Coordinators: European Centre for Minority Issues and the Coppieters Foundation
Description of the meeting
In 2022, the Annual Summer School on National Minorities in Border Regions will examine
the participation of national minorities in political life. This topic encompasses a broad
range of phenomena, starting with the legal definition of citizenship (that provides rights to
participation), and continuing with political representation (parties), collective mobilization
(social movements), transnational frameworks (European norms) and minority
representative bodies (national councils).
While many of these phenomena are related to political science, others are sociological and
legal. As a result, the Summer School will also be multi-disciplinary in scope and will thereby
speak to many different audiences.
Furthermore, the Summer School will not only highlight conceptual lenses, but also profile
practical examples and case studies. This will cover not only profiles of minority political
parties, but also successful social movements, mechanisms for monitoring of European
norms, and analyses of national minority councils.
Our experience in Oñati
The 12th Annual Summer School on National Minorities in Border Regions (the Summer School), jointly organised by the European Centre for Minority Issues (the ECMI) and the Coppieters Foundation, took place between 24-31 July 2022 at the premises of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, Basque Country, Spain.
This year, the Summer School focused on the notions of Minorities as Citizens and invited students to debate about the political participation of national minorities, legal definitions of citizenship, social movements, transnational frameworks, and minority representative bodies. The programme combined traditional and non-formal educational methods, and interactive sessions, while the ECMI in-house and other experts provided lectures and seminar activities.
Some 18 BA, MA, and PhD students coming from Germany, Portugal, Japan, Tajikistan, Italy, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Finland, and other countries were selected through a competitive application process and received certificates of completion at the end of the Summer School.
The administrative support was provided by the staff of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, who proved to be excellent partners. The colleagues in Oñati organised catering, accommodation for students, the Summer School team, visiting lecturers, transportation, and devised a day trip to San Sebastian/Donostia, including museums and a walking tour. Additionally, a comfortable and well-equipped conference room was provided for the Summer School lectures at the premises of the Institute. The staff was always ready to accommodate any last-minute and ad hoc changes, proving to be reliable and professional partners and organisers.
Aziz Berdqulov,
ECMI Researcher/Summer School Coordinator