of the East German neighbour state.

Ethnic diversity of the population of Vojvodina: The 2002 census

This article presents the ethnic structure of the population of Vojvodina according to the 2002 census results. Also, there are analyzed the ethnodemographic changes in the period 1991-2002, caused by the following relevant factors: natural movement, migration and changed declaration on national affiliation. Ethnocentric migrations (voluntary and forced) primarily influenced the change of ethnic structure of the Vojvodina, in the sense of creating a nationally more homogeneous region, having in mind the national structure of refugee-population. On the other hand, the emigration of some other nationalities which migrated to their mother countries due to political and economic reasons influenced the ethnic structure of the population, too. On the whole, the ethnic picture of Vojvodina is a complex one and undergoing changes continuously. Having in mind that Vojvodina is a multiethnic and multiconfessional region, the question of minorities and interethnic relations is undoubtedly of great significance for the stability and demographic development of this region.

The U. P. Congress and ‘Hindu Unity’: Untouchables and the Minority Question in the 1930s

In a letter to Sir Samuel Hoare in September 1932, on the eve of his ‘fast unto the death’ against the principle of separate electorates for untouchables, Gandhi wrote:For me religion is one in essence, but it has many branches and if I, the Hindu branch, fail in my duty to the parent trunk, I am an unworthy follower of that one indivisible, visible religion…. My nationalism and my religion are not exclusive, but inclusive and they must be so consistently with the welfare of all life.

Monitoring ethnic minorities in the Netherlands

The article first summarises the history of ethnic minority policy in the Netherlands and the development of the ‘ethnic minority’ and ‘allochthonous’ categories, which are peculiar in comparative perspective in emphasising socio‐economic disadvantage as a constitutive dimension of minority status and in setting the minority question within the broader Dutch political principle of ‘pillarisation’. The article then examines the use of statistics in public policy, in a context where the national census has been discontinued since 1971, focusing more specifically on the case of education, where major statistical efforts have been devoted to identifying patterns of disadvantage and integration. Finally, the article briefly examines current debates on the situation of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands in the context of growing questioning of established Dutch models of minority policy.

Under the conflicting pressures of the ideals of the era and the burdens of history: Ethnic relations in Estonia, 1918–1925

One of the many challenges that Estonia faced when it gained independence was the minority question. The history of certain minorities, above all that of the Baltic Germans, has already been studied fairly intensively. Nevertheless, the scope of all previous studies has been rather narrow (the position of a single minority). This article traces the history of all ethnic minorities in Estonia and views them from a broader perspective. Answers are sought to the following questions: What were the ethnic relations like in Estonia in 1918–1925? Why were they so? Did they change in the course of time? The article is based on the systematic study of Estonian press and archival sources. It constitutes an expanded version of the conclusion of the author's Finnish-language monograph Ajan ihanteiden ja historian rasitteiden ristipaineissa: Viron etniset suhteet vuosina 1918–1925.

Searching for Peace in Europe and Eurasia: An Overview of Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Activities by Paul s> van Tongeren Hans van de Veen , Juliette Verhoeven (review)

