News from the ECMI InfoChannel

2025-03-28

TeilnehmerInnen gesucht: Umfangreiche Studie zur Sprachweitergabe in nordfriesischen Familien

Das ECMI startet eine großflächige Umfrage zu Sprachverhalten und Spracheinstellungen in nordfriesischen Familien, die wichtige Erkenntnisse zu den Mustern der intergenerationalen Sprachweitergabe in der Region liefern soll. Außerdem geht es in der Umfrage um die sprachbezogene Unterstützung, die sich Eltern in Nordfriesland wünschen.  

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2025-05-12

ECMI Minorities Blog. Towards Equitable Treatment of Speech-Language Impairments in Minority-Language Speakers

Pavlina Heinzova & Maddi Dorronsoro Olamusu

Speakers of minority languages often face barriers in accessing healthcare in their preferred language despite legal protection of their language rights. In the Basque Autonomous Community, Spanish and Basque are co-official, yet the public healthcare system does not consistently guarantee services in Basque. Basque-speaking speech-language therapists are particularly hard to find within the Basque public healthcare system. Yet, the critical shortage of clinicians providing speech-language therapy in Basque negatively impacts the diagnosis and treatment of Basque speakers with developmental language disorders or acquired language impairments like aphasia. Training opportunities in the Basque Country have been limited, though a new Speech-Language Therapy degree at the University of the Basque Country offers hope. However, multilingualism remains underrepresented in its curriculum. Addressing the shortage of clinical professionals through targeted educational initiatives and increasing language-specific training in minority languages is essential for equitable healthcare.

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2025-05-02

Garbi Schmidt Appointed New Chair of the ECMI Executive Board

The ECMI is delighted to announce the appointment of Prof. Garbi Schmidt as the new Chair of its Executive Board, effective May 1, 2025.

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2025-04-24

ECMI Researchers Present at PSA25 Conference in Birmingham

Last week, ECMI researchers Felix Schulte, Dogukan C. Karakus, and Elmira Muratova participated in the 75th Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual International Conference, held from 14–16 April 2025 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

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2025-04-09

ECMI, ZOiS, and CMB Launch KoDaNetOst Website

We are excited to announce the launch of the KoDaNetOst website, a new collaborative project between the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI), the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS), and the Centre Marc Bloch (CMB).

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2025-03-27

ECMI Minorities Blog. The Role of Discourse in Language Recognition: The Case of Elfdalian in Sweden

Willem Adriaan Cornelis Koen

As Elfdalian edges closer to recognition in Sweden, it seems pertinent to inspect how the political discussion surrounding this question is shaped in parliament, amongst local advocates, and in government. Parties involved argue for or against recognition using different and sometimes mismatching discursive strategies. As such, disagreement arises around key concepts. For one, most of the parliamentary debate attempts to prove Elfdalian’s qualities as a language, a discussion obscured by the government’s vague terminology. Actors also contest the meaning of recognition. Governmental communications stress that existing minority language legislation intends to increase usage in administrative spheres, whereas language advocates see this as unnecessary and instead lobby for a form of recognition that would empower sustainable revitalisation efforts. How long this discursive deadlock will last is unpredictable, but only altered demands or new legislation can break it.

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2025-03-25

4 Questions for Erik Kühl on the Bonn-Copenhagen Declaration

The Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations are celebrating their 70th anniversary this month. Our Colleague Erik Kühl (research at the ECMI and member of the Danish Minority) has answered a few questions for us.

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2025-03-19

New SPARK Publication: Exploring the Dynamics of Political Conflict and Spontaneous Collective Violence

We are excited to share a new SPARK project publication by Felix Schulte and team, now available in Conflict Resolution Quarterly as part of a special issue on ‘Political Conflict and Spontaneous Collective Violence’.

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2025-03-10

Maddi Dorronsoro Olamusu on a research visit to Wales

From February 16-23, our colleague Maddi Dorronsoro Olamusu was on a research visit in Wales. The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies at the University of Wales invited Maddi as part of their research and policy work focussing on the contemporary social use of the Welsh language. Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of the Centre, organised an eventful schedule crossing Wales from South to North and introduced her to various actors working on the Welsh language, such as governmental institutions, NGOs, researchers, teachers and community members.

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2025-03-07

Call for Papers. Intersectional Perspectives on the Socio-Economic Participation of Minorities

Our upcoming workshop calls for scholarship examining the socio-economic participation of national minorities through an intersectional lens. Abstracts should be sent by 14 April 2025  and selected participants will be invited for a presentation at the ECMI on 6 June 2025.

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2025-02-19

Interview mit Forschungsbereichsleiter Dr. Felix Schulte

Der Forschungsbereich, Konflikt & Sicherheit‘ beobachtet und analysiert gewaltsame und nicht-gewaltsame ethnische Konflikte in Europa. Untersucht werden zum einen Konfliktdynamiken und die Frage, warum ethnische Konflikte zu bestimmten Zeitpunkten eskalieren. Zum anderen werden erfolgreiche Ansätze des Konfliktmanagements erforscht, insbesondere welche institutionellen Reformen unter welchen Bedingungen am effektivsten sind, um ethnische Selbstbestimmungskonflikte friedlich und langfristig zu lösen. Ferner beobachten die ForscherInnen die Bedingungen für friedliches Zusammenleben von „alten“ und „neuen“ Minderheiten in Europa. Ein aktueller Forschungsschwerpunkt ist das von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) geförderte SPARK-Projekt. Lesen Sie das Interview mit Dr. Felix Schulte, Senior Researcher am ECMI und Leiter des Forschungsbereich „Konflikt & Sicherheit“.

