Conflict
Where minority rights go consistently ignored, a descent into conflict is always a risk. MRG's assessment of 53 ongoing conflicts in 2002 found that over 71 per cent of the world’s conflicts have an ethnic dimension.
Despite this, the factors that create conflict, such as historical marginalisation of one group by another, denial of a group’s identity and land rights, increasing poverty, discrimination and hate speech go un-addressed over and over again.
We have seen elements of these issues in Darfur, Chechnya, Kashmir, Bosnia and Sri Lanka – and yet these conflicts continue to devastate lives.
As conflicts occur, the marginalized position of minorities makes them even more vulnerable. We have seen evidence of this with the Batwa in Rwanda or Christians in Iraq.
Post-conflict situations and minorities
Post-conflict situations provide a unique opportunity to implement new and better practices. But when minority rights are ignored or misapplied at the expense of some communities such as in Kosovo, (see Minority Rights in Kosovo under International Rule) the creation of lasting peace is forfeit and the seeds for future violence are sown.
To date, governments and international bodies such as the UN have been extremely slow to address violations of minority or indigenous people’s rights in a systematic way. Why? Perhaps they believe that if they make concessions, communities will only make more demands that will lead to the ultimate: the demand for a separate state.
Minority rights contribute to secure, stable societies
MRG believes it is a mistake to see minorities and minority rights as segregationist or divisive, Minority rights are about creating stable, integrated, equal societies where everyone can choose their identity and practice it. If minorities and indigenous people are able to live without fear of persecution, practice their traditional culture and participate in governing, they will feel a sense of belonging and entitlement, just as majority communities do. Our work on the example of Tamil Nadu state (see Minority Rights and Conflict Prevention: Case Study of Conflicts in Indian Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Nagaland) in India, where effective political participation has calmed an otherwise volatile area into relative peace, is just one example of the truth behind this theory.
Our prevention of conflict campaign is linked to our land, education, development and gender campaigns.
In 2007, MRG produced the report Minority Rights: The Key to Conflict Prevention where we laid out ten practical steps to prevent violence flaring.
How do we campaign for minority rights and the prevention of conflict?
10 practical steps
- Stop violence against minorities, ensure a justice system that identifies and prosecutes perpetrators, especially the leaders. Ensure that all communities are free from attack, including minority women. Ensure minorities do not leave against their will, by providing security and financial assistance. Provide conditions for minorities to return who have recently left as quickly as possible. Set up systems for identifying owners of property and returning their rightful possessions.
- Prohibit and prosecute hate speech, especially in the media and education.
- Create a political system based on equality. Remove (and do not insert any new) references to a country being based on a particular people, religion or constituent peoples. (remove from what?)
- If quotas in education or employment are deemed necessary, make them temporary and ensure discrimination is addressed first.
- If power-sharing is considered the only option, have a clause providing for a review or termination after a fixed period. Do not have any system that forces people to formally identify themselves with ethnic groups that are potentially at odds with their own sense of self.
- Create an effective legal system that uses all languages in the country and is open to all. Ensure minorities have financial means to use it.
- Create a system to outlaw discrimination, and give effective (legal and other) remedies against it.
- If quotas are deemed necessary, make them temporary and ensure the discrimination is addressed first.
- Ensure economic development does not marginalize communities, or destroy their identity. Ensure that those who plan and carry out development programmes understand how to avoid discrimination.
- Create an education system that ensures all children can learn their communities’ language, religion and culture, but also creates common experiences and understanding. Ensure a shared history curriculum.
Bring decision-makers and opinion-formers together
In summer 2007, officials from the UN and African Union will join representatives of Sudanese civil society representing participants from all groupings involved in the conflict for a meeting to discuss how to promote sustainable peace throughout the country.
In 2006, we ran a seminar at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA. The seminar presented case studies and findings from our worldwide research into conflict and minority rights to over 60 delegates including senior UN staff, academic experts and minority rights activists.
Research and capacity-building
In Nicaragua we held a seminar with 30 participants including representatives of minority groups, members of political parties, religious leaders and government representatives, to gather information for our report on the autonomy process on the Atlantic Coast. We organised the first meeting between indigenous groups from the Atlantic, Central and Pacific regions to share experiences on issues of autonomy and control over land and resources.
In Iraq, we are working with United Nations Assistance Mission (UNAMI) to provide training in minority rights for researchers who are working in the field. With the US Institute for Peace we organised a seminar for 40 participants, including Iraqi minorities, UNAMI staff, international NGOs and experts on minority rights to discuss amendments to the new Constitution to protect minorities. We are providing financial support to the Iraqi Minorities Council to continue this process in Iraq.
Our reports
Our nine reports on minority rights and conflict prevention challenge journalists, governments and international activists to look more closely at minority rights issues. The reports focus on countries including China, Darfur, India, Iraq , Kosovo and Nicaragua, and the following themes: Electoral Systems and Minority Rights, Minority Rights and Conflict Prevention and The United Nations and Prevention of Genocide and Mass Killing.