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Call for papers
Workshop for researchers and practitioners
Protecting and including “new” and “old” minorities: 
opportunities, challenges, synergies
27 February 2015
European Academy Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC), Institute for Minority Rights,
South Tyrol - Italy

Questions concerning the rights of minorities and the preservation of social cohesion in ethnically diverse societies are among the most salient on the political agenda of many states. The growing diversity of national communities has generated pressures for states to create and adopt new models to accommodate diversity.
Many European states have already adopted comprehensive protection mechanisms for ‘old’ or ‘autochthonous’ minorities, but are still lacking efficient and solid policies for the integration of the ‘new minorities’ resulting from migration. Thus, the question emerges whether traditional instruments of minority protection might be useful to manage diversity arising from migration. Most international instruments on migrants’ rights contain only weak and very ambivalent references to rights related to identity and diversity. In this regard, applying well-tested policies to ‘new minorities’ could be a decisive step forward for their inclusion. However, the conviction that both old and new minority groups share some basic common claims does not mean that all minority groups have the same rights and legitimate claims.

This workshop seeks to explore these issues by focusing on migrants and/as minorities, two concepts generally studied in isolation. Some of the questions that will be discussed in the workshop panels might include:
•	Can migrant communities be compared to ‘old’ minorities? What are the differences and similarities with regards to their claims, needs and priorities? 
•	What are the theoretical and concrete challenges as well as opportunities in   extending minority policies to ‘new’ minorities? 
•	What are the concrete rights that can be demanded by, and granted to, different minority groups?

An additional special focus of the workshop are old and new minorities that share the cultural, linguistic, or religious backgrounds, as is the case of the Albanian-speaking Arbëreshë community in Southern Italy and ‘new’ Albanian migrants. By comparing analogies and differences in terms of language protection, religious rights, and other safeguards that exist for these communities, potential synergies that facilitate enhanced protection and inclusion might emerge. 

In order to create a truly interactive and interdisciplinary forum, we invite contributions from researchers in the field of migration and/or minority studies, as well as from practitioners working in migration, minority or human rights associations. 

Please send abstracts in English (max. 300 words), including the authors’ name and affiliation to [log in to unmask] by 30 June 2014. Acceptance decision will be communicated week beginning 15 September 2014. The full presentations will be requested by 9 February 2015. 

Presentation Format: The selected papers will be grouped by themes. Each presentation will last 20 minutes and followed by 15 minutes discussion.
Publication: Participants will be offered the opportunity to submit their papers for consideration to be included in an edited book and/or journal special edition.
Other: Travel and accommodation expenses should be covered by the participants. 

Deadlines: 
Abstract submission: 30 June 2014
Author notification: 15 September 2014
Paper submission: 9 February 2015

Workshop organisers:
Roberta Medda-Windischer, Institute for Minority Rights, European Academy Bolzano/Bozen
Roberta Ricucci, Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società, Università di Torino
William Cisilino, Agenzia regionale per la lingua friulana, Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia

Contact:
[log in to unmask]

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