MINELRES: Minority Rights Group International - e-bulletin - December 2003

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Original sender: minority rights <minority.rights@mrgmail.org> 
 

Minority Rights Group International - e-bulletin - December 2003 

Welcome to the Minority Rights Group International (MRG) email bulletin
for December 2003. Simply click on the links below in order to access
the full news release or publication on MRG's website, or alternatively
visit our site at:  http://www.minorityrights.org

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  

MRG will be moving offices from 13 December 2003. From this date our new
address will be: 

Floors 2-4, 54 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LT, UK.

Tel: 020 7422 4200      Fax: 020 7422 4201

MRG's email and website information will remain unchanged.

In this e-bulletin: 

Afghanistan needs progressive constitution to build sustainable peace 
Nationalist election victory leaves Croatia's minorities concerned 
Georgia's popular revolution heralds new era of hope and uncertainty 
Employment regulations confront religious discrimination in the
workplace 
Further communal violence feared in Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts 
Events and advocacy 
Focus on: Muslims in Britain - paper by Dr Humayun Ansari 
Vacancies 
New publications from MRG: 
Worth a closer look - useful sources of information, analysis and debate 

.....

Nationalist election victory leaves Croatia's minorities concerned 
The election victory of Croatia's nationalist centre-right party, the
HDZ or Croatian Democratic Union has caused concern amongst minority
groups in the country. As party leader and prime-minister elect, Ivo
Sanader, begins the process of forming a coalition government, question
marks remain over the HDZ's commitment to democratic values and its
choice of coalition partners. While the HDZ claims to have reformed
since the days of Franjo Tudjman, a key test of this claim will be its
willingness to implement minority rights standards. Mr Sanader has made
assurances that the new government will not include the extreme right
HSP party as was feared by minorities and other observers. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=192 

Georgia's popular revolution heralds new era of hope and uncertainty 
Georgia's popular revolution has created the possibility of a new era of
development, rights and tolerance in the troubled state. However urgent
interim measures and political sensitivity are required to ensure that
the opportunity for political, economic and social reform is not lost.
The protection of minority rights is an important factor in ensuring
peace and stability in a country torn apart by years of conflict and
political and economic corruption. Some uncertainty remains over how the
former opposition party will respond to minority concerns. Rapid
implementation of minority rights standards offers the opportunity for
the new government to relieve such concerns.    

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=191 

.....

Roma Rights and Advocacy Training - 12-15 December - Budapest, Hungary 
This training event will be attended by 27 young Roma activists from
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovakia. This training
aims to increase Roma activists' understanding of mechanisms which exist
to protect their rights, and improve their capacity to participate
effectively and address the most pressing problems for Roma through
advocacy at a local, national and international level.

For further information about the events above and other MRG regional
and international advocacy activities, visit our website or contact us
at the address details below.

.....

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is a non-governmental
organization working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide, and to promote
cooperation and understanding between communities.

MRG is a registered charity no. 282305, and has consultative status with
the United Nations Economic and Social Council and observer status with
the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights.

Contact MRG: 

Tel: 020 7422 4200      Fax: 020 7422 4201      email:  
minority.rights@mrgmail.org 

http://www.minorityrights.org