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EURASIA-Net

FINAL REPORT EURASIA‐Net (216072) 1

PROJECT FINAL REPORT

Publishable and

Use and dissemination of foreground

Grant Agreement number: 216072

Project acronym: EURASIA‐NET

Project title: EURASIA‐Net – Europe‐South Asia Exchange on Supranational (Regional) Policies and Instruments for the Promotion of Human Rights and the Management of Minority Issues

Funding Scheme: Coordination and Support Action (Coordination)

Period covered: from 01.01.2008 to 30.06.2010

Name of the scientific representative of the project's co‐ordinator, Title and Organisation:

Dr Günther Rautz ACCADEMIA EUROPEA BOLZANO/EUROPÄISCHE AKADEMIE BOZEN (EURAC) Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano/Bozen (Italy)

Tel: 0039 0471 055 210

Fax: 0039 0471 055299

E‐mail: [email protected]

Project website address: www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net

http://www.eurac.edu/eurasia-net

EURASIA-Net


Final publishable summary report

EURASIA-Net

Europe‐South Asia Exchange on Supranational (Regional)

Policies and Instruments for the Promotion of Human Rights

and the Management of Minority Issues

www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net

funded under the Seventh Framework Programme

of the European Commission


EURASIA-Net


Table of Contents

FINAL PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY REPORT ................................................................ 2

INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................4 EURASIA‐NET CONSORTIUM ..........................................................................................5 EURASIA‐NET ‐ ASSOCIATES TO THE PROJECT .....................................................................5 EURASIA‐NET DELIVERABLES AND SCIENTIFIC REPORTS .........................................................6 EURASIA‐NET WORK PACKAGE 1 – EURASIA SCHOLAR EXCHANGE ...................................... 12 EURASIA‐NET WORK PACKAGE 2 – SUMMER SCHOOLS .................................................... 16 EURASIA‐NET WORK PACKAGE 3 – EU OFFICIALS INFORMATION SESSIONS AND EXCHANGE ...... 21 EURASIA‐NET WORK PACKAGE 4 – TRANSREGIONAL PLATFORM ........................................ 29 EURASIA‐NET WORK PACKAGE 5 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT ............................................. 30 OVERALL EURASIA‐NET IMPACT ................................................................................... 30 EURASIA‐NET IMPACT IN COMPARISON WITH ANNEX I ...................................................... 31

USE AND DISSEMINATION OF FOREGROUND ....................................................... 36

SECTION A ............................................................................................................ 36

PROJECT WEBSITE AND DISSEMINATION ............................................................................ 36 EURASIA‐NET INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES .......................................................................... 49 LIST OF EURASIA‐NET SCIENTIFIC (PEER REVIEWED) PUBLICATIONS ....................... 54

SECTION B ............................................................................................................ 66

REPORT ON SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS .................................................................. 66

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Introduction EURASIA‐Net aimed to explore regional and supranational cooperation in the field of human and minority rights in Europe and South Asia, with the ultimate goal of exchanging knowledge and research between these two regions, as well as promoting an increased role for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on minority issues. When dealing with human and minority rights issues at a supranational level in Europe and South Asia, a number of key topics must be taken into account, including regional cooperation, autonomy issues and minority accommodation, and indigenous communities; and these issues, along with examination of the role of SAARC and the National Human Rights Commissions and national legal frameworks were identified as fundamental challenges and relevant cross‐cutting topics for research. Additionally, the project sought to rectify a gap in the existing literature, through analysis of case studies of various autonomy arrangements in Europe and South Asia (particularly in India), established in order to accommodate minority claims. A major challenge facing the protection of minority rights is the divide in perceptions and reality between the developed and post‐colonial worlds, with differences existing around issues such as modalities of dialogues and reconciliation, individual rights and group rights, the notion and practices of legal pluralism, the effect on minorities of anti‐terrorism drives by states, the depletion of common property resources, the impact of globalization, the emergence of new minority groups, immigrants as new minorities, and the principle of autonomy. These issues have reinforced the reality of discrimination, and rendered some of the earlier legal understandings (as encoded in national and international law) inadequate, while the process of marginalization has worsened the condition of minorities. The central question brought to light by the EURASIA‐Net programme is whether the language of rights can fulfill the requirements of the basis of a trans‐regional platform, or do we need justice and the language of claim‐making, fairness and dialogue? Therefore, these topics and others, have been given attention within the EURASIA‐Net research and activities, and the main scientific achievements and findings are briefly illustrated in this summary.

EURASIA-Net


EURASIA‐Net Consortium

Brunel University (UK) www.brunel.ac.uk Prof. Javaid Rehman [email protected] Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (Germany) www.uni-frankfurt.de Prof. Rainer Hofmann [email protected] Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (India) www.mcrg.ac.in Dr. Ranabir Samaddar [email protected]

South Asian Forum for Human Rights (Nepal) www.safhr.org Ms. Rita Manchanda [email protected] Democratic Commission for Human Development (Pakistan) Ms. Tanveer Jahan [email protected] University of Dhaka (Bangladesh) www.univdhaka.edu Prof. Borhan Uddin Khan [email protected]

Council of Europe - Directorate General of Human Rights www.coe.int National Human Rights Commission (India) www.nhrc.nic.in University of Bielefeld - Faculty of Sociology (Germany) www.uni-bielefeld.de/soz University Denis Diderot - Paris 7 (France) www.univ-paris-diderot.fr University of Copenhagen - Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies (Denmark) www.tors.ku.dk

Coordinator: Institute for Minority Rights

European Academy Bolzano/Bozen (Italy)

Viale Druso/Drususallee 1 39100 Bolzano/Bozen

Scientific Coordinator: Dr. Günther Rautz

[email protected]

Other information: Ms. Alexandra Tomaselli

[email protected]

EURASIA‐Net ‐ Associates to the project To maximise the geographical coverage of the project without heavy burdens on its management, a number of Associates participated and contributed to the project activities. EURASIA‐Net Associates are the following institutions:

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/


http://www.mcrg.ac.in/




http://www.safhr.org/



http://www.univdhaka.edu/


http://www.coe.int/

http://www.nhrc.nic.in/

http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/soz

http://www.univ-paris-diderot.fr/

http://www.tors.ku.dk/

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EURASIA‐Net deliverables and scientific reports Summarised below are the deliverables and scientific reports submitted by the EURASIA‐Net project over its 30 months of activity. Dissemination of all EURASIA‐Net public deliverables has been ensured throughout the project,1 and Deliverables Nos. 8 and 9 have received particular attention from the European and South Asian public, and have been widely distributed.

Cover, if any Deliverables’

titles

Dissemi‐nation level

Work Package

Description

1. Stock‐taking report

PU 1

This report assesses the current state‐of‐the‐art on human and minority rights’ issues, and establishes the research focus of the EURASIA‐Net project.

2. Conclusions and

recommendations from Kick‐off seminar

RE 1

This report summarizes the main issues and findings discussed at the EURASIA‐Net Kick‐off meeting and Conference, advancing concrete proposals to address the EURASIA‐Net challenges.

3.Implementation Plan for Study visits

RE 1

This plan provides an overall framework for the study visits. A stringent set of requirements for potential applicants were enunciated along with the role of each Consortium partner in ensuring that geographical, gender and topic balance were maintained as per the Consortium Agreement.

4. Review of Study visits

RE 1

Deliverable no. 4 is the final report and review of the study visit programme which ran from month 1 – month 29 of the FP7 EURASIA‐Net Project. It assesses the topics covered by the study visits, the geographical and gender balance, and the impact of the overall study visits programme.

1 All the public deliverables and reports have been distributed at various seminars, conferences and ad hoc project presentations, as well as published on the project website where they are available for free download (see at http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/projects/ProjectDetails.html?pmode=4&textId=3349&pid=2029). Those deliverables falling under Management activities (WP5) and/or restricted to the Consortium and Commission Services have been treated as confidential.

http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/projects/ProjectDetails.html?pmode=4&textId=3349&pid=2029

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5. Joint Research Agenda

PU 1

This deliverable focuses on research policies and trends in Europe and South Asia, including the ideas generated by the Final Conference, with special regard to the Trans‐regional Platform. The Joint Research Agenda takes a nuanced approach and emphasizes best practice in developing a trans‐national/regional platform. The Research Agenda does not aim to simply examine how a European solution can be adapted to ‘fit’ South Asia, but rather, takes a historical and contextual approach by exploring opportunities for building on and developing existing institutions and infrastructure, and sharing sources of common experience.

6. Issue(s) of the European Yearbook on

Minority Issues with

special focus on South Asia: Special Focus: Contemporary Challenges of Globalization; Special Focus: Minority and Human Rights Issues in South

Asia

PU 1

This publication showcases contributions by European and South Asian scholars to the twofold aims of flagging South Asian minorities’ issues in Europe and fostering research exchange among the academic communities of the two regions. Two special foci have been envisaged. The first deals with challenges of globalization within the South Asian regions, focusing on the indigenous communities and the (draft) South Asian Regional Charter on Minority and Group Rights. The second illustrates the most debated issues on minority rights in South Asia, analysing, inter alia, Hindu nationalism, freedom of religion, linguistic rights, caste‐discrimination, Nepal in transition, and the role of SAARC.

7. Minority Rights

publication in South Asia: Samir Kumar Das (ed.),

Minorities in South Asia and

in Europe

PU 1

The aim of this deliverable is to study minorities of South Asia and Europe from a comparative and transnational perspective. In the form of a book, this report fills the literature gap on the comparisons of country‐specific studies within the regions (South Asia and Europe) and across them.

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8. Set of educational material for stakeholders,

Thomas Benedikter

(ed.), Europe's Ethnic Mosaic, plus ad hoc material

PU 2

This deliverable, which has been published in the form of a booklet, illustrates concisely the recent history of Europe and the creation of minority groups, as well as the European system for the protection of minority rights. This deliverable has served as the main educational material for the First Trans‐regional Summer School, complemented by ad hoc material (abstracts, power point presentations, and scientific articles) distributed to the participants both in hard copies and electronic format.

9. Update of the Set of educational material for stakeholders,

Thomas Benedikter (ed.), Solving Ethnic Conflict through Self‐Government. A Short Guide to Autonomy in Europe and South Asia, plus ad hoc material

PU 2

This deliverable has been published in a similar format as Deliverable No.8, given the success of this previous version. Deliverable No.9 tackles the topic of autonomy and minority accommodation in Europe and South Asia, analysing the role played by forms of self‐government in conflict resolution. As with the previous edition, this deliverable has been complemented by ad hoc material for the Second Trans‐regional Summer School in the same modalities as the previous summer school (see above for Deliverable No.8).

10. Material for specialised

media PU 2

This report offers general information, suggestions and guiding principles to media practitioners dealing with minority issues and cultural diversity (European edition).

11. Updated version of material for specialised media

PU 2

The structure and the aims of this deliverable reflect the previous edition, focusing on South Asian minority issues.

