Through research and scholarly discussions, the WP will address a variety of ideas and institutional arrangements related to the notion of autonomy on non-territorial grounds. The purpose is description, comparison and critical assessment of these ideas and of their utilization. The WP seeks to provide for a new perspective to look at how cultural and ethnic diversity is conceptually organized and accommodated. The outcomes should be a set of proposals concerning the ways the notion of non-territorial autonomy (hereinafter – NTA) can serve an analytical tool, proposals concerning amelioration of the existing institutions and dissemination of good practices can also be put forward.

Research Task 1: Academic Discussion on Non-Territorial Autonomy.

The event ECMI initiates and arranges for must provide for a discussion on the ways the notion as non-territorial autonomy could apply as an analytical category. Alongside this, practical applications of this notion in various forms shall be addressed. The underlying assumption is that the term “non-territorial autonomy” and similar notions have been employed basically as instrumental categories in law, politics and civic activism. Occasionally, non-territorial autonomy is also used as a category of analysis in a variety of interpretations. The discussions and comparative research seek to clarify the issue and to elaborate more clear approaches to the usage of the idea and the related terminologies.

The cluster works on holding a workshop on non-territorial autonomy in 2011; the major contributors on ECMI side are Tove Malloy and Alexander Osipov. Other projects are regarded as possible options for the future:

• a section on NTA within the workshop on territorialization of ethnicity to be held in Bolzano/Bozen in November 2011 (TM, AO);
• a conference on non-territorial autonomy with subsequent publication (TM, AO);
• publication of a monograph on non-territorial autonomy (AO).

Research Task 2: Practical Application of Non-Territorial Autonomy and Identification of Best Achievements.

The cluster works on comparative research projects addressing certain institutional forms for self-government like elected minority councils, self-governing minority foundations and self-regulating professional organizations, and associations of municipal units. Individual projects will be run by interns and PhD-students invited for this purpose and hosted by ECMI.