ECMI Activities Update No. 3
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 09:00:57 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: ECMI Activities Update No. 3
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: William McKinney <[email protected]>
ECMI Activities Update No. 3
Dear Colleagues,
Perhaps some members of the MINELRES list would like to be kept
informed on a regular basis about ECMI Activities. Here is the latest
ECMI Activities Update.
To subscribe to the ECMI Activities Update, go to:
http://www.ecmi.de/activities.htm
Sincerely,
William McKinney
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October 1999 - March 2000
Dear Subscriber,
Welcome to the third issue of the ECMI Activities Update, and thank
you for your interest.
TOPICS
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1. Activities Plan 2000
2. New members of ECMI Advisory Council
3. New Publications
4. Other publications by ECMI staff
5. Recent lectures and panels
6. Ongoing projects
7. Upcoming ECMI Conferences and lectures
8. Recent additions to the ECMI Library
9. Cooperation
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1. Activities Plan 2000
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http://www.ecmi.de/activities/schedule2000.htm
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2. New members of ECMI Advisory Council
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ECMI is pleased to announce the following new members of the ECMI
Advisory Council:
- Will Kymlicka (Canada), National Scholar in the Philosophy
Department at Queen's University (Kingston, Canada) and a Recurrent
Visiting Professor in the Nationalism Studies Program at Central
European University in Budapest.
- Andre Liebich (Switzerland), Professor at the Institut Universitaire
de Hautes Etudes Internationales (IUHEI), Geneva
- Donall O Riagain (Ireland), Special Advisor and former Secretary
General of the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages, Dublin
- Alan Phillips (United Kingdom), Executive Director of Minority
Rights Group (London)
- Tove Skutnabb-Kangas (Denmark), Professor at the University of
Roskilde, Denmark
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3. New publications
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Please remember that all ECMI publications can be ordered and/or
downloaded directly from the ECMI website at:
http://www.ecmi.de/publications/working_papers_reports.htm
Recent additions to the publications include:
ECMI Monograph #2,
Francois Grin and Francois Vaillancourt:
The cost-effectiveness evaluation of minority language policies: Case
studies on Wales, Ireland and the Basque Country. Flensburg: European
Centre for Minority Issues, November 1999, vi, 124 pp.
Summary:
http://www.ecmi.de/press/pr99-12-01.htm
ECMI Report #5,
John Laughlin and Farimah Daftary:
Insular Regions and European Integration: Corsica and the Aland
Islands Compared. Helsinki and Mariehamn, Aland Islands (Finland), 25
to 30 August 1998. Flensburg: European Centre for Minority Issues,
November 1999, 78 pp.
Summary:
http://www.ecmi.de/publications/summary_report5.htm
ECMI Working Paper #6,
Birckenbach, Hanne-Margret:
Half Full or Half Empty? The OSCE Mission to Estonia and its Balance
Sheet 1993 - 1999. Flensburg: European Centre for Minority Issues,
February 2000, iii, 86 pp.
Summary:
http://www.ecmi.de/press/pr2000-02-23.htm
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4. Other publications by ECMI staff
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Kinga Gal: "Minoritaetenprobleme in Ungarn und Rumaenien" (=Minority
problems in Hungary and Romania), in: Beate Neuss/Peter
Jurczek/Wolfram Hilz (eds.) Transformations-prozesse im suedlichen
Mitteleuropa-Ungarn und Rumaenien. Beitraege zu einem politik-und
regional-wissenschaftlichen Symposium an der TU Chemnitz. Occasional
Papers No. 20. Tuebingen: Europaeisches Zentrum fuer Foederalismus-
Forschung, 1999, p. 31-41.
Francois Grin: "Economics," in: J. Fishman (ed.) Handbook of Language
and Ethnic Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 9-24.
Francois Grin: Competence et recompenses: la valeur des langues en
Suisse (=Skills and rewards: the labour market value of languages in
Switzerland). Fribourg: Editions Universitaires Fribourg, 1999, 261 p.
Summary:
This research project combines education economics and language
economics in order to produce, among other results, the first
statistical estimates of the market rates of return (for individuals)
to second-language skills in Switzerland. The estimates are made using
a unique data set of 2400 people in Switzerland's three main language
regions (telephone survey with random sample). To our knowledge, such
results are the first of their kind not only on the Swiss, but also on
the European level, since only Germany has some estimates about the
rates of return to German-language skills for Gastarbeiter. Second
language skills are shown to be highly profitable, even controlling
for other determinants of labour income, such as education and
experience. Further results bear upon social rates of return (i.e.,
taking account of government expenditure on language instruction), as
well as the relative effectiveness of different channnels of second
language acquisition.
Francois Grin: "Current problems and dilemmas of language strategies
for Europe: an economist's perspective," in: P. O Riagain and S.
Harrington (eds.), A Language Strategy for Europe. Dublin: Bord na
Gaeilge, 1999, p. 27-36.
Francois Grin: "The notions of supply and demand in the economic
analysis of language," in: A. Breton (ed.), New Canadian Perspectives.
Exploring the Economics of Language. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, 1999,
p. 31-61.
Francois Grin: "Market forces, language spread, and linguistic
diversity," in: M. Kontra/R. Phillipson/ T. Skutnabb-Kangas (eds.)
Language: A Right and a Resource. Budapest: Central European
University Press, 1999, 169-186.
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5. Recent lectures and panels
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On 6 October 1999, Francois Grin gave a lecture at the Duborg-Skolen.