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12. Overall programme of events (WP3)

RE 3

This deliverable contains the calendar and the venues of all the WP3 EU information sessions and briefings.

13. Set of Informative material on South Asia for EU sessions

RE 3

The set of material on South Asia for the EU session illustrates human and minority rights case studies in South Asia on a country by country basis, with a special focus on SAARC (South Asian Association on Regional Cooperation) and different forms of National Human Rights Commissions. The aim of this deliverable is to create background awareness and understanding among a wide range of actors from different countries and institutions in Europe.

14. Report on EU information

sessions PU 3

This report describes the realization and the results of the WP3 EU information sessions and briefings, included those management challenges linked to visa issues and the sudden cancellation of the 2nd South Asian session (see more infra).

15. Project website

www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net

PU 3

The former website had 24 web‐pages. Inorder to be less dispersive, the project website was renovated during 2010 with the Scientific Officer approval, and has now 15 web‐pages. All the web‐pages are listed in a box on the right side. Generally, the project website is very user friendly and the access to project information and outputs is immediate.

16. Assessment of

research policies and resources, “Ways of Power,

Minorities, and Knowledge on Minorities. An Assessment of

Research Policies and Practices”

PU 4

This deliverable assesses the main challenges of South Asian minorities from the perspective of state construction, as tackled by the relevant research policies and practices in the region.



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17.Set of materials on South Asia and

regional cooperation for higher education institutions, Borhan Uddin Khan and Mahbubur

Rehman (eds), Protection of Minorities: A South Asian Discourse

PU 4

This deliverable provides the reader with a wider analysis on minorities in South Asia. It is intended for use in higher education settings, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

18. Set of materials for South Asian NGOs, Rita Machanda (ed.), New

Challenges to Minority Rights in South Asia & New Aspects of

Minority Agency

PU 4

The aim of this deliverable is to provide, to NGO activists, academics, students, and other human rights practitioners, an overview of the main challenges surrounding minority issues in South Asia.

19. Set of materials for the Final

Conference participants

PU 4

This set includes relevant scientific papers presented at the conference, e.g. “Muslim Women and Change”, by Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, and “Media and Minorities ‐‐ Issues in Europe and South Asia”, by Subir Bhaumik; the “Note on the Discussion on Possibilities of Trans‐Regional Platform for Protection of Minority Rights by Dr. Ranabir Samaddar” for the main discussion on the trans‐regional platform; “Some European reflections on regional standard setting in Human and Minority Rights in South Asia”, by Günther Rautz on the regional cooperation issues.

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20. Conclusions

and recommend‐dations from the Final

Conference

PU 4

This deliverable collects the concluding remarks and the recommendations of the project, addressed during the final Conference, among which were the enhancement of platforms at both governmental and societal level as well as independently; the recognition of the gap in perception between the developed and post‐colonial world; the institutionalization of the work realized during EURASIA‐Net and the platform; the combination of minority issues with those of major concern in South Asia, such as refugees, climate change; the cooperation of national human rights commissions in both areas; etc.

21.Consortium Agreement

CO 5 The agreement among partners.

22. Memorandu

m of understanding for the

cooperation with

Associates

RE 5 The agreement with the Associates of the project.

23. Periodic Report to the Commission

PU 5 Periodic Report to the Commission

24. Internal review report

PU 5

The review is an internal self‐evaluation carried out by the consortium in order to adjust its conduct to the changing conditions and optimize the effectiveness of its work. Moreover, apart from the regular dissemination of the project, this report illustrates some figures with regard to the people directly or indirectly involved in the project (i.e., contributors to reports and deliverables, audience to EURASIA‐Net events, etc.).

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25. Scientific intermediate report on state of progress

PU 5

The Scientific intermediate report on state of progress (Deliverable No.25) addresses the developments and the scientific achievements in the state‐of‐the‐art, regarding the topics tackled by EURASIA‐Net in its first 24 months of activity.

26. Final Report to the Commission

PU 5 Final Report to the Commission

27. Financial statements

and integrated financial

statement + audit

certificate, when

required

PU 5 Financial statements and integrated financial statement + audit certificate, when required

28. Minutes of 5 Project

Steering Group meetings

PU 5 Minutes of 5 Project Steering Group meetings, the deciding body of the Consortium.

EURASIA‐Net Work Package 1 – Eurasia Scholar Exchange Work Package 1 (WP1 3) linked three activities; Joint Seminars (Kick‐off meeting and Final Conference), Study Visits, and Publications. The EURASIA‐Net ‘kick‐off’ meeting took place on 17‐19 February 2008 at Brunel University, and provided the opportunity to highlight and discuss conceptual issues relating to the project. Key questions emerged around the definition of ‘minorities’, the understanding of the ‘management of minority

EURASIA-Net


issues’, and the definition of central notions such as ‘autonomy’ and ‘the right of self‐determination’. An additional conceptual issue that emerged at the meeting concerned the articulation of standards and the possibilities of standard‐setting within the frame of human rights and minority rights. Particular consideration was given to the question of the extent to which it might be feasible for South Asia to emulate existing European human rights and minority rights standards and institutions, in order to provide better protection for human rights within the South Asian region. The EURASIA‐Net three‐day Final Conference on Trans‐regional Platform and Joint Research Agenda on Protection of Minority Rights took place on 18–20 March 2010, in Rang Durbar, Swabhumi, Kolkata (India). The conference was organized by the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (MCRG) in collaboration with other project partner institutions. The Conference brought to light a need to think of new ways to protect the rights of minority groups in diverse socio‐cultural and political fields, such as the media and representative organizations, and special methods to protect vulnerable sections of society, etc. The Study Visits were intended to improve cooperation and exchange between European and South Asian scholars in the field of human and minority rights, with the goal of developing a common agenda for future research. WP1 was concerned with stimulating trans‐regional exchange, and targeted scholars and senior researchers from public and private institutions who work in the fields of regional and supranational dimensions of human and minority rights

protection and promotion in Europe and South Asia. These scholars were encouraged to develop comparative and multi‐disciplinary studies on selected topics of relevance to the EURASIA‐Net objectives. The main topics addressed were: exploring possibilities for a regional South Asian human rights instruments; the role of religion in the constitutional and legislative frameworks of states of Europe and South Asia; cases of

EURASIA-Net


autonomy and minority accommodation; European and South Asian approaches towards rights of indigenous or tribal peoples; the limitations within SAARC; linguistic and religious minorities. The study visits were concluded with a fair balance of gender participation and a wide range of early stage researchers and more established researchers. As well as providing an invaluable insight into various issues of relevance to EURASIA‐Net, the Study Visits have also allowed a frank, open and scholarly exchange of views and values from scientific practitioners from Europe and Asia. The lectures, seminar and related activities reached out to scholars, human rights practitioners, researchers, governmental officials and to the general public at large. Furthermore, the published versions of study‐visits form a valuable repository of research materials, and provide a knowledge‐base on a huge range of topics that are intimately connected to human and minority rights in Europe and South Asia. An overview of the study visits, the scholars involved, and the topics addressed is illustrated in the table below (which is also published on the project website, at http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/projects/ProjectDetails.html?pmode=4&textId=3351&pid=2029):

Name Home Institution

Host Institution

Topic

Arif, Kamran DCHD BrunelUniversity

The Blasphemy Laws: The Debate in the UK and Pakistan

Autissier, Anne Marie University of Paris VIII of Vincennes in Saint‐Denis

MCRG Multilingual challenges in Indian primary and secondary education. The examples of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal

Barbora, Sanjay MCRG BrunelUniversity

Media and Minorities in the United Kingdom

Benedikter, Thomas EURAC MRCG Rights of India’s linguistic minorities in a comparative view with the linguistic rights of minorities in the European Union

Bhaumik, Subir MCRG University of Frankfurt

Migrant Minorities and the German Media: Integration or ‘Glo‐localisation’

Bhuiyan, Mohammad Nazmuzzaman

University of Dhaka/SOAS

EURAC Protection of Kin‐minorities: An Appraisal of European Developments

Bibi, Chand United Nations World Food Programme – Pakistan Office

EURAC Minority Child Protection in Pakistan

Caruso, Ugo University of Frankfurt

SAFHR Comprehensive Security in South Asia: SAARC and the applicability of OSCE standards



EURASIA-Net


Chakrabaty, Suman MCRG University of Paris VII S. Denis

Media in France and the Politics of Integration

Chaudhury, Sabyasachi Basu Ray

MCRG BrunelUniversity

Multiculturalism & Conflict Resolution: A Comparative Study

Das, Samir MRCG EURAC Institutionalizing Autonomy: South Tyrol as a Model for India’s North East? Principles of ‘shared sovereignty’ and Minorities

Gerharz, Eva University of Bielefeld

University of Dhaka

Beyond and Beneath the Nation‐State: Bangladeshi Indigenous People’s Activism between Marginalization and Self‐Assertion

Gianoppolous, Dimitrios Brunel University

MCRG Legal responses to terrorism in the EU, with a focus on England and France: Lessons learnt from South Asia

Hoffler, Harriet University of Birmingham

University of Dhaka

A Comparative analysis of the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh, in light of UNDRIP and International Minority Protection

Islam, Nazrul University of Dhaka

EURAC Minority rights: Can SAARC learn from Council of Europe?

Khair, Sumaiya University of Dhaka

EURAC Migration and Minority Formation: The Interplay between Economics, Politics and Conflict

Khan, Ijaz DCHD EURAC Pakistan: Nation‐State, State‐Nation or Multinational State?

Kinnvall, Catarina Lund University DCHD The impact of political development for Religious Minorities in Pakistan and India since Partition

Lantschner, Emma EURAC SAFHR Which Role in Monitoring Human and Minority Rights for National Human Right Commissions?

Manchanda, Rita SAFHR BrunelUniversity

A comparative analysis of the role of the media in racial /minority profiling

Pfaff, Joanna University of Bielefeld

MCRG Minorities‐in‐Minorities in South Asian societies: Between Politics of Diversity and Politics of Difference

Poggeschi, Giovanni EURAC Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF), Nepal

Nepal: Its Past And (Maybe) Its Future Constitution

Rahman, Muhammad Mahbubur

University of Dhaka/SOAS

EURAC Protection of Minorities: A South Asian Discourse

Rehman, Javaid Brunel University

University of Dhaka

Islam, War on Terror and the Future of Muslim Minorities: A Comparative Analysis of Europe & South Asia

Wright, Stephen Universite de Paris III, Sorbonne

MRCG Visible minorities, invisible citizens: The representation of minorities in the French media (and lack thereof)

EURASIA-Net


hool.

Finally, two publications were successfully released; Issue(s) of the European Yearbook on Minority Issues with special focus on South Asia (Special Focus: Contemporary Challenges of Globalization; Special Focus: Minority and Human Rights Issues in South Asia) (Deliverable No.7), and Minority Rights publication in South Asia, Samir Kumar Das (ed.) Minorities in South Asia and Europe: A New Agenda (Deliverable No.6). Proper dissemination of both publications has been ensured. In particular, the Issue(s) of the European Yearbook on Minority Issues are inserted in one of the most renowned periodicals on minority issues in Europe, and Minorities in South Asia and Europe: A New Agenda has been published in form of a book by Samya, one of the most renowned publishing houses dealing with human rights in South Asia.

