News from the ECMI InfoChannel

In this blog, the authors focus on recent developments regarding Irish and Ulster-Scots in Northern Ireland. Beginning with the convening of a newly-devolved government in January 2024, they explore the impact of political instability on linguistic diversity in the region. Subsequently, initiatives such as the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 and the proposed establishment of an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression are examined. The authors argue for the need to go beyond parallel structures which align languages with identity politics, whilst highlighting that political elites often fail to acknowledge those who engage with a language associated with another political tradition. A key aspect to the argument is the need for policy interventions which support the development of distinct types of dialogue about language and which have transformative potential.

Between 28th June and 7th July, the Danish-German border region will host the fifth edition of Europeada, a football competition for European autochthonous minorities. This will bring together 24 men’s and 9 women’s teams, with the defending champions being South Tyrol and Team Koroška respectively. The main goal behind this blog post is to preview this event. To achieve this, the authors first unpack the importance of sport for minority identities through discussing several historical and contemporary examples, before specifically zooming in on this aspect in the host region. Subsequently, the focus is turned to the event itself with considerations concerning the format, financing, and its place within FUEN’s activities. The text concludes with a reflection on the significance of Europeada for the host region, participating minorities, its main organizer, and broader awareness-raising in relation to minority issues.

Democracy aims to alleviate social inequalities and provide equitable public decision-making for all. Ensuring immigrant citizens have equal political opportunities is vital for a stable democracy. This blog post explores how the openness of immigration laws impacts political participation, considering the influence of the local context on rural immigrant political participation. Focusing on three Italian regions, it employs a comparative study of nine rural municipalities. Political associations in rural areas differ from those in urban settings, emphasizing social networks, family ties, volunteerism, and religious affiliations. The article draws its data from a comprehensive approach, utilizing legal documents and semi-structured interviews with mayors, politically-active immigrants, associations, and clergymen. The article addresses the intricate dynamics of political participation in rural areas, shedding light on immigrants' engagement beyond conventional participation forms.

This post focuses on the bicommunal Technical Committees in Cyprus which, it argues, are rare instances of successful ‘Engagement without Recognition’ between a parent and a de facto state. They are, in other words, instances of cooperation between a non-internationally recognised entity and the internationally recognised state from which it attempted to secede. The post sheds light on the Technical Committees by explaining how and why they were established, and in what way they can be understood as examples of ‘Engagement without Recognition’. It offers examples of successful projects that were implemented by the Technical Committees and identifies lessons we can learn from their experiences to date, which can also be useful in other frozen conflict contexts around the world.