While allegations of double standards are mostly voiced in relation to the EU, this book takes a multidimensional approach to the use of differential standards concerning minorities and minority protection. Not only do academics from different disciplines contribute to the volume but the multidimensionality also resides in the fact that several international organisations active in the field of minority protection are included in the analysis. Furthermore differential standards are also discussed in relation to the (ongoing debate about the status and rights of) 'new' minorities. Finally, the...

The aim of this book is to document the experiences of institutions and states that are implementing bilingual higher education policies in the legal context, to identify the different approaches and to suggest some of the likely areas for future theoretical development. It examines the role of higher education language policies (medium-of-instruction policies in higher education) in mediating the tension between on the one hand the centralizing forces of stated-mandated policies and globalisation and demands for language rights by ethnic and linguistic minorities on the other.

The legal and political habitus of Greece's Muslim population is discussed in a fascinating interdisciplinary historical overview of both indigenous minority and immigrant communities providing insights into the evolution and current state of minority and migration law. The book also speaks in a piercing fashion to the scholarly debate on communitarianism and liberalism, as Greece's sui generis legal tradition and embrace of community rights often runs contrary to the country's own liberal legal order and international human rights standards. How notions of ethnicity and citizenship...

Is the use of mechanisms that only focus on the protection of individual human rights sufficient to protect the cultural identity of minorities? Much more can be achieved by adopting a system that applies the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and encompasses the recognition of a collective right to cultural identity. Culture and cultural identity are indeed important for the identification of groups and ethnicity. But are the Roma an ethnic group? Are they a minority? In answering these questions, Italy is used as a case study to illustrate the limits of non-discrimination...

This edited volume sets out to unravel various dimensions of a particular topical question pertaining to minorities and minority protection, which has not been explored yet, more particularly the socio-economic participation of minorities in relation to their right to (respect for) identity. This interrelation and interaction is studied from a multi-disciplinary perspective, spanning a broad range of disciplines, while drawing on a rich variety of case studies covering various corners of the world. This interrelation manifests itself in distinctive ways for religious minorities, ethnic...

Despite decades of nation-building exercise, ethnic-based claims for substantive equality, justice and equitable political inclusion and socio-economic order continue to result in communal rivalries. These are claims that define and represent the issue of minorities in Africa, of which these conflicts are manifestations. Although ethnic conflicts in Africa have been a subject of a large number of studies, the potential and role of norms on minority rights to address claims that ethno-cultural groups raise has not received the attention it deserves. Based on materials from normative political...

In Minorities, their Rights, and the Monitoring the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Malloy and Caruso have collected a number of essays authored by prominent European experts on minority rights with aim to provide a first ever description and analysis of the processes guiding the monitoring of the Convention. The volume addresses both the technical and political side of the monitoring, and it brings in not only views from the host of the Convention, the Council of Europe, but also from the external players that interact with the Convention in...

Created in order to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992-2012), this publication aims to offer readers a comprehensive review, written by a variety of scholars in the field, of the value and impact of the standards formulated in the Declaration. In so doing, it hopes to stimulate attention for and debate around the Declaration and its principles. The regional perspectives and case studies included further enable the identification of positive initiatives and good...

Globalization and "Minority" Cultures: The Role of "Minor" Cultural Groups in Shaping Our Global Future is a collective work which brings to the forefront of global studies new perspectives on the relationship between globalization and the experiences of cultural minorities worldwide. These perspectives are crucial to the process of questioning contemporary global values and practices, and contribute to current debates in a variety of fields (politics, education, culture, the economy, etc.) on the causes, consequences and future of globalization. The book develops new theories and...

Across the world, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are subjected to hate crimes, systematic discrimination and marginalization. Religious minorities have recently faced particular threat in certain regions, while in other parts of the globe identity based on race or ethnicity has been used as a basis for exclusion. In The First United Nations Mandate on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall curates a selection of reports she produced as UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues. The collection, with her introductory analysis, reveals the challenges and opportunities faced in her...