EURASIA‐Net Work Package 2 – Summer Schools The first Summer School was held in Bolzano/Bozen, Italy between 25 August and 5 September 2008. The second summer school was scheduled to take place in Pakistan (organised by the project beneficiary DCHD) in 2009, but due to security concerns the location was shifted to Nepal where it took place between 17 – 28 August 2009. For the first summer school 96 applications were submitted from 29 countries, including Austria/Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belorussia, Bulgaria, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, India, Italy, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway/Denmark, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. The applications were categorised according to their region of origin. Persons of non‐European origin were classified as Europeans if they are affiliated with European countries and worked (or studied) permanently in Europe and therefore contributed to European research. The breakdown of application received by region was thus; European Union (21), South Asia (20), EU candidate countries (15), European Neighbourhood Countries (ENP), including Russia (38), Africa (2). 19 candidates were short‐listed; seven applicants from EU‐countries (including one Sri Lankan, one Lebanese and one Pakistani national who worked or studied within Europe), ten from South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan), one from an EU candidate country, and one from an ENP country. Two EU students had to resign due to family issues just before the commencement of the summer sc

EURASIA-Net


Kindly see below the final list of participants.

Name Country of origin Affiliation

Abiad Nisrine Lebanon British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London (UK)

Ablyatifov Rustem Ukraine ‐ Crimea NGO Institute for Civil Society

Aryal Manisha Nepal ‐ Pakistan Internews Network

Bulut Serkan

(selected, did not come due to personal reasons)

Turkey Bilkent University Economics and Social Studies Institution

Dragos Ioana Angela

(selected, did not come due to personal reasons)

Romania Association of Muslim Social Students, Cluj

Faizan Mustafa India KIIT Law School & Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Granholm Petra Maria Finland (Åland Islands) Åland Islands Peace Institute

Hussain Malik Jrar Pakistan Human rights lawyer and active member in the Human Right Commission for Pakistan

Ilieva Lucia Bulgaria NGO Club “Sustainable Development of Civil Society” – FRA network member

Kamaluddin Ahmed Bangladesh University of Chittagong

Mahajan Navita India Dev Samaj College of Education, Panjab University

Naser Mostafa Mahmud Bangladesh Dept. of Law, University of Chittagong

Niroula Som Prasad Nepal Nepal Institute of Peace (NIP)

Prabakaran Yoganathan Bangladesh MA student University of Graz (Austria)

Syed Abdul Kasim India Foundation for Human Rights and Development

Shaikh Murtaza UK ‐ Pakistan Student LLM: International Human Rights Law (University of Essex) and collaborator Minority Rights group (London)

Tolstrup Charlotte Denmark University of Oslo, Norway

Tsomo Tsomo Tibet, resident in India National Democratic Party of Tibet

EURASIA-Net


For the second summer school we received 137 applications from 38 countries (Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belorussia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Kurdistan, Latvia, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and USA). 25 participants and two observers were selected; ten participants more than envisaged numbers. 22 candidates were offered a full scholarship (11 from EU; 1 from EU candidate countries‐Turkey; and 10 from South Asia), 2 were offered partial scholarship (from EU), and 2 with no scholarship (from other countries‐Australia and US) plus 2 external observers (i.e., with no scholarship provided and attendance limited to only three out of ten teaching days). All of them, with the exclusion of one participant with no scholarship from the US, actively participated in the summer school.

EURASIA-Net


Kindly see below the final list of participants.

Name Country of origin Affiliation

Abul Bashar Mohammad Abu Noman

Bangladesh Department of Law, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Ahmed Zahid Shahab Pakistan University of New England, Australia

Alagoz Helin Turkey Dogus Universitesi, Istanbul, Turkey

Berry Stephanie Eleanor UK Brunel University, UK

Bhandari Pabitra Nepal Nepal Human Rights Awareness Forum

Brogelli Leonardo Massimo

Italy Università degli Studi di Firenze – Florence University, Italy

Deegalla Durage Anton Piearathne

Sri Lanka The Open University of Sri Lanka, Department of Sociology

Dolkar Dekyi Tibet, resident in Europe International Campaign for Tibet, Netherlands

Dubey Naveen Nepal Bielefeld University, Germany

Jamil Arif Bangladesh Department of Law, University of Dhaka

Jones Demelza Jade UK University of Bristol, Department of Sociology, UK

Kálmar Brigitte Hungary University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK

Kalmari Maria Aurora Finland University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Slovenia

Kattan Victor Matthew UK School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK

Måwe Ida Marie Sweden Università degli Studi di Trento –University of Trento, Italy

McPherson

Katharine Elaine

Australia Freehills Solicitors, Australia

Middya Sabir Ahamed India Groupe Developpement, India

Murad Alwin Vincent Pakistan Justice and Peace Commission, Pakistan

Parmar Kiritkumar Kantilal

India Participatory Support Centre, India

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Pfaff Christine Germany Department of Public Law, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University ‐ University of Frankfurt, Germany

Prina Federica Italy University College London, UK

Rai Dilip Singh Nepal Association of Nepal Kirat Kulung Language and Culture Development

Steinebach Alexandra Germany Department of Public Law, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University – University of Frankfurt, Germany

Uittenbogaard Suzanne Netherlands London Community Recycling Network, UK

Vieru Simona Rumania/Australia Murdoch University, Australia

EXTERNAL OBSERVERS

Tek Bahadur Dong (Tamang)

Nepal British Institute project on “Inequality and Affirmative Action in South Asia”, Nepal

Anju Khadka Nepal British Institute project on “Inequality and Affirmative Action in South Asia”, Nepal

In general, the feedback provided by students of both summer schools was very positive. Participants came with the expectation of understanding the status of minorities in both Europe and South Asia, learning about legal instruments for the protection of minority rights, to gain exposure to South Asian and European expertise in the area of minority rights, to network with other academics and activists and researchers, and to explore potential remedies for the problems faced by minorities. Feedback provided by the participants suggested that they were satisfied that their expectations of the summer schools were met, and none reported dissatisfaction in this regard. Overall, they found the programmes to be well‐organised and the lectures of good quality. They appreciated the resource materials provided, and considered the focus of the summer schools relevant to their work; with some commenting that the experience helped bring their work into sharper focus or clarified key issues. The opportunity offered by the summer schools to network and build contacts was valued amongst participants, and most expressed their wish to sustain these relationships and continue to work within the collective struggle for minority rights. Participants also appreciated the logistical arrangements and liked the venues of the summer schools, as well as the diversity and balance amongst both participants and resource persons. Some suggested points for further improvement were a slight restructuring of the programme to include less lectures in a day, as some students found it difficult to concentrate equally on all

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important subjects. Participants also enjoyed and valued the field visit and practical exposure elements of the programme, and would have liked to have seen more of this. Overall, participants were very happy with their summer school experience, and expressed their desire to contribute further to EURASIA‐Net in some form, and work towards the continuity of the network.

EURASIA‐Net Work Package 3 – EU officials Information sessions and exchange

Informative sessions and briefings in South Asia and Europe were arranged for EU officials and local stakeholders, on topics related to regional aspects of human and minority rights issues in South Asia. Presentations were preliminarily arranged at the EC Delegation to Pakistan and EU Delegation to India, as well as at the European Commission and European Parliament premises in Brussels. The main stakeholders were to be representatives from DG Research (UNCO and SSH); EuropeAid; DG External Relations and DG Justice, Freedom and Security. Moreover, presentations were to be arranged for the members of the European Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights (DROI) and Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the European Parliament Intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages. The 1st EU Delegation information session was successfully held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 24 March 2009, and a two‐day session in Brussels on 10‐11 June 2010.

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Kindly see below an overview of participants in the EU information sessions and briefings in Islamabad.

1st EU Delegation information session

Islamabad, Pakistan on 24 March 2009

Name Affiliation

Ambassador Jan de Kok

EC Delegation to Pakistan

Rainer Hofmann University of Frankfurt am Main

Ugo Caruso University of Frankfurt am Main

Sergiu Constantin EURAC Institute for Minority Rights

Malene Christiansen Embassy of Denmark

Jasmine Ketabchi UNCHR Islamabad

Javaid Rehman Brunel University

Kamran Arif Democratic Commission for Human Development

Ijaz Khan University of Peshawar

Tanveer Jahan Democratic Commission for Human Development

Chaudry Shafique Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan

Matyus Sandor Embassy of Hungary

Kauser Bhuiyan EC Delegation to Pakistan

Saleem Rehmat IOM Islamabad

Ali Rehman Khan IOM Islamabad

Catarina Kinnvall University of Lund

Faqir Hussain Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan

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A second EU Delegation session was due to take place in New Delhi on 23 March 2010 at the premises of the EU Delegation to India, but unfortunately this was cancelled at the behest of the EU Delegation, apparently due to a high level EU/India meeting on human rights scheduled to take place on Thursday 25 March 2010. Although the EU Delegation requested that the meeting be postponed, this was not possible as it was already drawing close to the project’s conclusion on 30 June 2010. This cancellation meant the project team concentrated further on the EU information session in Brussels, and an additional public conference was planned to take place in Brussels in 11 June 2010 to complement the already‐arranged close meeting with EU officials. The cancellation of the New Delhi event was disappointing, and was detrimental to the project’s visibility in the South Asian region. It also illustrates the unfortunate lack of interest in being informed about the EURASIA‐Net project amongst EU officials in New Delhi. The meetings held in Brussels thus proved to be the most suitable occasions for a fruitful discussion on the development and implementation of EU policies vis‐à‐vis South Asia, in order to gain a better understanding of strategic priorities which could be taken into account when establishing a future Europe‐South Asia joint research agenda. In general, all WP3 events proved crucial to making information and project results accessible to EU officials and local stakeholders. Kindly see below an overview of participants in the EU information sessions and briefings in Brussels and some pictures of the sessions.

