Minorities for Minorities – Good Practices from Western Balkan States

"The overall objective of the project is to secure effective legal, practical and political frame for enjoyment of minority rights on Western Balkans in line with best practices from EU and Balkan states. There is a common phenomenon in most of the Balkan States related to the legal framework of minorities’ rights protection. Most of the experts agree that due to the accession EU process States like Croatia, Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina, and even Serbia have developed respectable legal framework for the protection of minority rights. However, there is a lack of implementation of the legal framework and the violations and lack of respect of minority rights are still problems in those states. There are several reasons why the implementation of the legislation is lacking. Most of the arguments are in the direction on non-developed state institutions, legacy of post war society and transition. But also one must be aware of two additional arguments: 1. Most of the legislation is not developed from the best practices of inter-ethnic relations in Balkans but rather the standards are coming from outside 2. There are no inter-state communications on different minorities’ positions in different states. The goal of this project is to include and develop those two methods in improving minority rights in the region. This project will create the frame within which the minority rights will be more implemented and will not be only written on the paper. Moreover, the specific objective is to create inter-state platform for the improvement of existing minority policies, laws and practices through the promotion of best practice examples from EU and Balkans to major stakeholders in Western Balkans. Combining research process (detecting good practices) as a source of building new relations with the culture (exhibition, documentary film) and the final conference, the project will contribute to the better implementation of minority rights in the region."