The Protection of Minority Rights in a democracy

Freedom means diversity. This simple truth is nowhere more evident, and more relevant, than with the peoples and countries that constitute today’s global society. None of these is homologous in ethnic, cultural, or religious terms. Globalization and the increasing movement of people across borders threatens to kill off the ‘nation’ state once and for all. However, the dominant or majority cultures in countries around the world seek to impose their identity on other groups with whom they share a territory.
Attempts to impose cultural uniformity often come at the expense of minority rights. To avoid marginalization, minorities often intensify their efforts to preserve and protect their identity. The hardening of opposing forces – assimilation versus preservation – can cause increased intolerance, ultimately leading to armed ethnic conflict in a worst-case scenario. African slavery, the Holocaust, and the relatively recent war in Kosovo, are only a few of history’s brutal ex...