Meeting at EP premises, 10 June 2009

Name Affiliation

Alexandra Tomaselli EURAC Institute for Minority Rights

Angela Liberatore European Commission, DG Research

Carl Haglund European Parliament, Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

Catarina Kinnvall Lund University

Csaba Sògor MEP Romania and member of the Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

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Csaba Sándor Tabajdi MEP Hungary and member of the Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

Davyth Hicks EUROLANG, European Bureau for Lesser‐Used Languages

Giovanni Poggeschi EURAC Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism

Guenther Rautz EURAC Institute for Minority Rights

Harriet Hoffler Brunel School of Law

Herbert Dorfmann MEP Italy, European Parliament, Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities represented by his assistant

Iuliu Winkler MEP Romania and member of the Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

Javaid Rehman Brunel School of Law

Joanna Pfaff‐Czarnecka University of Bielefeld

Kamran Arif DCHD

Kata Eplenyi European Parliament, Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

Kinga Gal MEP Hungary and member of the Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities

László Tòkés MEP Romania, member of the Intergroup of Traditional National Minorities represented by his assistant

Maria Eugenia Villegas Terán

Oficina del Gobierno de Cantabria en Bruselas


Ranabir Samaddar MCRG

Samir Kumar Das MCRG

Scott Jones External Evaluator of EURASIA‐Net


Sonia Dayan‐Herzbrun University Denis Diderot – Paris 7

Tanveer Jahan DCHD

Tapan Bose SAFHR


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EU information sessions and briefing in Brussels, on 10‐11 June 2010

Meeting at EC premises, 10 June 2009

Name Affiliation

Maria Lensu European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX)

Alain Ruche European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX)

Angela Liberatore European Commission, DG Research (RTD)


Christian Behrmann European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX)

Gilles Laroche European Commission, DG Research (RTD)

Giorgio Perini Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liaison Office in Brussels





Jean‐Michel Baer European Commission, DG Research (RTD)


Kamran Arif DCHD

Mario Catizzone European Commission, DG Research (RTD)






Tanveer Jahan DCHD

Tapan Bose SAFHR


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Public conference in Brussels, on 11 June 2010

Name Affiliation

Abida Islam Embassy of Bangladesh

Alain Ruche European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX)

Alexandra Tomaselli EURAC Institute for Minority Rights

Anchelita Gowri Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)

Andrew Swan UNPO

Angela Dargel Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Fine Arts

Angela Liberatore European Commission, DG Research

Anna Innocenti Global Human Rights Defence

Antonella Passarani Regione Marche, Delegazione di Bruxelles

Augustin De Benoist Ecole française d'Extrême‐Orient (EFEO), FP7 Project IDEAS Coordinator

Babett Gläser Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for European Affairs

Barbara Chappini Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea of Italy, EU Task Force


Deepak Dhital Embassy of Nepal

Douglas Wickramaratne Sinhala Association of Sri Lankans in the UK

Elisabeth Lacroix Ecole française d'Extrême‐Orient (EFEO), FP7 Project IDEAS

Eva Pfoestl Instituto San Pio V

Filippo Fiori Unioncamere del Veneto

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Francesco Palermo OSCE HCNM

Gilles Laroche European Commission, DG Research

Giorgio Perini Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liaison Office in Brussels


Giulia Costantino IHF – Institut de Haute Formation aux Politiques Communautaires




Jean‐Michel Baer European Commission, DG Research

Jenny Lundström Global Human Rights Defence


Jonas Grimheden EU FRA

Kamran Arif DCHD

Lin Goethals European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)

Lorenzo Costantino ETS – European Training and Studies

Maria Lensu European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX)

M.C.M. Iqbal Former consultant NHRC of Sri Lanka

Madhuka Wickramarachchi Embassy of Sri Lanka

Mahulena Hofmannova University of Giessen, Member of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Maria Eugenia Villegas Terán Oficina del Gobierno de Cantabria en Bruselas

Mario Catizzone European Commission, DG Research

Marte Hellema European Centre for Conflict Prevention

Melina Landén East Finland EU Office

Meri Herranen East Finland EU Office

Michele Petracca Regione Molise‐Delegation to Brussels/Liaison Office for Community Relations

Nadarajah Kuruparan Global Media Network

Natassa Antoniou REGIOEUROPA (Greek Local and Regional Authorities)

Paola Panzeri Fondazione L'Albero della Vita, Brussels Office

Rainer Hofmann University of Frankfurt am Main, Vice‐President of the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention on National Minorities


Rathika Thevakumar Media Development Organization


Samita Das MCRG

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Sara Saturni Regione Marche, Delegazione di Bruxelles



Shahid Fiaz SAFHR


Stephan Van Marsoner European Parliament

Sunanda Deshpriya World Organisation Against Torture

Tanveer Jahan DCHD

Tapan Bose SAFHR

Tharshini Thangavelu European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)


Veronica Dapunt European Commission, DG Competition

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EURASIA‐Net Work Package 4 – Transregional Platform The Trans‐regional Platform (WP4) functions as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and best‐practice between stakeholders (scholars, universities, media, decision makers, activists), as well as coordinating the dissemination of results, and preparing the ground for joint research activities. Another focus of WP4 is the further evolution of the Joint Research Agenda, an initiative through which EURASIA‐Net partners gain a stronger collective focus in devising South Asian, European and Eurasian instruments for the protection of minority rights; disseminating lessons from model cases and ‘best practices’ relating to the solution of minority problems, and assessing their potential applicability across culturally and politically diverse regions. Two conferences were also arranged within the work package. The first, entitled Freedom of Religion, Religious Minorities and the Rule of Law, occurred in Lahore from 20‐21 March 2009 and was organised by BrUni and DCHD. A second conference was held in London on 9 June 2010, and presented the best practices and recommendations for future work explored through the EURASIA‐net activities to project partners and selected external participants. Although not a formal component of this work package, the Final Conference in Kolkata in March 2010 also offered an opportunity to expand dissemination work and officially launch the EURASIA‐Net Joint Research Agenda. This further development of the Joint Research Agenda was accompanied by consolidation of the Project network and Internet Platform (www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net). The web‐pages of EURASIA‐Net have been available to the public since March 2008, and up‐to‐date documents and news of events are also regularly disseminated via Newsletters. The Project Final Conference in Kolkata, India in March 2010 and the EU information sessions and briefings in Brussels (see WP3) completed the dissemination work, and contributed to the finalization of the EURASIA‐Net Joint Research Agenda. In addition, a set of material on South Asian and regional cooperation for higher education institutions (Deliverable No.17), and a set of material for South Asian NGOs (Deliverables No.18) were prepared. All these materials lay the groundwork for the implementation of the Joint Research Agenda, the final conference, and the platform (round table exchange and recommendations).


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EURASIA‐Net Work Package 5 – Project Management

The EURASIA‐Net project management activities have operated in conjunction with the provisions of the Grant Agreement (GA), and have been characterised by a spirit of cooperation and genuine partnership. EURAC, the lead organisation of the corresponding WP, has provided efficient administrative management, adapting its processes to the specific needs of the project and its diverse partners. All Deliverables associated with this WP have been duly completed to the satisfaction of all partners, and submitted to the Commission.

Overall EURASIA‐Net impact EURASIA‐Net has clearly had a strong and positive impact on its participants, who include partner organisations and associates, scholars under the Study Visit program, students of the two transregional Summer Schools, NGO’s, and representatives of the media, and regional supranational organisations. The most important EURASIA‐Net activities like the building of a network, and information exchange and collaboration in the field of human rights and minority issues, benefited a broader group of stakeholders; policy makers in Europe and South Asia, European and South Asian universities and research institutes, young scholars, governmental and non‐governmental organisations, NGO’s working at the grassroots level, and finally researchers and practitioners working on minority issues in countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives, although no direct impact in the form of project activities was achieved in these countries. Within the life‐cycle of the project, the interdisciplinary consortium of EURASIA‐Net partners and associates elaborated major issues in the field of minority protection and human rights. Partners had to agree, for example, on what the problems actually were, and what certain terms meant for different people e.g. terrorism, access to justice or instruments for reducing conflicts. The fact that a number of issues were quite sensitive meant that it was very important to find compromises between those partners taking a more academic approach, and partners from NGO’s. These debates are reflected in two textbooks for NGO’s and students, academic publications from well‐known publishing houses in South Asia and Europe, and finally, in the dissemination activities for a broader audience through the EURASIA‐Net webpage, manuscripts, booklets, media tool kits and recommendations. This interdisciplinary expertise achieved over the past 30 months could form a great contribution to the elaboration of a European – South Asian curriculum for higher education institutes (graduate and postgraduate level). The strong network of partners and associates established over the last 3 years, will continue to work together in order to strengthen the collaboration between those who generate knowledge in

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universities and institutes, and those who develop knowledge on the ground. The project can function as a successful model for exchange and collaboration on an equal level among partners and associates from Europe and South Asia, and the EURASIA‐Net consortium is currently working on the next steps towards sustainability for the outcomes of the project, in particular targeting EU/SAARC and state level governance bodies, media, and local communities. New challenges like global migration, environmental issues and diversity management have to be met. Therefore new and useful entry points for policy making in the field of human rights and minority protection can illuminate research and activism on transborder cooperation, economic dialogue, water/forestry/energy management and the fight against terrorism. Minorities are often the first to be affected by these phenomena, but they also have the potential to actively contribute to the formulation of problem solving instruments for regional development in the fields of cultural diversity, multilingualism, pluri‐identities/ethnicity, and customary law.

EURASIA‐Net Impact in comparison with Annex I

In Annex, it was stated the following: Expected impact in relation with Topic SSH‐2007‐8.2 (main Topic) as from SSH work programme.

Increasing international cooperation in research and better understanding of the other regions, cultures and their socio‐economic and policy development.

Expected impact in relation with Topic SSH‐2007‐4.2.1 and Topic SSH‐20074.2.2 (other Topics addressed) as from SSH work programme.

a) advance the state of the art in the field of conflict and peace studies, as well as knowledge on the state of human rights

b) enhance cooperation between researchers in Europe and in the areas under analysis c) allow the scholarly community to prepare for future steps toward engaging in a significant

joint international research effort d) improve the contribution to formulation, development and implementation of policy at

European or national level including peace keeping initiatives e) devise and test strategies to involve relevant communities, stakeholders, practitioners in the

making and/or diffusion of research f) where relevant, encourage the involvement of relevant civil society organisations in the

research activities

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Therefore, the impact as planned is shown alongside the actual impact in the tables below:

Considering the main Topic addressed, the project will have a significant impact because:

Annex I Actual Impact

EURASIA‐Net creates the basis for future research cooperation in the field of South Asian regional cooperation on human rights and minority issues, a sector that is an important pre‐requisite to lasting peace and economic development in the region. European research must create, together with colleagues from the region, the knowledge basis for an effective and comprehensive EU cooperation policy with South Asia. A first, indispensable step in this direction is to develop a joint research agenda focusing on human and minority rights as one of the most critical factors of South Asian regional stability. The information and exchange sessions with EU officials and institutions (WP 3) as well as the trans‐regional Platform (WP4) will certainly create the favourable policy environment for future research. The involvement of your researchers (WP2) will reinforce the basis of future cooperation and raise the interest of South Asian researchers in European studies2.

