European Centre for Minority Issues

The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is a research institute based in Flensburg, Germany, that conducts research into minority-majority relations in Europe. ECMI is a non-partisan and interdisciplinary institution. It is a non-profit, independent foundation, registered according to German Civil Law.

ECMI Logo

ECMI was established in 1996 by the governments of Denmark, Germany and Schleswig-Holstein.[1] The Centre is governed by a board composed of nine members: three from Denmark, three from Germany, one representative from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, one from the Council of Europe and one from the European Union.[1] The institute's first director was Stefan Troebst, now Professor of East European Cultural Studies at the University of Leipzig.[2] The current director is Tove H. Malloy.[3] The Centre employs a core staff and also hosts visiting fellows and visiting research associates.[1] The Centre organizes its activities around three principal themes. It is concerned with the evaluation and further development of universal, regional, bilateral and national standards that may assist in consolidating democratic governance on the basis of ethnic diversity and human rights. In this context, ECMI is also particularly interested in the emerging convergence of standards between EU members and applicant states. A second area of involvement relates to implementation procedures and mechanisms for these diverse standards and the study of their effectiveness. At times, ECMI has been invited to consider standards implementation and majority-minority relations in particular states in cooperation with the government of that state and local groups.

Activities

The Centre organizes its activities around five thematic clusters. A Justice and Governance cluster is concerned with the evaluation and further development of legal standards that may assist in consolidating democratic governance on the basis of ethnic diversity and human rights. Other thematic clusters include Politics and Civil Society focusing on minority politics, especially the ability of minorities to participate both through public office and civil society functions. A Conflict and Security cluster focuses on constructive conflict management and addresses conflicts with an ethno-political dimension in the wider Europe. A Culture and Diversity cluster addresses the cultural issues of minority existence, in particular language and education but it is also concerned with the access of minorities to the media. A Citizenship and Ethics cluster focuses on both legal and socio-political aspects of membership in mainstream society, including ethical issues of toleration, respect and contribution.

The Centre also maintains links to several regions of tension in Europe through its Regional Associates in Caucasus and Kosovo and provides multilevel training in institution and capacity building. This focus is organized through a Technical Assistance and Training Unit in the head office and in cooperation with numerous NGOs throughout Europe. In this regard, the Centre draws upon the successful history of managing minority issues in the German-Danish border region where it is based.[4]

Publications

Over the years,the European Centre for Minority Issues has produced a number of Monographs, Reports, Working Papers and Issue Briefs,as well as the peer reviewed online open access journal, Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe (JEMIE), in addition to co-editorship (with EURAC Bozen) of the flagship publication European Yearbook of Minority Issues. The goal of this publication effort is to increase the awareness and dissemination of topics on minority issues, as well as to encourage further research in this field.The following bibliographical references were chosen to underline that the publications of the European Centre for Minority Issues have over the years been widely cited in the field. The following are references from independent authors.

Territorial solutions for managing diversity and their changing role,[5] Ethnic Conflict A Global Perspective,[6] A Cat’s Lick:Democratisation and Minority Communities in the Post-Soviet Baltic,[7] Nation-Building and Minority Politics in Post-Socialist States.,[8] What Has Limited the EU’s Impact on Minority Rights in Accession Countries.,[9] Do As I Say, Not As I Do.,[10] Quiet Diplomacy in Action.,[11][Review of] European Yearbook of Minority Issues.,[12][Review of] European Yearbook of Minority Issues.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About". European Centre for Minority Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  2. ↑ "Starting ECMI". European Centre for Minority Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  3. ↑ "ECMI staff". European Centre for Minority Issues. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  4. ↑ "Framework" (PDF). European Centre for Minority Issues. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  5. ↑ Palermo, Francesco."The Participation of Minorities in Public Life",Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing, p. 41 ;
  6. ↑ Wolff, Stefan.Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 223
  7. ↑ Agarin, Timofey.Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2010, pp. 133, 164
  8. ↑ Galbreath, David J."Interests, Influences and Identities in Estonia and Latvia". Stuttgart: ibidem, 2005, p. 242
  9. ↑ Rechel, Bernd."East European Politics and Societies" vol. 22, no. 1 (2008), p. 189
  10. ↑ Johns, Michael."The European Union and Minority Rights, in: Eastern European Politics and Societies", vol. 17, no. 4 (2003), pp. 684, 688, 689, 697
  11. ↑ Kemp, Walter A."The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities", London and Boston: Kluwer Law International, 2001, p. 37
  12. ↑ Zaagman, Rob."Helsinki Monitor", vol. 18, no. 4 (2007), pp. 310, 311
  13. ↑ McClean, E. "European Public Law", vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 686-688

External links

ECMI Kosovo

ECMI Caucasus

JEMIE

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