MINELRES: Two New ECMI Publications

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: William Mckinney <mckinney@ecmi.de>


Bieber, Florian. Institutionalizing Ethnicity in the Western Balkans:
Managing Change in Deeply Divided Societies. ECMI Working Paper #19.
Flensburg: European Centre for Minority Issues.
http://www.ecmi.de/doc/download/working_paper_19.pdf

Summary
Ethnic politics continue to dominate political discourse and
institutions in the post-conflict regions of former Yugoslavia
(Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia). This has rendered these regions
dependent on external intervention and blocked or delayed political and
economic development, including the process of integration into European
and Euroatlantic structures. Some of the post-conflict arrangements have
rightfully come under criticism-both from within and outside the
region-as obstacles in the normalization of ethnic relations. While the
status quo needs revision and a different approach to institutional
design is required, this paper argues against abandoning group-based
institutions altogether. Instead, it argues for a more dynamic and
process-oriented approach to accommodate ever-changing interethnic
relations.

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Schenker, Harald. Violence in Kosovo and the Way Ahead. ECMI Brief #10
http://www.ecmi.de/doc/download/brief_10.pdf


Summary

The past four years seemed to be characterized by relatively positive
developments in Kosovo. However, the recent troubles that left over 28
civilians and 1 KFOR soldier dead and hundreds wounded, 3,600 Serbs
displaced, 30 Serbian churches and 200 Serbian houses destroyed, show
that current policies on the international and local sides will have to
be examined and revised, and that, generally, much remains to be done in
Kosovo for sustainable peace and development. The fact that Kosovo
Albanian leaders were as surprised by the events as the international
community seems to indicate that the origins of the event are to be
found below the political level and beyond the control of the political
parties. In spite of their public appeals to stop the violence, the
leadership failed to fully acknowledge  responsibility and to deal with
events appropriately, without relating the violence to issues of
independence and transfer of competencies. The events also indicate that
the optimistic analysis of Kosovo's current situation needs revisiting.
Consequently, security policy and relations between the United Nations
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Kosovo's
Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) have to be 
reconsidered. It is too early to tell what exactly will be the
consequences of events on UNMIK and PISG policies and activities,
especially regarding the standards implementation plan, and, more
generally, the future of the province. A careful review of the political
and security situation and of the roles of the parties involved should
be encouraged.