Research on minorities in South Asia is not centrally organized, or is not conducted according to any collaborative plan. In the absence of a clearly coherent research policy on minorities, the research agenda – elaborated by the EURASIA‐Net team ‐ can serve as a catalyst for comparing the minorities across the countries of the region. Such a pan‐regional approach was the common basis for the project consortium to exchange knowledge and to foster mutual learning between Europe and South Asia. The activities during the implementation phase of WP1‐WP4 concentrated on supranational cooperation in the field of minority and human rights protection; interstate relations focusing on the question of bilateral treaties; national building and self‐governance based on the concept of territorial and cultural autonomy; migration across nation‐states‐borders creating new minorities and its affect on the Diaspora living in Europe; security questions using the example of freedom of religion, caste discrimination, Hindu nationalism, “Talibanisation” and media stereotypes; and finally, the management of cultural diversity in Europe and South Asia.

The EU’s 50‐year record of experience in regional cooperation and integration and the role of the Council of Europe in supra‐national human rights and minority rights are assets that European research could certainly fruitfully bring into the South Asian debate. At the same time, the ongoing research work on multi‐religious communities and

Studying existing European regional supranational bodies and their mechanisms raised the demand for the constitution of Independent National Minority and Human Rights Commissions. On the state level, existing National Human Rights Commissions have been compared with European monitoring systems, and on the supranational level, the creation of

2 According to a study commissioned by DG Research, the presence of Asian students in Europe is low and it would be in the interest of both parties to increase such number. See Project EURODATA, European Commission Press Release on ACA study: Perceptions of European Higher Education in Third Countries, available at <http://www.eaie.nl/basel/pdf/aca1.pdf>.

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coexistence, as well as the political developments both within SAARC and civil society have not yet been adequately circulated in the European research area and fully seized in terms of their political value in international relations. EURASIA‐Net seminars and publications will contribute to fill the gap.

Special Rapporteur in the frame of SAARC was recommended. Perhaps for the first time in South Asia the SAARC Social Charter could be considered as an effective first step on the way to a legalization of minority rights. Furthermore the South Asian Charter on Minority Rights and Group Rights and the Charter on Minority Rights in India, elaborated by civil society organisations across South Asia, could be a reference tool for governments, NGOs and SAARC.

The project concerns one of the “hottest” regions in the world and includes a country – India – that is a sub‐continent experiencing fast economic expansion and a growing presence in international politics as one of the major global players.

South Asian countries, especially India, have increasing linkage with the major European national States and the European Union. So far federalisation and autonomy have been adopted only in India on the sub‐state district level, whereas Sri Lankan efforts at conflict settlement through power sharing have failed. In Indian’s North‐East neighbourhood, the struggles for autonomy of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill in Bangladesh is still ongoing. Only Nepal, again under Indian political influence, will probably transform into a federal republic.

Considering the other Topics addressed, we expect the project to impact on:

Annex I Actual Impact a) The project is not a direct contribution to the advancement of research in this field, but – in line with its objectives as Coordination and support action – is set to create a shared vision of the current “state of the art” with a view to drawing a common research agenda and plan joint research work.

At the end of a 30 month project under the heading of “Coordination and support action”, the EURASIA‐Net partners are of the shared opinion that European – South Asian comparative research must take into account studies on supranational human rights monitoring systems; on linguistic rights including cultural and identity questions; on policy alternatives for power sharing democracies introducing proportional representations or a multilayered parliamentary system (e.g. Sami in Scandinavia); in the European direction, studies on the Indian example of affirmative action through reservations as best practice for antidiscrimination measures in European states; environmental issues interconnected with customary law and its impact on minorities; climate change as a growing issue and

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its global impact in form of refugees and migration.

b) c) EURASIA‐Net is expected to have a high impact on enhancing research cooperation within Europe and between Europe and South Asia. The geographical scope of the project is complemented by a sound interdisciplinary approach that is of paramount importance for understanding the political, historical, legal and sociological factors which could lead to a “regionalisation” of human and minority rights protection in South Asia. The steps to bring about this impact are in WP1 “EURASIA Scholar Exchange”, WP2 “Summer Schools” and WP5 “Trans‐regional Platform”.

According to the project objectives, the cooperation of partners in the form of a European – South Asian Trans‐regional platform should be continued beyond the life of the project. Therefore the EURASIA‐Net partners and associates are able to contribute their exchange experience during the implementation of the WP’s and their interdisciplinary expertise for the creation of a EURASIA Think Tank. The ongoing cooperation of EURASIA‐Net partners and associates is an informal network of European and South Asian universities and NGO’s which should be formalized in an Open Centre for EURASIA Peace Studies, charged with information collection, training, and awareness raising.

d) The impact on EU and MS policies is a major concern of the European partners and is considered a challenging opportunity by the Asian colleagues involved. Regional cooperation for the promotion of human and minority rights is a relevant frame in EU cooperation policies with South Asia as well as in security and peace missions (e.g. war against terrorism, MS intervention in Afghanistan). In particular, we expect the project to have a direct impact on EU dialogue with SAARC and on the definition and implementation of the new broader Programme for cooperation with SAARC that – inter alia – is meant to raise awareness about the benefit of regional integration. Additionally, in the implementation of the Regulation (EC) No. 1889/2006 on establishing a financial instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights there is space for enhancing the regional approach that has proved to be critical in the evaluation of the previous programming period3. Similar considerations are to be done on the new Development Cooperation Instrument (Regulation (EC) No. 1905/2006 ), which includes a geographical

During, and at the end of the projects, presentations were arranged at the EC Delegation to Pakistan as well as at European Commission and European Parliament premises in Brussels. The main stakeholder, to whom the EURASIA‐Net partners presented the results of the project, were representatives from DG Research (UNCO and SSH); EuropeAid; DG External Relations and DG Justice, Freedom and Security. Moreover, members of the European Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights (DROI) and Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the European Parliament Intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages. Furthermore, the results of the project have been presented in a final conference to media, NGOs, EC representatives, representatives of the embassies of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, as well as FRA and OSCE HCNM representatives. At the final presentation at the European Commission, EC representatives asked the EURASIA‐Net partners to present a panel and some research proposals, such as social inclusion, to the next EU‐India Strategic Forum for International Cooperation,

3 A. Phillips, A. Bouvier, B. Kuhn and M. Farquharson, Evaluation of the EIDHR projects concerning the fight against racism, xenophobia and the promotion of minority rights (EIDHR, October 2005)

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programme for Asia that specifically focuses on regional integration and dialogue. The project will make available the research basis for reinforcing regional dimension in the programme cycle from the definition of priorities (Strategy Papers), down to project implementation. Detailed and targeted actions are foreseen in the project to maximise the impact on EU policies (WP4 “EU information sessions and exchange”).

to be held on 10‐11 November 2010. In the frame of another EU‐funded project called IDEAS, the EC representatives underlined the possible cooperation with EURASIA‐Net partners. In order to ensure follow‐ups and the continuation of collaboration with the European Commission, the coordinator of EURASIA‐Net is in contact with Mr. Augustin de Benoist (EBI consulting in France) in order to find synergies between the two projects (e.g. offering EURASIA‐Net expertise to the IDEAS consortium, including EURASIA‐Net research outcomes in IDEAS digitalized archive).

e) The impact on civil society participation in research cooperation in this field will be considerable, given the presence of two NGOs in the consortium, and the fact that SAFHR is a regional association with 35 NGO members from all over South Asia. But NGO activists, as well as decision makers and representatives from media will also actively participate in the specific activities of the project (see WP2 “Summer School” and WP4 “Trans‐national Platform”). We believe the project will positively impact the capacity of research to dialogue with both civil society and decision makers to make future research commitments based on shared visions and priorities.

In order to support the consortium’s intention to continue the work started within EURASIA‐Net, the project partner MCRG is planning to apply to the Union of Social Science to hold a conference of networking for NGOs in South Asia. The participation of media representatives and young scholars in the Study Visit program and both Summer Schools encouraged further engagement of the media and scholars with minority rights issues. The exchange between Europe and South Asia should be taken forward by launching a scholarship program. Material for specialised media, published as media tool kits for training in the frame of the project, is a starting point for the elaboration for a guidebook for minority reporting and a code of conduct for the media to adopt instruments of self‐regulations in the reporting of minorities and minority issues.

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Use and dissemination of foreground

Section A

Project website and dissemination During its 28 months of functioning, the project w bsite (e ‐nwww.eurac.edu/eurasia et) has been visited approximately 32,000 times by internet users from Europe, Asia, as well as US and the Pacific countries (EURAC statistics). With the agreement of the Scientific Officer, the website was recently re‐designed, and now has a more attractive and user‐friendly layout, contributing to project visibility. The re‐designed website was launched on 20 May 2010. The former website had 24 web‐pages, while the re‐designed version is less dispersive with 15. All the web‐pages within the site are now listed in a box on the right side of the page, and from each page it’s very easy and immediate to return to the index or visit the other pages. In the old website there were too many sub‐pages (i.e., pages accessible only from certain web‐pages but not listed in the right‐side menu), the right‐side menu had 9 links only and it was not always easy to return to the main menu or to switch to other web‐pages. This has been solved by reducing the number of web‐pages, inserting more links and attachments, and providing the visitors with an overall menu on the right side with contains one link for each web‐page, i.e. 15 links. Moreover, a Yahoo® Group of the EURASIA‐Net project (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eurasia‐net) was created by the 2008 summer school participants and has been updated by EURAC staff, and currently counts 62 members, out of which more than 50% are externals. As well as participating in the aforementioned Yahoo® group, participants of the second summer school created a Facebook® group, which currently has 27 members and functions as a networking tool through which users can keep in touch and share relevant information and news with one another.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eurasia-net

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eurasia-net

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The project website is very visible in the Google® web‐search engine, and typing the name of the project (“EURASIA‐Net”) in the Google® search bar, shows the project’s website appearing on the first results page between the third and the fifth ranked entries. The project has been presented and disseminated, upon request, to the FP7 project RISE, whose coordinator is the Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship (http://www.cssc.eu), and the FP7 project IDEAS (http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=FP7_PROJ_EN&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ&RCN=94000), coordinated by the Ecole française d'Extrême‐Orient (EFEO). RISE is a 36 months project, and it’s main objective it to promote pan‐European and International Awareness on Ethical Aspects of Biometrics and Security Technologies. IDEAS is a 30 months project which aims to ensure a greater connection between the spheres of academic research and the needs of policy‐makers. EURASIA‐Net project contents and results have also been dealt with in one of the training sessions of the FP7 project MY SCIENCE ‐ European Program for Young Journalists (FP7 call FP7‐SCIENCE‐IN‐SOCIETY‐2008‐1), coordinated by EURAC (see at www.my‐science.eu, and http://www.my‐science.eu/programme/humanities). Thanks to the website platform, EURASIA‐Net deliverables have been extensively disseminated, and can be freely downloaded from the website, together with many other materials (see http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/projects/ProjectDetails.html?pmode=4&textId=3349&pid=2029). An ‘Online Focus’ composed of 10 articles in English, Italian and German on the most recent and debated issues on minorities in Europe and South Asia, was launched on 22 February 2010, in order to improve the visibility of EURASIA‐Net in the South Tyrolean and Italian territory, since EURAC is based in Bolzano/Bozen, a bilingual German and Italian city Moreover, the EURASIA‐Net project, and its website and deliverables have been advertised in the EURAC quarterly scientific magazine “ACADEMIA”, which is delivered for free to 5,900 addresses worldwide, with a large percentage of South Tyrolean, Italian and European readers (see at http://www.eurac.edu/en/science/Magazine/default.html; references to EURASIA‐Net and news about the project’s activities may be found from April 2008 to March 2010 in ACADEMIA’s Nos.46, 47, 50, 51, and 52). Lastly, six project newsletters on a wide range of topics and issues have been released within the project period. The newsletters have covered both topical issues, such as lawyers’ protest marches in Pakistan in early 2009, and impressions of the project from the direct stakeholders (e.g. summer schools’ participants). The newsletters were prepared and launched by email, and are available for free download at http://www.eurac.edu/en/research/projects/ProjectDetails.html?pmode=4&textId=3357&pid=2029).

http://www.cssc.eu/

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=FP7_PROJ_EN&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ&RCN=94000

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=FP7_PROJ_EN&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ&RCN=94000

http://www.my-science.eu/

http://www.my-science.eu/programme/humanities

http://www.my-science.eu/programme/humanities





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As part of WP4, a series of in‐house seminars and an additional conference were organised, with the objective of raising awareness of the trans‐regional platform; a mechanism through which European and South Asian experts, decision makers and other stakeholder could engage in dialogue with a view to promoting, disseminating, and sustaining research in the field of regional and trans‐regional cooperation on human and minority rights for the mutual benefit of Europe and South Asia. This dialogue Platform was launched on 17 March 2008, with an In‐house Seminar at EURAC, entitled “Powder Keg South Asia: Ethnic Conflicts in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka”, hosted by Dr. A. G. Noorani, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India, leading Constitutional expert, and well known columnist in reputed Indian newspapers and magazines like The Hindustan Times, Frontline, Economic and Political Weekly and Dainik Bhaskar. The list of in‐house seminars, many of which in combination with study visits presentations:

15 April 2008: In‐house Seminar at EURAC on “The Physical World of the Discrimination of Minorities” held by Dr. Ranabir Samaddar, Director of MCRG, Editor in chief of the South Asian Peace Studies series (Sage Publications) and Founding Editor of Refugee Watch;

8 September 2008: In‐house Seminar at EURAC on “Autonomy Issues in South Asia and Europe” held by Samir Kumar Das Researcher at MCRG on his study visit at EURAC;

16 October 2008: Seminar at BrUni on “Authoritarianism, Human Rights Violations and the Talibanisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan”, held by Afrasiab Khattak, President of the Awami National Party in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, and former chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and Kamran Arif, Human rights lawyer;

7 January 2009: In‐house Seminar at EURAC on “Situation in Afghanistan: Time for a Regional Approach?” held by Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva, Associate Professor at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi, Visiting Professor at the University of Trento in the master program on Comparative Local Development, and former Team Leader in the Asian Development Bank funded capacity building project on regional cooperation at the Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

18 April 2009 ‐ Nepal Institute of Peace (NIP), Lalitpur, Nepal, Lecture on "An experience sharing on Protection of Minorities in Europe", by Emma Lantschner (EURAC);

14th May 2009, “Cross Cultural Approaches between Europe and South Asia” Seminar event, by Ms Manchanda and Professor Basu Ray Chaudhury, chaired by Professor Rehman (Brunel University);

21 May 2009 In‐house Seminar at EURAC by Mr. Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, on the situation in Tibet and the newest developments in China, and a Public Speech in the evening by Mr. Penpa Tsering, during which was also presented Eva Pföstl's Book (La questione tibetana. Autonomia non indipendenza: una proposta realistica);

EURASIA-Net


18 June 2009 Public lecture at South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University by Subir Bhaumik, on his EURASIA‐Net study visits at the University of Frankfurt, on "Insurgent Crossfire or Anti‐Terror Cooperation: Insurgency Patro‐Nage in Post‐Colonial South Asia";

24 June 2009 ‐ Panel discussion on "Minorities in South Asia", in collaboration with Prof. Joshua Castellino, by Dr Sumaya Khair and Dr Nazrul Islam (University of Dhaka), on EURASIA‐Net study visit to EURAC (in the frame of the Master on European Integration and Regionalism);

13 July 2009 ‐ In‐house seminar by Ijaz Khan on his study visit to EURAC, on "General issues of autonomy in South Asia and Europe. Why is the issue of autonomy (regional and cultural) relevant today in both South Asia and Europe?", with the participation of Günther Rautz, Thomas Benedikter, Ijaz Khan, Benedikt Harzl, and Karl Kössler (EURAC);

23 September 2009 ‐ Seminar on "Autonomies and comparative perspectives" for a Tibetan Delegation. Contributions by Prof Joseph Marko, Dr Günther Rautz, Mr Thomas Benedikter, Ms Karina Zabielska, Mr Benedikt Harzl, Mr Sergiu Constantin;

4 November 2009 ‐ Conference and a seminar on comparative federalism and constitutional law, autonomy arrangements and the constitutional reform in Nepal, Kathmandu (Nepal), held by Prof Giovanni Poggeschi (Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC and University of Salento, Italy) on his study visit to Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF) open to the wider public and, a restricted working seminar, to a number of members of the Nepali Constituent Assembly, for exchange of ideas and suggestions.

25 November 2009 ‐ In‐house seminar at EURAC on "Current challenges of minorities in Bangladesh: the Chittagong Hill Tracts tribes and the undefined minority of Biharis" by Mr Mohammad N Bhuian and Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman (University of Dhaka ‐ Bangladesh) on their study visit to EURAC. Introduction and chair: Thomas Benedikter (EURAC);

16 March 2010 ‐ International Workshop on Minority Issues at the National Law University, Bhubaneswar (Orissa, India), with presentation of Prof Giovanni Poggeschi (Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC and University of Salento, Italy), Dr Günther Rautz (Scientific Coordinator of EURASIA‐Net, Coordinator of the Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC), Ms Alexandra Tomaselli (Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC), and Mr Sergiu Constantin (Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC).

29 June 2010 ‐ In‐house seminar by Chand Bibi on her study visit to EURAC, on "Minority child protection in Pakistan".

Additional conferences and seminars:

21 October 2008: International Conference on “Dealing with International Terrorism and Regional Security: Constitutional Status and Framework of the Tribal Areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan”, London (UK)

EURASIA-Net


19‐23 November 2008: Euro‐Indian Workshop on “Cultures of Governance, Democracy and Conflict Resolution”, New Delhi and Shimla (India) (contributions)

20‐21 March 2009: International Conference on “Freedom of Religion, Religious Minorities & The Rule of Law”, Lahore (Pakistan)

8 August 2009: Public Dialogue on ‘Minorities and Their Alienation’, Kolkata (India)

1 November 2009: Higher education material dissemination conference, Dhaka (Bangladesh)

9 June 2010: EURASIA‐Net Scientific Conference, Project evaluation and Follow Up, London (UK)

Finally, the project has been disseminated to more than 100 South Asian NGOs by Beneficiary No.5 (SAFHR), and it has been presented at the following conferences, lectures, meetings and events:

Dates

Type

Type of audience

Countries addressed

Size of audience

Partner responsible /involved

First reporting period 2008March‐April 2008

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meetings with Max Planck Institute for International and Comparative Public law, and the Institute for South Asian Studies at the Heidelberg University

Scholars Europe and South Asia

5 UniFr

April 2008 Meeting with the Tibetan Parliament in Exile during its visit in South Tyrol.

Human rights activists

Tibet and South Asia

15 EURAC

28 April 2008 Lecture by Jean Louis Halperin, Professor of Law, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, "The Impact of Globalization on French Law: An Example of Relations between Democracy and Internationalization”

Scholars, Students, human rights activists, Journalist, lawyers

India 35 MCRG

May‐June 2008

Interviews and discussions with the Head of SAARC Social Affairs Division and

SAARC officials SAARC countries

5 SAFHR

EURASIA-Net


other officials on the status and implementation of the SAARC Social Charter

24‐26 May 2008

Two‐Day Consultative Meeting on Development, Democracy, and Governance: Broad Lessons from Post‐Colonial Experiences of India; held in Bhubaneswar

Scholars, Students, human rights activists, Journalists, lawyers, Government officials

India 40 MCRG

June 2008 Meeting with the German/Thai NGO Human Development Forum Foundation (www.hdff.or.th )


Thailand and South‐East Asia

3 EURAC

June 2008 Meeting with the Foundation Friedrich Naumannstiftung (www.fnfasia.org)

Foundation administrators and coordinators of funding programs

South and South‐East Asia

5 EURAC

14 July 2008

Lecture by Vinay Lal, Professor of California, Los Angeles, "Dialogues on Justice"

Scholars, graduate Students, human rights activists, journalists

India 125 MCRG

14 August 2008

Public Lecture by Eva Pföstl, Director, Istituto di Studi Politici S. Pio V, Department of Law and Economics, "Tolerance Established by Law: The Autonomy of South Tyrol in Italy"

Graduate students

Italy and Europe

Approx. 60 MCRG

22 August 2008

Public Lecture by Sanjay Chathurvedi, Centre for the Study of Geopolitics, Department of Political Science, Punjab University, "Climate Change, Globalisation and Environmental Justice”


India 35 MCRG

http://www.hdff.or.th/

http://www.fnfasia.org/

EURASIA-Net


18 August 2008

Public Lecture by Ranabir Samaddar, Director of CRG, "Sociological Imagination: Situating Charles Tilly”, Kolkata

Graduate students and young scholars, senior scholars

India 60 MCRG

20‐22 September 2008

Second Critical Studies Conference on "Spheres of Justice", Kolkata

Scholars, researchers, general public

Europe, India and other South Asian countries

120 MCRG

24 September 2008

One Day Workshop with Etienne Balibar, Kolkata

Scholars, researchers, general public

Europe, India and other south Asian countries

40 MCRG

30 September 2008

Public Lecture by Ratna Kapur, Director, Centre for Feminist Legal Research, New Delhi "Citizen and Migrant: The Politics of Justice and (Non) Belongingness “

Law School Students, Lawyers, Rights activists

India 75 MCRG

2‐3 October 2008

International Conference ‐ Launch of the OSCE High Commissioner’s (Knut Vollebaek) Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter‐State Relations, Bolzano/Bozen (Italy)


Europe and OSCE countries

80 EURAC

November 2008

Orientation course in Human Rights and Peace Studies organized by SAFHR


South Asia 29 SAFHR

11 November, 2008

Public Lecture by Samir Kumar Das, Senior Researcher , CRG and Professor of Political Science, Calcutta University "Trends in Researches on the Issues of Minorities in India"


India 35 MCRG

11 November 2008

Public lectures Ishita Dey, Research Associate, CRG " On the Margins of Citizenship: Cooper's Camp in Nadia"

Scholars, Students, human rights activists, Journalist,

India 35 MCRG

EURASIA-Net


Geetisha Dasgupta, Research Associate, CRG "The Right to Food: Popular Interface with the Rights Institution”

lawyers

19‐23 November 2008

EU‐India Workshop on “Cultures of Governance, Democracy and Conflict Resolution”, New Delhi and Simla (India) (see also section 6.2.3 Conferences)

Scholars, Students, human rights activists

Europe and India

No data available

BrUni and MCRG took part

14‐15 December 2008

A two‐day Conference on “Dialogue on Protection Strategies for People in Situations of Forced Migration” held in Hyatt Regency, Kolkata


UN system and international audience

40 MCRG


UN Forum on Minority Issues held on 15 and 16 December 2008 in Geneva (Switzerland)


UN system and international audience

Approx. 200 EURAC

Second reporting period 2009‐201012 February 2009

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with Prof. Michael Van Walt, executive president and co‐founder of the NGO Kreddha, which deals with peaceful resolutions of conflicts between governments and specific groups living within the state, Bolzano, Italy

Academics Europe and South Asia

2 EURAC

26‐28 February, 2009

Ethics and Practices of Care and Protection: Refugees and IDPs in South Asia Three‐day Workshop held in Chennai, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers, Government Personnel

South Asia 40 MCRG

EURASIA-Net


9 March 2009 Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with Prof. Dr. Lorenz Walter August, Rector of the Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy


2 EURAC

2 April 2009 Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with EC Commissioner for Regional Policy Ms. Danuta Hübner, and to the EC Commissioner for Multilingualism Mr. Leonard Orban on their visit to EURAC and South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy


8 EURAC

7‐8 May 2009 Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net dissemination and summer school advertisement at the event “Research Connection” organized under the auspices of the EC, held in Prague, Czech Republic

General public interested in research activities

Europe and South Asia

30‐50 EURAC

14 May 2009 Seminar (from two Study Visit scholars) – Cross Cultural Approaches, London, UK

Academics India, Pakistan 20 UniBr, SAFHR

21 May 2009 In‐house Seminar held by Mr. Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, on the situation in Tibet and the newest developments in China, Bolzano, Italy

Academics Tibet and China

10 EURAC

21 May 2009 Public Speech in the evening by Mr. Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, during which was also presented Eva Pföstl’s Book (La questione tibetana. Autonomia non indipendenza: una proposta realistica , Bolzano, Italy

General public, academics, students, human rights activists

Tibet and China

50‐60 EURAC

4‐5 June 2009 Expert Seminar “Pedagogy and Didactics for

Academics, students,

Europe 30‐40 EURAC

EURASIA-Net


Multilingual Education in Minority Language Regions”, organized by The Ministry of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Country and Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning, in collaboration with Fryske Akademy, in Ljouwert/Leeuwarden (the Netherlands)

human rights activists

15 – 26 June 2009

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net dissemination during the Master in European Integration and Regionalism –Module V Minorities and Diversity, Bolzano, Italy

Academics, students, human rights activists


30‐40 EURAC

18 June 2009 Lecture delivered by Mr. Subir Bhowmick (study visitor to the Uni Frankfurt) to the South Asian Institute of the University of Heidelberg, Germany

Academics and students

India, Pakistan, South Asia

30 Uni Frankfurt

20 June 2009 Workshop on Globalisation and Sustainability of Rights, Kolkata, India

Human Rights practitioners activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers, ICSSR Officials

South Asia 23 MCRG

17‐18 July 2009

Workshop on Development, Democracy and Governance : Lessons and Policy Implications, Kolkata, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers, Reviewers, Feminists, Minority Rights Activists

South Asia 30 MCRG

1 August 2009 Women and Borders in South Asia Workshop held in Bhubaneswar, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers,

South Asia 27 MCRG

EURASIA-Net


Reviewers, Feminists

4 August 2009 In‐house seminar at Dhaka University on ‘Minority Rights: Can SAARC Learn from Council of Europe’. Paper presented by Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, scholar who went on study visit to EURAC

University teachers and students

South Asia 200 UniDh

8 August 2009 Public Dialogue in Kolkata, India Minorities and Their Alienations

Already mentioned

South Asia 28 MCRG

18 August 2009

Lecture at Dhaka University on ‘Migration and Minority Formation: The Interplay between Economics, Politics and Conflict’ by Dr. Sumaiya Khair, scholar who went on study visit to EURAC

University students


80 UniDh

28 August 2009

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with Mohan Das Manandhar, Senior Advisor, Policy & Institutionalisation of Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF), Kathmandu, Nepal

Academics, human rights activists


2 EURAC

10‐12 September 2009

Critical Studies Conference International Empire, States and Migration, Kolkata, India

Scholars, Thinkers, Researchers and Academics

South Asia 62 MCRG

21 September 2009

One day Workshop on Right to Food West Bengal, India

Activists, Researchers, Policy Analysts and Advocates

South Asia 26 MCRG

29 October 2009

APRE (Agency for the Promotion of European Research) Launch of the 2010 Call "Science socio‐economic sciences and Humanities", Rome, Italy

Academics Europe 20‐30 EURAC

8 November & 11 November 2009

Meetings and Workshops relating to the joint research agenda and the dissemination of knowledge gained from the Eurasia Project, London, UK

Academics and NGOs

South Asia Various (between 5 – 40)

UniBr

12‐13 UN Second Forum on Academics, UN system Approx. 300 EURAC

EURASIA-Net


November 2009

Minority Issues, UNOG Geneva, Switzerland

students, human rights activists

and international audience

16‐17 November 2009

Dalai Lama visit during Conference “Regional Self‐Government, Cultural Identity and Multinational Integration: Comparative Experiences for Tibet”, University of Trento, Italy


Tibet and China, Europe

30‐40 EURAC

26 November 2009

European Yearbook on Minority Issues, Board Meeting Bolzano, Italy


5‐10 EURAC


7th Annual Winter Course on Forced Migration The Course held in Kolkata along with field trip, India


International 49 MCRG

4‐5 December 2009

Conference “Global Justice ‐ Local Justifications. Indian Perspective”, organized in collaboration with Istituto di Studi Politici S.Pio V and the Italy‐India Association, LUISS University of Rome, Italy

Academics, students


30‐40 EURAC


December 2009 Re‐engaging with the Post Colonial: Contexts and Claims, Kolkata, India

National Workshop held in Kolkata

International 44 MCRG

22 ‐24 January 2010

Resource Politics, Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Displacement in India National Workshop held in Hyderabad, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers, Reviewers, Feminists

India

47 MCRG

12‐13 February 2010

State of Research on Forced Migration in the East and Northeast, Kolkata, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists, Lawyers, Academics, Researchers, Reviewers, Feminists

Northeast India

36 MCRG

16 February 2010

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with Prof. G. N. Tiwari from the


3 EURAC

EURASIA-Net


Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Bolzano, Italy


FP7 project My Science workshop on humanities focused on EURASIA‐Net research, Bolzano, Italy

Young journalists


15‐20 EURAC


South Asia film festival, Bolzano, Italy

General public Europe and South Asia

15‐20 EURAC

5‐6 March 2010

Globalizations, Democracy, Gender and Citizenship Research Workshop Held in Kolkata, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists.

India 39 MCRG

12 March 2010

Ad hoc EURASIA‐Net disseminating and networking meeting with UNEP representatives, Bolzano, Italy

Academics, civil servants


5 EURAC

15 March 2010

Conference on Federalism in South Asia held at KIIT University of Bhubaneswar, India



70‐80 EURAC

16 March 2010

International Workshop on Minority Issues held at the National Law University of Bhubaneswar, India

Academics, students


100‐120 EURAC

30 March 2010

Internal Meeting to disseminate Eurasia Best Practice for Brunel University, London, UK

University staff Europe 10 UniBr

20 April 2010 Lecture on ‘Protection of Kin‐Minorities: An Appraisal of European Standards’ by Mohammad Nazmuzzaman Bhuian, scholar who went on study visit to EURAC, Bolzano, Italy

University students

Europe 80 UniDh

14‐15 May 2010

Development, Democracy and Governance: Lessons and Policy Implications 2nd Research Workshop held in Kolkata, India

Human Rights practitioners, activists

India 31 MCRG

27‐30 June 2010

International Conference EXCEPS ‐ Ethno‐Politics and Intervention in a Globalised World, University of Exeter, UK

Academics, students

Conflictive areas (Palestine, Iraq, Darfur, Pakistan et al.)

50‐100 UniFr

EURASIA-Net


EURASIA‐Net Indirect beneficiaries A large number of people have been involved indirectly in EURASIA‐Net and its activities, in addition to the project consortium, staff of partner institutions and those involved directly in the project activities mentioned above. We estimate that the audience of the EURASIA‐Net events totaled around 1200 externals. Please see the tables below for some key figures.

Persons indirectly involved in the project (external audience to EURASIA‐Net events)4

Activity No. of persons

Conferences Audience

17‐19 February 2008 – EURASIA‐Net Kick‐off meeting and International Conference (Research funding possibilities, Building Regional Human Rights Cooperation in Europe), at Brunel University (London, UK)

50‐60

21 October 2008 ‐ International Conference "Dealing with International Terrorism and Regional Security” (Brunel university – BIICL, London, UK)

70‐80

20‐21 March 2009 ‐ EURASIA‐Net International Conference on Freedom of Religion, Religious Minorities (Lahore, Pakistan)

110‐120

24 March 2009 ‐ EU Delegation informative session (Islamabad, Pakistan)

9

18‐20 March 2010 – Final Conference on Transregional Platform and the Joint Research Agenda, Kolkata (India)

20‐30

4 As ‘external audience’ here are counted those persons attending EURASIA‐Net events but neither from the Consortium working directly on the project, nor summer schools participants or scholars on study visits.

EURASIA-Net


9 June 2010 ‐ EURASIA‐Net Scientific Conference, Project evaluation and Follow Up, London (UK)

5‐10

10 June 2010 – EU information session and briefings at European Parliament premises, Brussels

8‐10

10 June 2010 – EU information session and briefings at European Commission premises, Brussels

8‐10

11 June 2010 ‐ EU information session Conference (open to wider public), Brussels

35‐40

Public lectures and

Panel discussions at partners’ institutions

Audience

17 March 2008 – Public lecture of Dr. A.G. Noorani on “Powder Keg South Asia” Ethnic Conflicts in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka”, at EURAC

60‐70

28 August 2008 – Public lecture given by Ioannis N. Dimitrakopoulos (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) on “Monitoring racism and discrimination against ethnic and religious groups across the European Union: the work of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)” (in the frame of the 2008 summer school, EURAC)

20‐25

16 October 2008 – Seminar by Afrasiab Khattak (President of the Awami National Party in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, former chair of the human Rights Commission of Pakistan) and Kamran Arif (Human rights lawyer) at Brunel University, Darwin Room Hamilton Centre, on “Authoritarianism, Human Rights Violations and the Talibanisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan”

50‐60

18 April 2009 – Nepal Institute of Peace (NIP), Lalitpur, Nepal, Lecture on “An experience sharing on Protection of Minorities in Europe”, by Emma

15‐20

EURASIA-Net


Lantschner (EURAC Senior Researcher on EURASIA‐Net study visit)

21 May 2009 – Public Speech by Mr. Penpa Tsering Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, on the situation in Tibet, and presentation of the book by Eva Pföstl (La questione tibetana. Autonomia non indipendenza: una proposta realistica), at EURAC

50‐60

18 June 2009 ‐ Public lecture at South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University by Subir Bhaumik, on EURASIA‐Net study visits at the University of Frankfurt, on “Insurgent Crossfire or Anti‐Terror Cooperation: Insurgency Patro‐Nage in Post‐Colonial South Asia”

25‐30

24 June 2009 ‐ Panel discussion on “Minorities in South Asia”, in collaboration with Prof. Joshua Castellino, by Dr Sumaya Khair and Dr Nazrul Islam (University of Dhaka), on EURASIA‐Net study visit to EURAC (in the frame of the Master on European Integration and Regionalism)

35‐40

8 August 2009 ‐ Public Dialogue on “Minorities and Their Alienation”, Kolkata (India)

25‐30

23 September 2009 ‐ Seminar on "Autonomies and comparative perspectives" for a Tibetan Delegation. Contributions by Prof Joseph Marko, Dr Günther Rautz, Mr Thomas Benedikter, Ms Karina Zabielska, Mr Benedikt Harzl, Mr Sergiu Constantin

30‐35

4 November 2009 ‐ Conference and a seminar on comparative federalism and constitutional law, autonomy arrangements and the constitutional reform in Nepal, Kathmandu (Nepal), held by Prof Giovanni Poggeschi (Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC and University of Salento, Italy) on his study visit to Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF) open to the wider public and, a restricted working seminar, to a number of members of the Nepali Constituent

145

EURASIA-Net


Assembly, for exchange of ideas and suggestions.

16 March 2010 ‐ International Workshop on Minority Issues at the National Law University, Bhubaneswar (Orissa, India), with presentation of Prof Giovanni Poggeschi (Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC and University of Salento, Italy), Dr Günther Rautz (Scientific Coordinator of EURASIA‐Net, Coordinator of the Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC), Ms Alexandra Tomaselli (Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC), and Mr Sergiu Constantin (Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC).

100‐110

Seminars at partners’ institutions Audience

15 April 2008 – In‐house Seminar of Ranabir Samaddar at EURAC on “The Physical World of the Discrimination of the Minorities”

5‐10

2 September 2008 – Panel Discussion at EURAC on “South Asian cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity as a field of experience for future diversity management in Europe?”, Giovanni Poggeschi (moderation), Gabriel N. Toggenburg, Samir Das, Tapan Kumar Bose)”

15‐20

8 September 2008 ‐ In‐house Seminar at EURAC by Samir Kumar Das on " Autonomy Issues in South Asia and Europe"

5‐10

21 May 2009 – In‐house Seminar at EURAC by Mr. Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, on the situation in Tibet and the newest developments in China

10‐15

13 July 2009 ‐ In‐house seminar by Ijaz Khan on his study visit to EURAC, on "General issues of autonomy in South Asia and Europe. Why is the issue of autonomy (regional and cultural) relevant today in both South Asia and Europe?", with the participation of Günther Rautz, Thomas

5‐10

EURASIA-Net


Benedikter, Ijaz Khan, Benedikt Harzl, and Karl Kössler (EURAC).

1 November 2009 ‐ Higher education material dissemination conference, Dhaka (Bangladesh)

180‐200

25 November 2009 ‐ In‐house seminar at EURAC on "Current challenges of minorities in Bangladesh: the Chittagong Hill Tracts tribes and the undefined minority of Biharis" by Mr Mohammad N Bhuian and Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman (University of Dhaka ‐ Bangladesh) on their study visit to EURAC. Introduction and chair: Thomas Benedikter (EURAC)

5‐10

29 June 2010 ‐ In‐house seminar by Chand Bibi on her study visit to EURAC, on "Minority child protection in Pakistan"

5‐10

EURASIA-Net


LIST OF EURASIA‐Net SCIENTIFIC (PEER REVIEWED) PUBLICATIONSNo

Title Main author

Title of periodical or series

Number, date or frequenc

y

Publisher Place of publi‐cation

Year of public‐cation

Relevant pages

Permanent identifiers* (if available)

Is/Will open access be provided to this public‐cation?

1 Issue(s) of the European Yearbook on Minority Issues with special focus on South Asia Special Focus: Contemporary Challenges of Globalization Special Focus: Minority and Human Rights Issues in South Asia (Deliverable No.6)

Multiple authors

European Yearbook of Minority issues

Volume 8, 2009/2010

Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (An imprint of Brill Academic Publishers)

Leiden, Boston

2010 1‐485 (provisional)

www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net YES


EURASIA-Net


2 ‘Globalisation’ and Its Impact on Minorities in South Asia

Joshua Castellino


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



3 Between Fear and Integration: Islamophobia in Contemporary Italy

Eva Pfoestl


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



4 Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: From “Development Aggression” to “Self‐Determined Development”

Jeremie Gilbert and Cathal Doyle


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston






EURASIA-Net


5 The “South Asian Regional Charter on Minority and Group Rights”

Thomas Benedikter


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



6 Draft South Asian Regional Charter on Minority and Group Rights: A Comparative Regional Analysis

David Keane


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



7 Communal conflicts and the rise of the Hindu fascism in India

Werner Menski


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston






EURASIA-Net


8 Indigenous Peoples: An Introduction to the Socio‐Legal Framework with a Special Focus on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and South Asia

Javaid Rehman and Harriet Hoffler


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



9 Freedom of Religion in South Asia: Implications for Minorities

Borhan Uddin Khan and Mahbubur Rahman


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



10 Pakistan: Nation‐State, State‐Nation or Multinational State?

Ijaz Khan European Yearbook of Minority issues

Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston






EURASIA-Net


11 Gender and the Law in South Asia: Law – a Vehicle for Emancipation or a Victim of Identity Politics?

Ambika Satkunanathan


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



12 India and the Paradox of Caste Discrimination

Annapurna Waughray


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



13 The Protection of Linguistic Rights in India: India’s Language Policy toward Linguistic Minorities

Thomas Benedikter


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston






EURASIA-Net


14 Minorities within Minorities: Gender Implications for Minority Policies in India and Bangladesh

Samir Kumar Das


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



15 Inclusion Through Ethnic Federalism? Some Considerations on the Constitutional Transition in Nepal

Karl Kössler


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



16 National Human Rights Commissions in India and Nepal: State of Affairs and Challenges Ahead

Emma Lantschner


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston






EURASIA-Net


17 Comprehensive Security in South Asia: SAARC and the Applicability of OSCE Standards

Ugo Caruso


Volume 8, 2009/2010


Leiden, Boston



18 Minorities in South Asia and in Europe (Deliverable No.7)

Samir Kumar Das (ed.)

N/A 2010 Samya Kolkata 2010 1‐315 www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net YES

19 Introduction Samir Kumar Das


20 Hundred Years of Research on Minorities in South Asia: Towards A New Agenda

Samir Kumar Das and Ranabir Samaddar


21 Mapping the Minorities in India

Paula Banerjee







EURASIA-Net


22 Minorities‐in‐

Minorities in South Asian Societies: Between Politics of Diversity and Politics of Difference

Joanna Pfaff‐Czarnecka


23 The Pradox Of Sovereignty: The Indian Experience of Governing Minorities

Ranabir Samaddar


24 Minorities In Europe: An Overview of National Regulations

Emma Lantschner and Andreas Eisendle


25 Kosovo In Abkhazia or The Universality of De Facto States

Benedikt Harzl






EURASIA-Net


26 Europe’s Working

Regional Autonomies: A Comparative Analysis

Thomas Benedikter


27 Expanding Catalonia’s Autonomy: An Interview with Aureli Argemi, the Founder and President of CIEMEN, Barcelona

Thomas Benedikter


28 Transnational Minority Network and Mobilization in Europe

Bojan Brezigar


29 Regional/International Frameworks of Minority Protection in Europe and South Asia

Javaid Rehman and Harriet Hoffler






EURASIA-Net


30 Europe's Ethnic

Mosaic (part of Deliverable No.8)

Thomas Benedikter (ed.)

N/A 2008 EURAC Bolzano/Bozen

2008 1‐139 www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net YES

31 Solving Ethnic Conflict through Self‐Government. A Short Guide to Autonomy in Europe and South Asia (part of Deliverable No.9)

Thomas Benedikter (ed.)

N/A 2009 EURAC Bolzano/Bozen


32 Protection of Minorities: A South Asian Discourse

Borhan Uddin Khan and Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman

N/A 2009 University of Dhaka

Dhaka 2009 1‐138 www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net YES




EURASIA-Net


33 Living on the Margins. Minorities in South Asia

Rita Manchanda

N/A 2009 SAFHR Kathmandu


34 Minority Rights in South Asia

Rainer Hofmann and Ugo Caruso (eds.)

N/A 2010 Peter Lang Frankfurt am Main

2010 1‐ 274 Not available yet YES

35 Counter‐Gaze. Media, Migrants, Minorities

Subir Bhaumik (ed.)

N/A 2010 FrontPage Publications Limited

London, Kolkata

2010 1‐ 220 Not available yet YES

36 Cross Cultural Exchanges between Europe and South Asia: Scholar Research Reports

Javaid Rehman and Kaiyan Kaikobad (eds.)

Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law

December 2010

Electronic Publications

Brunel, London, UK

2010 Not available yet

http://www.electronicpublications.org/catalogue.php?id=46

YES




EURASIA-Net


37 Assessment of

Research Policies and Resources (Deliverable No.16)

Samir Kumar Das and Ranabir Samaddar

Policies and Practices

23 MCRG Kolkata 2008 1‐69 www.eurac.edu/eurasia‐net YES

38 View from India: Media and Minorities in Europe

Subir Bhaumik & Sumon K. Chakrabarti


27 MCRG Kolkata 2010 1‐36 http://www.mcrg.ac.in/pp.htm NO

39 Nation‐Building and Minority Alienation in India

Amarjeet Singh Narang


29 MCRG Kolkata 2010 1‐30 http://www.mcrg.ac.in/pp.htm NO

40 Media ‐Mediated Public Discourse on ‘Terrorism’ and Suspect Communities

Rita Manchanda

Economic & Political Weekly

Vol. XLV No 15

Electronic Publications

Mumbai April 10, 2010

43‐50 http://epw.in/epw/user/loginArticleError.jsp?hid_artid=14639

NO


http://www.mcrg.ac.in/pp.htm

http://www.mcrg.ac.in/pp.htm

http://epw.in/epw/user/loginArticleError.jsp?hid_artid=14639



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Section B Not applicable to EURASIA‐Net.

Report on societal implications See electronic submission.

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