Summer School on Human Rights, Minorities and Diversity Management in Italy and Switzerland

23 June 2014 – 02 July 2014 
Bozen/Bolzano (I) – St. Moritz (CH) 

Summer School Program

The idea of democracy presupposes that all citizens have the right to active and passive political participation. The inclusion of minorities in decision-making processes is therefore essential for a peaceful and democratic society. In practice, however, numerous challenges and barriers prevent minority groups from effective participation in public life, particularly from political participation and representation. 

The 2014 Summer School explores these challenges to the political participation of national minorities, indigenous peoples and migrants, and introduces participants to the standards, laws and institutions that exist on local, national and international level to support the participation of minority groups. Participants will critically examine their effectiveness, and assess what alternative tools and strategies are available to members of a minority seeking political participation. They will also discuss the important question why persons belonging to minorities, unlike those belonging to the majority, should have special rights to guarantee their participation, as required by a number of international and regional instruments. 

In particular, the 2014 Summer School aims to discuss the following topics:

• Traditional forms of political participation for national minorities, migrants and indigenous people ( e.g. autonomy, electoral representation, gerrymandering, consultative mechanisms)
• Non-traditional forms of political participation for national minorities, migrants and indigenous people (e.g. social movements, e-participation and new media)
• Direct democracy and its implications for minority groups
•  Political participation of right wing and populist parties in democratic states as a challenge for minority groups

The Summer School will examine a broad range of cases, with particular attention to minority groups inEurope. Topics are explored from both a legal and political science perspective: seminars on the theoretical aspects and the implementation of legal standards in specific case studies will lay the groundwork for further discussion about the social and political implications of political participation for minority groups.Besides participating in thought-provoking academic lectures followed by discussion, participants will also engage in hypothetical case studies and group activities.

More information:

http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/institutes/imr/activities/Training/summerschool.html