SSI – Master’s Program in PEACE BUILDING E GESTIONE DEL CONFLITTO

Core Seminar No. 4 “Minority Rights”

Jens Woelk

The seminar’s objective is to introduce into the “Law of Diversity” by illustrating and discussing the role and potential of law as a means of regulation and stabilization, especially after ethnic conflict.

The current European standards of minority-protection and living together in diverse and pluralistic societies will be highlighted by analysing and discussing two cases (Italy, Bosnia).

The starting point will be the concept of “minority” as well as the double function of agreements which end a conflict: these usually contain rules regarding the end of violence as well as a system for building a common future, often creating considerable contradictions between both. Once guarantees for the physical existence and security of a minority-group are given, specific minority rights aim at providing for protection, autonomous development and participation in all affairs concerning members of the respective group. There is a wide range of legal instruments and sources as well as different actors contributing to the creation of a “Law of Diversity”: today, in the emerging European constitutional space, the former exclusive point of reference, the (Nation-)State, has lost its monopoly in terms of (legal) “recognition” of a minority and is thus no longer the only legislator on minority-issues, as numerous regulations and Treaties on sub-national as well as internationallevels demonstrate.

The “Law of Diversity” (protection and promotion of minorities) will be illustrated in two lectures and discussed in two case-studies (Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina). Instead of an exam, students shall write a policy paper in order to apply their knowledge and deepen their under standing for the different interests at stake.

Program

Tuesday13/01/2009

Who are Minorities? Multilevel Protection in Europe.

Thursday15/01/2009

Recognition in Constitutional Law Compared. Political Participation.

Tuesday20/01/2009

Differentiation and Promotional Approach: Italy,South TyrolandTrentino.

Thursday22/01/2009

Minorities and Multi-ethnic States in the Balkans.

Bosnia-Herzegovina:Consociational or Ethnic Democracy?

Tuesday27/01/2009

Role game.

Exam:

Writing a Policy paper(using international instruments for minority-protection)

Office hours: after class (for general office hours please check homepage)

Homepage:

Contact: (studio Via Rosmini, 22 – 2nd floor, room no. 203)

Reading list:

Palermo, Francesco, Woelk, Jens, Diritto costituzionale comparato dei gruppi e delle minoranze, Cedam, Padova, 2008 (in Italian language)

1) Diversity and Minority-Protection (introduction)

Bíró, Anna-Mária, Kovács, Petra (editors), Diversity in Action: Local Public Management of Multi-ethnic Communities, LGI Books, Budapest, 2001 ( (pdf download), in part. Part One:

-Schöpflin, George. Minorities and Democracy, p. 3-18 (

-Thornberry, Patrick. An Unfinished Story of Minority Rights, p. 45-73 (

Neuberger, Benyamin,National Self-Determination: a Theoretical Discussion, Nationalities Papers 2001, Vol. 29, No. 3, S. 391 – 418

Palermo, Francesco, Woelk, Jens, No Representation without Recognition. The Right to Political Participation of (National) Minorities, Journal of European Integration, 2003, vol. 25, pp. 225 – 247**

Palermo, Francesco, Woelk, Jens, From Minority Protection to a Law of Diversity? Reflections on the Evolution of Minority Rights, in: European Yearbook of Minority Issues Vol. 3, 2003/4, Martinus Nijhoff/Brill, Leiden, Boston, 2005, pp. 5-13 **

Council of Europe – MINORITIES: Framework Convention on National Minorities(ETS No. 1957)

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities – Recommendations:
(at:

-Hague Recommendations:Education Rights of National Minorities (October 1996)

-Oslo Recommendations:Linguistic Rights of National Minorities (February 1998)

-Lund Recommendations:Effective Participation of National Minorities in Public Life (September 1999)

-Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-State Relations (June 2008)

2) The asymmetrical “minority-constitution” of Italy – a case study (Italy, South Tyrol and Trentino)

Francesco Palermo, Asymmetric, "Quasi-Federal" Regionalism and the Protection of Minorities. The Case of Italy, in: A.Tarr, R.Williams, J.Marko (eds), Federalism, Sub-National Constitutions, and Minority Rights, Greenwood Praeger, Westport Ct, London, 2004, pp. 107-131 **

Woelk, Jens, Reconciliation impossible or (only) indesireable? South Tyrolean experiences, in: Takehiro Togo / Negoslav P. Ostojic (ed.), National and Inter-Ethnic Reconciliation and Religious Tolerance in the Western Balkans. Proceedings of the ECPD International Symposium, Belgrade 28-29 October 2005, Belgrade 2006, pp. 75-94 (download at:

Tomaselli, Alexandra, Bersntoler/Mòcheni: a tiny Germanic speaking group, in Europa Ethnica 2008, 19-27

Autonomy Statute of Trentino- South Tyrol(

Promotion of local linguistic minoritiesin Trentino (at:

3) The case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Woelk, Jens, Federalism and consociationalism as tools for state-(re)-construction? Experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in G. Alan Tarr, Robert F. Williams, Joseph Marko (eds.), Federalism, Subnational Constitutions and the Protection of Minorities, Greenwood-Praeger, Westport Connecticut - London, 2004, pp. 177-198 **

Arvanitopoulos, Constantine/Tzifakis, Nikolaos, Implementing reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the challenge of the constitutional process, in European View (2008) 7: 15-22 (6 June 2008) [

Dayton Peace Agreement (at:

** Download at:

Further Reading:

Michele Ainis, Cinque regole per le azioni positive, in Quaderni costitutzionali 1999, pp. 359 ss.

