Minority Rights in a contemporary dictatorship: The case of the Polish minority in Belarus

ISBN-13: 9783640598830 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 88 str.

Elzbieta Szumanska

Opis

Master's Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Eastern Europe, grade: 1,5, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), language: English, comment: master paper reviewer: In this master thesis the Author aimed to analyze the legal standards related to the protection of minority rights, external influence on Belarusian authorities and the way of treatment of the Polish minority in Belarus. That goal was reached in an adequate way. The master thesis poses a logical and coherent whole, composed of 5 chapters. One can find innovative elements there. The Author decided to concentrate on the impact of several countries and organizations - the choice should be appreciated. The number and choice of sources is sufficient and correct., abstract: The master thesis is related to significant problems in contemporary Europe - not only from the perspective of Polish people living in Belarus but also from the international perspective. Belarus is arguably the least democratic country in Europe. As such it has posed problems for the EU and other European and Western institutions, especially on the field of minority protection. Minorities are among the most contested issues in political life because they speak to an inherent tension in human affairs between competing desires for freedom and belonging. The diversity, aimed by the Western political actors, simply contradicts the principle that legitimates a political community in an authoritarian state. In the case of the Belarusian dictatorship it leads to enhanced conformity resulting in minority discrimination. The paper presents different kinds of the external influence in order to assess the most effective one(s) when defending minority rights in a dictatorship. The 1st chapter the Author presents the ways of understanding and considering the problems of minorities, minority rights, their protection as well as the relationship between minorities and dictatorship. The Author is hi