The Tom Lantos Institute (TLI) and the National University of Public Service (NUPS), in cooperation with Middlesex University London (MU) are organizing their seventh international summer school on minority rights with a special focus on issues related to labour, land, and development from a minority perspective.

Growing economic inequality and exclusion are critical issues in today’s world, with income gaps widening and economic power becoming concentrated among a small group of global elite. Persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples have been deeply affected by these processes and been excluded from full and effective participation in economic life, in the developing and the developed world. Several international legal instruments recognize the right to work; as a source of income, a path to personal development, and a means to ensuring greater social and economic inclusion. Nevertheless, minorities often face discrimination when seeking employment, which results in limited opportunities, poverty, and general economic exclusion. Land is often a source of income, food, and security for representatives of minority groups and indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, their right to own and use their land is often violated, and in many cases, minorities find themselves displaced from or dispossessed of their land. Access to land is also closely linked to adequate housing. Thus, as many minorities such as the Roma are denied access to land, they face difficulties with securing adequate housing. Development interventions, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at reducing poverty and increasing the effective participation of disadvantaged groups in public life, often fail to take into account the unique situations of minorities, and the impact of discrimination on these groups. As a result, minorities fail to reap the benefits of development interventions aimed at reducing the poverty and economic exclusion in which they live.

The 2019 Global Minority Rights Summer School will examine these issues related to labour, land, and development from a minority perspective, bringing together policy makers, civil society activists, academics, and other key stakeholders. The six-day interactive summer school will address contemporary trends, developments, and challenges related to the economic rights of minorities, and examine specific case studies related to these issues. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues will participate in the summer school, and discuss his mandate and the work he has done since his appointment in 2017. In addition, participants will be allocated time to make presentations on relevant subjects of interest to them.

The Summer School will host approximately 30 participants from around the world, offering a discussion forum on issues related to minorities and indigenous peoples with leading experts and practitioners in the field of international human rights law, political science, international relations, economics, and journalism. Lecturers will:

• Provide an overview of the normative framework governing the economic rights of minorities and indigenous peoples at the international and regional levels;
• Discuss key issues affecting the rights to labour, land, and development from a minority and indigenous perspective;
• Explore the role that civil society and other non-state actors play in the protection of the economic rights of minorities and indigenous peoples;
• Examine case studies related to specific minority groups or individual economic issues;
• Moderate discussions to allow participants to express their views and debate the issues.

The Summer School aims to:

• Explore current norms, issues, and challenges related to the economic rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, in particular the rights to land, labour, and development;
• Discuss and understand the roles that human rights institutions, civil society, and other non-state actors play in the protection of the economic rights of minorities and indigenous peoples;
• Examine and present case studies related to specific minority groups and indigenous peoples in the context of specific socio-economic issues;
• Provide participants with a forum for discussing key minority rights and indigenous issues, share their experiences, and learn from colleagues with a variety of backgrounds and opinions.

The Summer School is envisaged as a space for meeting, consulting and debating with authoritative academics, practitioners, public servants and decision-makers. It provides excellent networking opportunities and the chance to share experiences and discuss current research projects. The program is complemented by interactive and informative cultural events.

The participation fee is 150 Euros. It covers tuition, accommodation, meals and cultural events.

Financial support is available for a limited number of participants. Please find the details below.

To apply, fill in the application form, save it with the following name: 2019GMRSS_[lastname_firstname], and submit it to . Please do not send any other documents. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

The deadline for applying is Monday, April 1, 2019, 12:00 p.m. CET. Applicants will be notified by Friday, April 19, 2019.

Who should participate?

• MA and PhD students who wish to acquire competitive personal competence beneficial for their future careers in academia or in practice-oriented professions;
• Public servants, decision-makers, teachers in higher education and journalists with an interest in minority rights, economic rights, diversity, equality policies, and relevant international law;
• Members of civil society organizations, practitioners;
• Everyone who is interested in recent developments, current theories and advanced training in the field of minority protection.

A strong command of English is required.

Information about previous Global Minority Rights Summer Schools is available here. In addition, videos from previous years are available at this link.

Financial Support

Financial support is offered by TLI and NUPS.

• A small number of full scholarships are available for applicants coming from outside of the Council of Europe member countries to cover the participation fee and travel costs to Budapest.
• Partial scholarships are also available to cover the participation fee (tuition, accommodation, meals, and cultural events). Travel costs to Budapest are not covered by the partial scholarships.

Applicants for scholarships must have:

• A proven current interest or work in the field;
• A strong motivation to improve their understanding and skills;
• Demonstrated plans for future activities or a career that would utilize the knowledge, contacts, and skills acquired.
• We strongly encourage people belonging to national or ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities, as well as indigenous people to apply for the Summer School.

Location and Institutions

The Summer School will be hosted by the NUPS Faculty of International and European Studies, located at Ludovika tér 2, Budapest, Hungary, in a nice green environment, close to the city center. Accommodation and meals will be offered at the campus of the faculty at the same location.