Sergio Bartole, Nino Olivetti Rason, Lucio Pegoraro (cur.), La tutela giuridica delle minoranze, Milano, Giuffrè, 1998

David Chandler (ed.), Peace Without Politics? Ten Years of International State-Building in Bosnia, Routledge, London-New York, 2006

Andrea Di Michele, Günther Pallaver, Francesco Palermo (cur.), Fine di un conflitto. Dieci anni dalla chiusura della questione sudtirolese, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2003

Asbjörn Eide, Cultural Autonomy: Concept, Content, History and Role in the World Order, in Markku Suksi (ed.), Autonomy: Applications and Implications, The Hague, Kluwer, 1998, pp. 251 ss.

Martina Fischer (ed.), Ten Years after Dayton, Peacebuilding and Civil Society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Münster, Lit Verlag 2006 (

Kinga Gal (ed.), Minority Governance in Europe, Budapest, LGI Books, 2002

Tom Hadden, The Pendulum Theory of Individual, Communal and Minority Rights, in Simon Caney and Peter Jones (eds.), Human Rights and Global Diversity, Routledge, Oxford and New York, 2001, pp. 77-90

Kristin Henrard, Devising an Adeguate System of Minority Protection. Individual Human Rights, Minority Rights and the Right to Self-Determination, The Hague/Boston/London, Nijhoff, 2000

Noel Malcolm, Bosnia. A Short History, Pan Books 2002 (first published by Mac Millan 1994, 1996)

Tove Malloy, National Minority Rights in Europe, OxfordUniversity Press, Oxford 2005 (in part. Part I: Problematization: Individualism and Collectivism, pp. 15-114)

Joseph Marko, L'Alto Adige. Un "modello" per la composizione dei conflitti etnici in altre aree d'Europa?, in Joseph Marko/Sergio Ortino/Francesco Palermo (a cura di), L'ordinamento speciale della provincia autonoma di Bolzano, Padova, Cedam, 2001, pp. 959 ss.

Joseph Marko, Autonomie und Integration, Rechtsinstitute des Nationalitätenrechts im funktionalen Vergleich, Böhlau, Wien, 1985 (per il concetto di “uguaglianza istituzionale” cfr. pp. 172 ss., in part. pp. 189 ss.; English summary chapter at the end of the book)

Alessandro Marzo Magno (a cura di), La guerra dei dieci anni. Jugoslavia 1991-2001: i fatti, i personaggi, le ragioni, Il saggiatore, 2001

Alessandro Pizzorusso, Minoranze e maggioranze, Torino, Einaudi 1993 (per i concetti di uguaglianza in senso formale e sostanziale, pp. 77 ss., e per i diritti “speciali“ p. 123 ss.)

Sofia Sebastian, Leaving Dayton behind: constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina? (16/11/2007)[

Sofia Sebastian, The Stabilisation and Association Process: are EU inducements failing in the Western Balkans? (12/02/2008)[

Ian Shapiro and Will Kymlicka (eds.), Ethnicity and Group Rights, New YorkUniversity Press, New York and London, 1997

Christophe Solioz and Tobias K.Vogel (a cura di), Dayton and Beyond. Perspectives on the Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nomos, Baden-Baden 2004

Roberto Toniatti, Minoranze e minoranze protette: modelli costituzionali comparati, in Cittadinanza e diritti nelle società multiculturali, a cura di T. Bonazzi, M. Dunne, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1994, pp. 273 ss. (in part. p. 283, approcci e modelli nel diritto costituzionale) [in lingua inglese: R. Toniatti, Minorities and Protected Minorities: Constitutional Models Compared, in T. Bonazzi, M. Dunne (cur.), Citizenship and Rights in Multicultural Societies, Keele Univ. Press, Keele, 1995, pp. 195-219]

Marc Weller and Stefan Wolff (eds.), Autonomy, Self-Governance and Conflict Resolution. Innovative approaches to institutional design in divided societies, Routledge, Oxford and New York, 2005

Jens Woelk, Francesco Palermo e Joseph Marko (eds.), Tolerance Through Law – Self-Governance and Group Rights in South Tyrol, Martinus Nijhoff/Brill, Leiden – Boston, 2008 [ISBN 978-90-04-16302-7]

Maps and Data bases

ECMI –European Centre for Minority Issues, Flensburg, Germany:

  • Database: The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
  • Ethnopolitical Map of Europe

Organization for the European Minorities -

  • Portal of European Stateless Nations and minorities (MAPS)

Links (minority-protection)

Course material (in Italian)

Diritto costituzionale comparato dei gruppi e delle minoranze

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