MeWo

Actors involved in national minority protection operate at different levels, from local to international, and play varied roles in supporting the rights and identities of minority groups. Actors work across various policy fields, and across sectors and their coordinated efforts help promote the cultural, linguistic, and political quests of minorities, contributing to peaceful coexistence, integration, and conflict prevention in diverse societies. The complexity of minority protection requires collaboration between all these actors at different levels of governance and sectors.

Within this project we focus on actors involved in voicing and promoting minority issues at the substate level (the regional and local). The substate level is vital for minority protection as it allows for localized engagement, cultural preservation, and tailored policy implementation. Hence, research, consultancy and dissemination activities explore on the one hand minorities’ role, representation and engagement within governmental and non-governmental and informal organizations. On the other hand we study barriers and challenges for the participation of minorities in political, socio-economic and cultural life at the substate level.

In our project we focus first on regional or local governments, with a particular emphasis on political parties and movements voicing minority issues. We also study the nexus of minorities and political representation, including moments of election. Second, we explore minorities’ engagement and participation in media and public discourse. Finally, we study minority communities themselves and civil society organizations, associations and social movements voicing national minority issues at the substate level.

The complexity of minority protection requires collaboration between actors bridging different levels of governance and sectors as well as creating alliances and networks between governmental and non-governmental actors, and including civil society and a variety of associations.