124 SEER, 82, I, 2004 isthatit 'examinesthe orientationand trendsof Ukraine'sforeignand security policy from the perspective of severaldifferentand often opposing schools of international relations theory. It is, in short, an attempt to link area studies and internationalrelationstheory througha focus on Ukraine'sforeignpolicy orientation' (pp. 2-3). The contributors indeed draw on a variety of IR theories, although most incline to 'constructivism' over 'realism'. On the whole, the book sensiblyavoidsseekingan artificiallynarrowedconsensusand there is much that is interestingand useful amongst the conflictingviews (or, as Moroney puts it on page 7, 'widearrayof plausibleperspectives')expressed in the volume. Some contributors claim to see an underlying consistency in Ukraine's foreign policy since I99i; to others 'Ukrainian foreign policy is that of oscillation' (p. 227). Some see that consistency as maintaining an underlying pro-Western course; others see an inevitable balancing act. However, the theoretical pluralismencouraged by the editors does not necessarilyproduce divergent opinions given the constraining reality of Ukrainian circumstance . As Paul D'Anieri wisely points out, 'the same policy patternsseem to validate both power politics and constructivistapproaches. Currently, both internal identity politics and external geopolitics motivate Ukraine towards the same policy:workto establishclose ties with Europe, distinguishUkraine from Russia, but do not make any fundamental break with Russia. In that sensepolicies over the lastten yearshave been overdetermined'(p. 52). There is a sensible balance in most authors' approaches between identity politics, 'realism',the external nexus and contingent factors,such as a useful chapter by Tor Bukkvollon Ukraine's new business groups and their (again often divergent) foreign policy preferences. Mikhail Molchanov's conclusion 'even ifthisbook does not claim to have produceda singleoverarching approach to cover most of the problems involved, it demonstrated the value of such a combination of methods' (p. 277) is apt. This is a much richer book on Ukrainian foreign and security policy than any other that has appearedto date. School ofSlavonic andEastEuropean Studies ANDREW WILSON UTniversity CollegeLondon van Tongeren, Paul, van de Veen, Hans and Verhoeven, Juliette (eds). Searchingfor PeaceinEurope andEurasia.An Overview ofConflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Activities.A Project of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention.Lynne Rienner Publishers,Boulder,CO, and London, 2002. xvi + 832 pp. Illustrations. Maps. Tables. Appendices. Bibliography. Indexes. ?53 95 THEbook under review is a collection of essays written by more than forty scholars and commentators, and is a major contribution to the critical study of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in internationalrelations.It provides insights into the dynamics of conflict and peacemaking activities in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, focusing on the effortsof regional organizations and NGOs. The book's emphasis is on the role of civil society in the REVIEWS 125 processes of peace and conflict resolution, and gives a thorough coverage of the activitiesof grassrootsgroups.It isthe productof 'The SearchingforPeace Program of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention' (Utrecht, The Netherlands) established in cooperation with a number of regional and internationalorganizationsand governments. The book is dividedinto threeparts,and benefitsfroma rich and accessible directoryon the profilesof 400 organizationsin Europe and Eurasiaworking in the field. Readerswill alsofindusefultwo setsof appendices and indexes. The firstpartpresentsa number of theoreticaland empiricalstudieson the role of the EU and OSCE in the process of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Europe and Eurasia. The question of minorities, ethnic differences, emigration, peacemaking and conflict prevention in Western Europe, SouthernEurope,Russia,is examined in detail.Forthisreviewer,the most interesting and constructive contribution is by Michael Lund. Having emphasized the importance of learning lessons from a variety of experiences, he providesinsightsinto the understandingof thepreventionof violent conflict by offering three major steps for effective country-level prevention. These include conflict analysis, prevention analysis and prevention action. Lund's assessmentis that publicity and lobbying do not automaticallylead to more effectiveprevention, rather,morepoliticalpressureneeds to be applied. Part two provides case studies on conflict prevention and peacemaking in NorthernIreland,Spain, Cyprus,andTurkeyand in the countriesof Southern Europe, particularlyKosovo. Other discussions focus on Eurasia including Russia, the southern Caucusus and Central Asia. The major contribution to this section is by Anna Matveeva in her case studieson the Caucasus region. She argues that conflict in this region could spill over to threaten Russian national security and is influenced by the situation in neighbouring states, particularly in the shape...

Unravelling a Trade-Off: Reconciling Minority Rights and Full Citizenship in Turkey

With Turkey’s recognition as an official candidate for accession to the EU, the rhetoric of minority rights has become a part of the national discourse. Various ethnic and religious groups started to raise their voice in demanding not only individual rights, but also the constitutional recognition of their distinct identities through the effective granting of minority rights. At the same time, they vehemently opposed being 'branded' as minorities. What may seem to be a counter-intuitive reaction at first glance is explicable and indeed expected in light of the unique historical context of Turkey, where official minority status has been exclusively granted to non-Muslim citizens who are by and large perceived by both state and society as lesser citizens whose loyalty to the nation is untrustworthy. Aware of this social reality, and not having been immune to the widespread social prejudices against non-Muslim minorities, the unrecognized minorities rejected minority status arguing instead that they were among the ‘founding peoples.The paradoxical situation in which various minorities demand cultural recognition and what are essentially minority rights while at the same time vehemently rejecting the ‘minority tag’ begs for the question: how should Turkey’s minority question be resolved without consolidating the existing social pillarizations within society? To address that question, this article advocates the development of a new constitutional citizenship model universally encompassing all minorities rather than the creation of new minority regimes granting special protection to specific groups.

Nationalism, Globalization, and Orthodoxy: The Social Origins of Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans

Foreword by Roland Robertson Introduction: Nationalism, Globalization, and Modernity in the Balkans: A World-Historical Perspective A Multidimensional Analysis of the Balkan National Revolutions (Part I) A Multidimensional Analysis of the Balkan National Revolutions (Part II) The Pursuit of Citizenship Invented Traditions, Symbolic Boundaries, and National Identity in Greece and Serbia 1830-1880 The Latecomers, Nationalism in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania The Articulation of Irredentism in Balkan Politics 1880-1920 The Consequences of Modernity: National Homogenization and the Minority Question The Balkans in a Global Age Conclusions Bibliographical Note References Index

Marginal Note on Minority Questions in the Thought of Frantz Fanon

Marginal Note on Minority Questions in the Thought of Frantz Fanon

Why Don't Minorities Join Special Operations Forces?

