Download or read book Ethnocultural Justice for the Roma in Slovakia written by Jarmila Lajcakova and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 586 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thesis aims to contribute to the scholarly effort that scrutinizes national minority rights standards in Central and Eastern Europe from an ethnocultural justice perspective. I approach this task through a case study of the Roma in Slovakia. By interrogating what ethnocultural justice for this minority means, I critique both, the current practices in the accommodation of national minorities, and Western theories of minority rights.In its final part, the thesis offers a variant of the personal cultural autonomy, combined with aspects of a model of joint governance called 'transformative accommodation', as an institutional expression of my normative proposal. While sanctioning the existence of some minority specific spaces, the model promises to facilitate the transformation of mainstream institutions in a way that promotes Roma inclusion in these critical in advancing both the socio-economic and the cultural structures, which is in turn critical in advancing both the socio-economic and the cultural empowerment of this group.Drawing on several fields of study, including international law, Slovak constitutional law, political theories of liberal pluralism, feminism, and Romani studies, the thesis frames the question of Roma rights within the larger discourse on accommodation of national minorities. I advance an account of ethnocultural justice based on the concept of equality that takes into consideration the issues of context. Rather than applying a uniform framework to each group, the thesis proposes a method of devising minority protection based on reliance of the three core 'objectives' or 'justifications' of existing national minority rights; namely peace and security, human dignity, and culture. Guided by the three justifications, I put forward an interpretation of ethnocultural justice for the Roma. It is founded on a substantive equality dimension in relation to the dominant majority and to other national minorities. Equal treatment acknowledges the specific circumstances of the Roma, including socio-economic disparities, distinct culture, and territorial dispersion. Ethnocultural justice is equally sensitive to gender and other forms of inequalities within the group. In contrast to existing policies, fair treatment of the Roma reaches beyond their mere 'integration' into dominant societal institutions, but equally falls short of promoting parallel minority institutions across the whole range of political, social, and economic spaces.

Download or read book Institutional Legacies of Communism written by Karl Cordell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-03 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty years after the demise of communist policy, this book evaluates the continuing communist legacies in the current minority protection systems and legislations across a number of states in post-communist Europe. The fall of communism and the process of democratisation across post-communist Europe led to considerable change in minority protection with new systems and national political institutions either developed or copied. In general, the new institutions reflected the practices and experiences of (western) European states and were installed upon advice from European security organisations. Yet many ideas, legislative frameworks, policies and practices remained open to interpretation on the ground. With case studies on a diverse set of post-communist polities including Slovakia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Ukraine, Estonia, Croatia, the Baltic States and Russia, expert contributors consider how the institutional legacies of the communist past impact on policies designed to support minority communities in the new European democracies. Providing unique empirical material and comparative analyses of ethnocultural diversity management during and after communism, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations, European politics, political geography, post-communism, ethnic politics, nationalism and national identity.

Download or read book Cultural Autonomy in Contemporary Europe written by David J. Smith and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-18 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, some of the world’s leading scholars involved in researching the fields of ethnopolitics, nationalism and ideas of nation and state, have come together to produce a work that is both original and accessible. The volume explores the rich, but sadly neglected tradition of thought on non-territorial cultural autonomy as exemplified by the work of Karl Renner and Otto Bauer and the European Nationalities Congress of the 1920s. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and case study approaches, the authors challenge conventional thinking on how best to reconcile competing claims over territory and cultural expression. Drawing upon a range of examples from countries such as Russia, Romania and Hungary, and by comparing the situation of territorially-based ethnic minorities with those - principally the Roma - who lack identification with a given state or states, the authors of this volume seek to supply answers and question received truths.

Download or read book Defining the Sovereign Community written by Nadya Nedelsky and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2012-02-28 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though they shared a state for most of the twentieth century, when the Czechs and Slovaks split in 1993 they founded their new states on different definitions of sovereignty. The Czech Constitution employs a civic model, founding the state in the name of "the citizens of the Czech Republic," while the Slovak Constitution uses the more exclusive ethnic model and speaks in the voice of "the Slovak Nation." Defining the Sovereign Community asks two central questions. First, why did the two states define sovereignty so differently? Second, what impact have these choices had on individual and minority rights and participation in the two states? Nadya Nedelsky examines how the Czechs and Slovaks understood nationhood over the course of a century and a half and finds that their views have been remarkably resilient over time. These enduring perspectives on nationhood shaped how the two states defined sovereignty after the Velvet Revolution, which in turn strongly affected the status of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia and the Roma minority in the Czech Republic. Neither state has secured civic equality, but the nature of the discrimination against minorities differs. Using the civic definition of sovereignty offers stronger support for civil and minority rights than an ethnic model does. Nedelsky's conclusions challenge much analysis of the region, which tends to explain ethnic politics by focusing on postcommunist factors, especially the role of opportunistic political leaders. Defining the Sovereign Community instead examines the undervalued historical roots of political culture and the role of current constitutional definitions of sovereignty. Looking ahead, Nedelsky offers crucial evidence that nationalism may remain strong in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, even in the face of democratization and EU integration, and is an important threat to both.