"On the Costs of Minority Language Education"
http://www.ecmi.de/activities/lecture_on_the_costs.htm
On 26 January, Mr. Tanel Maetlik, Counsellor to the Estonian Minister
for Ethnic and Population Affairs, gave a lecture in the Kompanietor
building on "National Integration in Estonia: Theory and Practice."
The discussant was Mr. Aleksei Semjonov, Director of the Legal
Information Centre for Human Rights of Tallinn, Estonia.
On 15 February, George Muskens gave a lecture in the Kompanietor
Building on "Mixed Border Communities: Comparing European Cases."
ECMI Panel Education Policies for Roma Children in Europe/ Tolerance,
Respect and Human Rights, Second International Seminar of the
Transborder Initiative for Tolerance and Human Rights/GSFI, Prague,
20-22 January 2000
Summary
http://www.ecmi.de/activities/roma_education_summary.htm
Full text
"Education of Ethnic Minorities: Introduction and Evaluation of
Various Models in Relation to Roma", Tove Skutnabb-Kangas
http://www.tolerance.cz/english/sem2000/ecmi04.htm
After the above-named conference, the participants visited several
schools in Pribram, Czech Republic, as well as an after-school
programme for Roma children and met with several Roma teaching
assistants and a local government representative.
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6. Ongoing projects
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"Concepts of Minority Governance in Europe on the Threshold of the
21st Century."
Summary:
http://www.ecmi.de/activities/minority_governance_summary.htm
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7. Upcoming ECMI Conferences and lectures
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ECMI Lecture, 7 April
"French Political Culture and the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages", Prof. H. Guillorel
The question of regional or minority languages is one that takes on
major political implications in France, largely because the notion of
promoting such languages is perceived by some as clashing with a
historically and politically developed representation of the nation as
embodied, among others, in the use of its national language. France
signed the Council of Europe's Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages on 7 May 1999, but the Constitutional Council (the country's
highest authority in legal and constitutional affairs) ruled that
ratification would not be compatible with the French Constitution. An
unprecedented debate ensued, and this lecture will provide a fresh
assessment and insight into this process.
ECMI International Conference, 23-25 June
Evaluating Policy Measures for Minority Languages in Europe
This international conference will focus on the selection, design, and
evaluation of practical policy measures that can be used in minority
language policies. In particular, it will emphasise discussion on, and
development of, instruments that can be useful to states that are
implementing the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
as well as to states that are currently contemplating signing and
ratifying the Charter.
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8. Recent additions to the ECMI Library
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Joshua A. Fishman (ed.) Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
This volume presents the first comprehensive introduction to the
connection between language and ethnicity. The subject is introduced
from widely varied viewpoints, including economics, education,
politicial science, history, psychology, religion, and
sociolinguistics, and illustrates the basic human attributes and
drives that influence our understanding of language and their
relationship to each other.
Markku Sukksi (ed.) Autonomy: Applications and Implications. The
Hague: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1998.
Autonomy is a multi-faceted phenomenon which on the one hand contains
the issue of devolution or decentralization of law-making or other
normative powers in the institutional fabric of the country without
any minority protection component; however, it may in addition contain
an explicit minority protection component designed to offer special
protection to minority groups in society. Especially in the latter
sense, the issue of effective participation of a minority in the
government is an important issue, and in this respect, there is a
connection between autonomy and a general understanding of democracy.
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9. Cooperation
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NGO Working Group on FDPs
On 1-2 March ECMI attended the second meeting of the 6th NGO Working
Group on Formerly Deported Peoples (FDPs), organised by UNHCR in
Almaty, Kazakstan. The working group currently has around 30 members
representing FDPs as well as international organisations. The working
group discussed the preparation of country surveys presenting
statistics on FDPs currently living in CIS countries as well as
legislation, living conditions and main issues of concern such as
citizenship. A contribution of the Working Group to the upcoming CIS
Conference in Geneva in July was also discussed. This CIS Conference
is part of a series of meetings, organised by UNHCR, to address the
problems of refugees, displaced persons, other forms of involuntary
displacement and returnees in the CIS countries and neighhbouring
states. The next meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for May in
Moscow. For more information on the activities of the NGO Working
Group on FDPs contact ECMI Research Associate Farimah Daftary at
[email protected] or Ms. Kirsti Floor, Policy Officer, UNHCR, Bureau for
Europe, [email protected]
Founding of Consortium of Minority Resources COMIR
Over the last several years a number or organizations (NGOs, INGOs as
well as IGOs) have been engaged in the development of on-line
resources to facilitate the exchange of information, to support
minority initiatives and to advocate minority rights in the region.
These organizations have adopted various strategies to collect and
disseminate information. These strategies often result in overlapping
efforts and parallel projects. Thus is seen the necessity of
co-operation and co-ordination between various organizations engaged
in development of on-line resources, networking and dissemination of
information on the issues of minority rights, multicultural politics
and ethnic relations in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe,
and in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
COMIR is an Internet-based cooperative project that aims at promoting
the free flow of information and dialogue in the field of ethnic
relations, multicultural politics and minority rights. COMIR aims to
establish a clearinghouse of information and activities relevant to
Europe (OSCE region) to support democratic governance of multiethnic
and multinational societies. To this end, COMIR develops and promotes
virtual libraries, mailing lists, a database of full text documents,
training materials, etc. Major initiatives include a Virtual Library,
coordinated mailing lists, a meta-search engine across founders' web
sites, a Minority Rights Practitioners Resource Pack, a best practice
database, and curriculum development and advocacy training.
We hope you enjoyed this third issue of the ECMI Activities Update,
and we hope you will remember to tell interested colleagues about it.
If you have any comments or suggestions for improvement of this
newsletter, please contact William McKinney at: [email protected]
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