Following the Cold War, regional instability and lower-level conflict have increased, bringing with them enhanced roles and responsibilities for the U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF). As a result, ensuring and maintaining the personnel readiness of the SOF is critical. One of the major issues facing SOF is recruiting and ensuring ethnic diversity among its members. This study examines the racial and ethnic composition of SOF operators, and the barriers that stand in the way of recruiting minorities. It identifies both structural and perceptual barriers to minority participation and also examines the question of minorities' lack of interest in SOF as a career. Its methodology and findings should be of interest to other agencies and firms dealing with issues of minority representation.

The fate of Hungarian minorities in Slovakia after the second world war: Resettlement and re‐Slovakization: Moscow's position

Fresh materials from the former Soviet Foreign Ministry Archives concerning attitudes and policies in Prague, Budapest and Moscow in the second half of the 1940s reveal that Moscow regarded the settlement of the question of the Hungarian minorities through the prism of promoting the political interests of the Communists in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Initially, in 1945 the Soviet leaders favoured the idea of the deportation of the Germans and Hungarians from Czechoslovakia with the aim of establishing Czechoslovakia as a state of two ethnically related Slavic peoples. At the beginning of the 1950s they changed their position: their aim became the consolidation of the Soviet bloc. The anti‐Hungarian policy of the Czech Communist Party did not correspond to the new priorities and was condemned by Moscow as ‘bourgeois nationalism’.

Federalism, Democracy and the Minority Question in Nigeria

Federalism, Democracy and the Minority Question in Nigeria

DEMOCRATIC RENEWAL AND THE HUNGARIAN MINORITY QUESTION IN SLOVAKIA

In this article an attempt is made to analyse and conceptualize socio-political developments in Slovakia since the end of the Mec ) iar regime in September/October 1998. It is argued that the policy of democratic renewal pursued by the present Slovak government is subject to certain limitations that are the result of the ethno-national character of the Slovak Republic's founding ideology and of the basic ethno-national Weltanschauung and ideological perspective of both Slovak and ethnic Hungarian citizens and politicians. It is suggested that the emerging democratic order in Slovakia is likely to be a form of ethnic democracy rather than a liberal democracy in the conventional Western sense. This may also help to explain along what lines a resolution of the Hungarian minority question in the Slovak Republic is looked for.

In Search of the Nation: Hungarian Minority Youth in the New Czechoslovak Republic

The question of the national minorities of East Central Europe has again become a major topic of debate, as it was at the Paris Peace Conference 75 years ago. In 1994 and 1995, as the Horn government has attempted to hammer out bilateral treaties with Slovakia and Romania, the Hungarian minority populations have been a subject of public debate. The debate takes place in two forums. The interstate debate revolves around the same problems discussed in Paris; the question of the legal protection of minority rights in states in which the nation was declared to belong to the majority, and the further question of whether rights should be protected on an individual or collective basis. The second forum is that of the larger Hungarian community and concerns the nature and cohesion of the fifteen million Hungarians throughout the world. The implicit question is who actually belongs to the Hungarian community and what should be the relationship between so-called “minority” Hungarians and the Hungarian state.

The Baltic World 1772-1993: Europe's Northern Periphery in an Age of Change.

Part One: The Age of Empire: Sturm und Drang-The Baltic in an Age of Revolution, 1772-1815 Stormclouds, the revolutionary nineties, The spread of war, From Tilsit to Eidsvoll. The Baltic in 1800: Land and people- images and reality, Estates and classes, Reforming the common people. States and Unions-1815 to the Revolutions of 1848: Constitutions of diverse kinds, Government and society 1830 - 1848, Europe's policeman. The Era of Nationalism: Points of collision, The politics of nationhood. Society in an Era of Change: Landscapes, Lifestyles, Beliefs, Work. The Age of Imperialism 1871-1905: Threatened peripheries, The break-up of the Union, Reaction and reform, Fin-de-siecle: The city, Leisure and morality, The twilight of the old order?. The End of Empire- Russia in Revolution 1905-1917: 1905, The road to war, War and revolution. Part Two: Nations and States: The New Order Russia, Germany and the Eastern Baltic, The Repercussions of War and Revolution, Independence. The Impact of Change, c.1870-1940 Peasant into Farmer?, The Farming-Economy, Innovation, Invention and Adaptation, The Role of the State. The Interwar Years Constitutions, government and politics in the new states, In the shadow of the Nazis, Territorial and minority questions, Memel, Danzig and the coming of war. The Tragic Decade- 1939-1950 War in the North, 1939 - 1940, War in the East, 1941-1945, The end of the war in Northern Europe, Division. Affluence and Welfare-Nordic States since the War Recovery and resurgence 1945- 1960, Consolidation 1960-1973, The oil crisis and after, The resonances of change. A Baltic Renescance? Stalin and after, Accommodation and dissent, Living with the bear, The end of empire.

The Hellenic Minority in Albania: Status and Current Developments

Ever since the creation of the Albanian state in 1913, the Greek-Albanian relations have often been tense and emotional. Mainly focused on the presence and the rights of the Hellenic minority in Albania – and especially in the region of Northern Epirus which was the object of Greek territorial claims for many decades – over the years, these bilateral relations have known many periods of tension with international repercussions. Indeed, from the time of the League of Nations until the catalytic changes in Europe in 1989 and the post-bipolar international order, the issue of the Hellenic minority has dominated and defined the bilateral relations, and has often caused the reaction of international institutions and emotional outbursts of Greek public opinion. Furthermore, it has affected the broader Balkan stage and the security and stability of the region, with the interrelation of minority questions in all Balkan countries.

The OSCE and the Protection of Minority Rights

This article reviews the rights accorded to minority groups by the commitments of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)' and examines the various measures that have been put in place to enforce those commitments. The structure of the OSCE and the provisions relating to minorities' protection have evolved gradually over the last twenty-five years, slowly at first, then much more dramatically following the recent fall of communism in the East. The breakup of the former Eastern bloc and the ensuing rise of interethnic conflict have provoked concerns regarding the minority question in a way that scarcely could have been envisaged at the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975.2 Consequently, the issue of minorities has come to the forefront of the OSCE agenda, making an examination of minority rights and related OSCE machinery timely. Particular attention is devoted to the work of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) whose mandate was established at the Helsinki

Book Notes

Europe Afier Maastricht: American and European Perspectives, edited by Paul Michael Lutzeler International Politics in Europe: The New Agenda, edited by G. Wyn Rees Shaping a New European Order, by Hugh Miall European Union andthe EFTA Counhies, by T. PedersenThe Fourth Enlargement: Public Opinion on Membership in the Nordic Candidate Countries The Minority Question in Europe: Towards the Creation of a Coherent European Regime, by Florence Benoit‐Rohmer and Hilde Hardeman In Search of New Constitutions, edited by H. MacQueen Citizens' Europe ? The European Elections and the Role of the European Parliament, by Julie Smith Making Sense of Subsidiary: How Much Centralization for Europe?, Centre for Economic Policy Research Subsidiarity within the European Community, edited by Andrew Duff The Economics of the European Community, edited by A.M. El‐Agraa The Revival of Japanese Competition Policy and its Importance for EU‐Japan Relations, by Stephen Wilks The Channel Tunnel: A Geographical Perspective, edited by R. Gibb The Origins and Development of Food Policies in Europe, edited by John Burnett and Derek J. Oddy Sex Equality: Law and Economics, David Hume Institute: Hume Papers on Public Policy, Volume 1 No. 1 Terrorism and Drug Trafficking in the 1990s, edited by Alison Jamieson La Gauche face aux mutations en Europe, edited by P. Delwit and J.‐M. de Waele The New Spain: From Isolation to Influence, by Kenneth Maxwell and Steven Spiegel Greece: Perspective 2000, by E. M. Pantelouris

The Legal Status of Minorities in Greece Today: The Adequacy of their Protection in the Light of Current Human Rights Perceptions

International human rights law commands states not to discriminate against members of ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities. Moreover, the world community expects states to adopt positive measures that give distinct minority identities an equal chance of surviving. Although Greece is a largely homogeneous country, it has always played host to a number of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups that qualify as minorities under international law. The situation of many of these groups has improved significantly in recent years; however, some inherently discriminatory legislation survives to date and Greek courts continue to issue decisions that occasionally deny equal rights to members of minorities on rather shaky grounds. Moreover, the special rules for the protection of minorities established under the Treaty of Lausanne appear clearly inadequate and unfair today. To ensure full compliance with existing obligations and the current expectations of the international community, the Greek legal system must reconsider its response to the minority question.

The legal nature of commitments related to the question of minorities

AbstractThough the list of international standards for the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities seems to be quite comprehensive, one cannot overlook the fact that the most important among normative instruments, the United Nations Declaration and CSCE Copenhagen Document, are not legally binding. From the legal point of view while the principles of equality and non-discrimination of persons belonging to national minorities are formulated by "hard law", i.e. by the whole body of international human rights instruments, positive rights are mainly formulated by "soft law", i.e. recommendations and documents of intergovernmental organizations. Although this is true for both universal ad regional standards, nevertheless in comparison with the universal level, the protection of minority rights has been more advanced in the European region and within the OSCE process. The article proposes a number of ways and means by which the further consolidation of international standards concerning minority rights can be achieved.