Download or read book The Romani Movement written by Peter Vermeersch and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collapse of communism and the process of state building that ensued in the 1990s have highlighted the existence of significant minorities in many European states, particularly in Central Europe. In this context, the growing plight of Europe's biggest minority, the Roma (Gypsies), has been particularly salient. Traditionally dispersed, possessing few resources and devoid of a common "kin state" to protect their interests, the Roma have often suffered from widespread exclusion and institutionalized discrimination. Politically underrepresented and lacking popular support amongst the wider populations of their host countries, the Roma have consequently become one of Europe's greatest "losers" in the transition towards democracy. Against this background, the author examines the recent attempts of the Roma in Central Europe and their supporters to form a political movement and to influence domestic and international politics. On the basis of first-hand observation and interviews with activists and politicians in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, he analyzes connections between the evolving state policies towards the Roma and the recent history of Romani mobilization. In order to reach a better understanding of the movement's dynamics at work, the author explores a number of theories commonly applied to the study of social movements and collective action.

Download or read book Dissertation Abstracts International written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 756 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Contemporary Political Philosophy written by Will Kymlicka and published by Oxford : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition of Will Kymlicka's best selling critical introduction to contemporary political theory has been fully revised to include many of the most significant developments in Anglo-American political philosophy in the last 11 years, particularly the new debates over issues of democratic citizenship and cultural pluralism. The book now includes two new chapters on citizenship theory and multiculturalism, in addition to updated chapters on utilitarianism, liberal egalitarianism, libertarianism, socialism, communitarianism, and feminism. The many thinkers discussed include G. A. Cohen, Ronald Dworkin, William Galdston, Carol Gilligan, R. M. Hare, Chandran Kukathas, Catherine Mackinnon, David Miller, Philippe Van Parijs, Susan Okin, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, John Roemer, Michael Sandel, Charles Taylor, Michael Walzer, and Iris Young. Extended guides to further reading have been added at the end of each chapter, listing the most important books and articles on each school of thought, as well as relevant journals and websites. Covering some of the most advanced contemporary thinking, Will Kymlicka writes in an engaging, accessible, and non-technical way to ensure the book is suitable for students approaching these difficult concepts for the first time. This second edition promises to build on the original edition's success as a key text in the teaching of modern political theory.

Download or read book Roma in an Expanding Europe written by Dena Ringold and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2005 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the enlargement of the European Union in May 2004, Roma (or gypsies) are now the largest minority group in Europe. They are also one of the poorest and most vulnerable groups, living mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, suffering poverty levels as high as ten times that found within majority populations. The lack of information about the living conditions and needs of Roma people compound these stark gaps in human development outcomes. This publication, prepared for a conference held in Budapest, Hungary in June 2003, brings together original sociological research, evaluations of programme initiatives, and the first comparative cross-country household survey on ethnicity and poverty. It finds that Roma poverty is multi-faceted and can only be addressed by a inclusive policy approach which respects their diversity.

Download or read book The Roma a Minority in Europe written by Roni Stauber and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The situation of the Roma in Europe, especially in the former communist states, is one of the more important human rights issues on the agenda of the international community, especially in the Euro-Atlantic bodies of integration. Within European states that have Roma populations there is a growing awareness that the matter must be confronted, and that there is a need for a concentrated effort to solve social problems and ease tensions between the Roma and the European nations among which they dwell. This volume is the result of an international conference held at Tel Aviv University in December 2002. The conference, one of the largest held among the academic community in the last decade, served as a unique forum for a multidisciplinary discussion on the past and present of the Roma in which both Roma and non-Roma scholars from various countries engaged.

Download or read book Legal Aspects of Ethnic Data Collection and Positive Action written by Jozefien Van Caeneghem and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-09-05 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the legal feasibility of ethnic data collection and positive action for equality and anti-discrimination purposes, and considers how they could be used to promote the Roma minority’s inclusion in Europe. The book’s central aim is to research how a societal problem can be improved upon from a legal perspective. The controversy surrounding ethnic data collection and positive action severely limits their use at the national level. Accordingly, legal and political concerns are analysed and addressed in order to demonstrate that it is possible to collect such data and to implement such measures while fully respecting international and European human rights norms, provided that certain conditions are met. Part I focuses on ethnic data collection and explores the key rules and principles that govern it, the ways in which this equality tool could be used, and how potential obstacles might be overcome. It also identifies and addresses the specific challenges that arise when collecting ethnic data on the Roma minority in Europe. In turn, Part II explores positive action and the broad range of measures covered by the concept, before analysing the applicable international and European framework. It reviews the benefits and challenges of implementing positive action for Roma, identifies best practices, and gives special consideration to inter-cultural mediation in the advancement of Roma inclusion. The book concludes with an overview of the main findings on both topics and by identifying three essential elements that must be in place, in addition to full respect for the applicable legal rules, in order to combat discrimination and achieve the inclusion of Roma in Europe by complementing existing anti-discrimination frameworks with the collection of ethnic data and the implementation of positive action schemes.