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2025-02-18

Dritte Ausgabe von DISKURS/Tredje udgave af DISKURS

Die dritte Ausgabe von DISKURS ist draußen. In dieser Ausgabe finden Sie Infomationen zu unserem Pionier-Projekt in Serbien, welches von der Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) gefördert wird. Ziel der Initiative ist es den Minderheitenschutz für den EU-Beitritt in Serbien zu stärken. Wir haben unsere Forschungsbereichsleiterin Ljubica Djordjević näher zu dem Projekt interviewt (S. 8.), welches unter anderem auch einen einwöchigen Study-Visit für Beamte aus dem Ministerium für Menschen- und Minderheitenrechte in Belgrad in die Grenzregion Deutschland-Dänemark beinhaltete. 

Den tredje udgave af DISKURS er ude! I denne udgave finder du information om vores banebrydende projekt i Serbien, som støttes af det tyske selskab for internationalt samarbejde (GIZ). Initiativet har til formål at styrke beskyttelsen af mindretal som en del af Serbiens EU-optagelsesproces. Vi har interviewet vores forskningsleder, Ljubica Djordjević, om projektet (s. 8), som blandt andet omfattede et ugelangt studieophold for embedsmænd fra Ministeriet for Menneske- og Mindretalsrettigheder i Beograd til den tysk-danske grænseregion.

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2025-02-06

Minority Tour / Minderheiten Tour/ Mindretalstur

The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is currently developing a series of minority-focused tours across Schleswig-Holstein.

In February, our tour focused on the Danish minority in Flensburg. We invited  interested participants to join us for a guided walk-through Flensburg’s historic old town. Our guide for this tour was our colleague  Erik Kühl, researcher at ECMI and a member of the Danish minority. The tour started at 14:30 in front of the Danish Central Library. From there, we proceeded to Flensborghus, the headquarters of the Danish minority in Flensburg. Next, we visited the Duborg school, one of the two Danish minority Gymnasiums in Schleswig-Holstein. The tour  concluded with a visit to the Idstedt Lion, a historic war monument dating back to 1862. After a brief stop at Helligåndskirken, we returned to the ECMI, where we invited everyone to a short gathering at the historic maritime court. The tour was conducted in German (based on the majority preference of the participants) and took 2 hours. Read the Newsletter Article in FLENSBORG AVIS about our event. 

 

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2025-01-29

ECMI Joins New Collaborative Data Network for Eastern Europe

The ECMI is pleased to be part of a new initiative aimed at strengthening research collaboration and data accessibility in Eastern Europe. Together with the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and the Centre Marc Bloch (CMB), ECMI is co-developing KoDaNetOst—a Collaborative Data Network with Eastern Europe.

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2025-01-13

Ein Study-Visit in die Grenzregion Deutschland-Dänemark

Eine Studienreise in das Deutsch-Dänische Grenzland bot neun serbischen Beamten letztes Jahrdie Möglichkeit, Einblicke in die Minderheitenschutzpraktiken der Region zu gewinnen, und inspirierte beide Seiten. Auf der Agenda für den Besuch standen u.a. ein Treffen mit dem Minderheitenbeauftragten und seinem Team in der Staatskanzlei und anschließender Diskussion mit dem Europa-Ausschuss, ein Besuch bei der dänischen und deutschen Minderheit, dem dänischen Generalkonsulat in Flensburg und einer Tour durch das deutsche Museum in Sønderborg (DK) sowie ein Treffen mit dem Landesverband deutscher Sinti und Roma. Besonders das geltende Prinzip der Gesinnungsangehörigkeit sorgte bei den Teilnehmern während des Aufenthalts für Verblüffung. Wir haben Jelena Mihajlov,  die lokale Projektmanagerin für das Projekt „Schutz von Minderheiten für den EU-Beitritt“ über den Study Visit interviewt. 

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2025-01-10

Forschung und Aktion bezüglich des Minderheitenschutzes in Serbien

Seit letztem Jahr beschäftigt sich ein ExpertInnen-Team des ECMI intensiv mit einem Projekt in Serbien, welches von der Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) gefördert wird. Hintergrund des Projektes ist Serbiens Antrag auf EU-Beitritt und der damit verbundene stärkere Fokus auf Minderheitenschutz.

Wir haben die Forschungsbereichsleiterin Dr. Ljubica Djordjević interviewt.

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ECMI Research Clusters

Vello Pettai

ECMI Director

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Sergiusz Bober

Senior Researcher

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Andreea Cârstocea

Senior Researcher

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Ljubica Djordjević

Senior Researcher

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Ruth Kircher

Senior Researcher

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Martin Klatt

Senior Researcher

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Felix Schulte

Senior Researcher

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Kyriaki Topidi

Senior Researcher

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Doğukan Cansın Karakuş

Postdoctoral Researcher

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Elmira Muratova

Postdoctoral Researcher

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Viktoria Aygül

Researcher

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Aziz Berdiqulov

Researcher

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Maddi Dorronsoro Olamusu

Researcher

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Pavlína Heinzová

Researcher

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Erik Kühl

Researcher

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Craig Willis

Researcher

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Maj-Britt Risbjerg Hansen

Head of Secretariat

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Stanislav Černega

International Communications Coordinator

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Katharina Jürgensen

Regional Communications Coordinator

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Laura Seben

Project Assistant

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Oana Buta (Temporary leave)

Project Manager

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Olgun Akbulut

Visiting Researcher

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Niko Quade

Intern

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Jelena Mihajlov

Consultant

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Meyeti Payet

Consultant

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ECMI Founders