Download or read book State of the World s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2013 written by Beth Walker and published by Minority Rights Group. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In almost every country in the world, minorities and indigenous peoples suffer greater ill-health and receive poorer quality of care than other segments of the population. They die younger, face higher rates of disease and struggle more to access health services compared to the rest of the population. This year's edition of State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples presents a global picture of the health issues experienced by minorities and indegenous communities, features country profiles and case studies, and makes recommendations for addressing these key issues.

Download or read book State of the World s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010 written by Preti Taneja and published by Minority Rights Group. This book was released on 2010-07-01 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A decade into the new century sees religious minorities confronting serious violations of their rights around the globe. Following the violent attacks of 11 September 2001, governments of every political hue have used “war on terror” rhetoric to justify the repression of religious communities. Other religious minorities have faced a violent backlash, often unjustly accused of siding with belligerents. In Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, armed conflict and land seizures have forced minority and indigenous communities away from locations central to their religious beliefs. Europe has witnessed gains by extreme right-wing political parties which are targeting religious minorities with their inflammatory language. In Central Asia, governments have introduced tough new registration requirements for religious communities and prevented the building of places of worship. In State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010, Minority Rights Group International offers a comprehensive overview of the situation faced by minorities in a world increasingly divided along religious lines. It includes: - An analysis of government initiatives that contribute to the marginalisation of religious minorities, such as religious profiling and registration laws. - First-hand accounts, from around the world, of the discrimination and exclusion faced by those belonging to minorities who wish to exercise their right to freedom of religion and belief. - An exploration of grassroots efforts through interfaith dialogue to ease tensions, overcome conflicts, and promote peaceful and equitable development. - An overview of the human rights situation of minorities and indigenous peoples in every major world region. - The unique statistical ranking and analysis, Peoples under Threat 2010. An invaluable reference for policy makers, academics, journalists and everyone who is interested in the human rights situation of minorities and indigenous peoples around the world.

Download or read book The Protection of Minorities in the Wider Europe written by M. Weller and published by Springer. This book was released on 2008-09-30 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines whether we are moving towards an integrated regional system of legal provision for minorities. It illustrates the tension between newer member states, many of which have an interest in seeing minority issues addressed, and established members, which remain hesitant in committing themselves fully to a minority rights regime.

Download or read book The Romani Women s Movement written by Angéla Kóczé and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-07-17 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The lack of recognition of Romani gender politics in the wider Romani movement and the women’s movements is accompanied by a scarcity of academic literature on Romani women’s mobilization in wider social justice struggles and debates. The Romani Women’s Movement highlights the role that Romani women’s politics plays in shaping equality related discourses, policies, and movements in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Presenting the diverse experiences and voices of Romani women activists, this volume reveals how they translate experiences of structural inequalities into political struggles by defining their own spaces of action; participating in formalized or less formal activist practices, and challenging the agendas and mechanisms of the established Romani and women’s movements. Moving discourses on and of Romani women from the periphery of scholarly exchanges to the mainstream, the volume invites scholars and activists from different disciplines and movements to critically reflect on their engagements with particular social justice agendas. It will appeal to students, researchers and practitioners interested in fields such as social movements, gender equality, and social and ethnic justice.

Download or read book Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights written by United Nations and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The present guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It includes detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised to minorities and by also covering selected specialized agencies and regional mechanisms, the present Guide complements information contained in Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society"--Introduction.

Download or read book Can Liberal Pluralism be Exported written by Will Kymlicka and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2002-01-17 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many post-communist countries in Central/Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are being encouraged and indeed pressured by Western countries to improve their treatment of ethnic and national minorities, and to adopt Western models of minority rights. But what are these Western models, and will they work in Eastern Europe? In the first half of this volume, Will Kymlicka describes a model of 'liberal pluralism' which has gradually emerged in most Western democracies, and discusses what would be involved in adopting it in Eastern Europe. This is followed by 15 commentaries from people actively involved in minority rights issues in the region, as practitioners or academics, and by Kymlicka's reply. This volume will be of interest to anyone concerned with ethnic conflict in Eastern Europe, and with the more general question of whether Western liberal values can or should be promoted in the rest of the world.

Download or read book Forced Ethnic Migrations on the Balkans written by Katerina Popova and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: