Coppieters and ECMI Premiere of Minority Rights Video Clip

On 14th October, 2016, Centre Maurits Coppieters and European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) launched a cartoon on minority rights with the aim of answering common, but pertinent questions for today’s Europe: what are minority rights and how can we protect our diversity?

Over 40 guests from different organizations in Brussels joined Centre Maurits Coppieters and ECMI for the official launch of the cartoon, which introduces minority rights and outlines the protections contained in the Council of Europe’s most comprehensive text on the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

After a welcome speech by Gunther Dauwen (Director of European Free Alliance and Secretary General of the Center Maurits Coppieters), ECMI Senior Research Associate and the project’s author and initiator, Dr. Zora Popova, introduced the cartoon to the audience and highlighted the main goals of the cartoon, such as fostering a respect for diversity, combating prejudices, and promoting integration and social cohesion.

“This year the ECMI celebrates 20 years of its establishment. I hope that in 20 years, we will all celebrate the anniversary of this cartoon and its contribution to the promotion of minority rights”, Dr. Zora Popova said.

Center Maurits Coppieters also screened short videos on <a href=”http://localhost:8888/ideasforeurope/publication/paradiplomacy/”>para-diplomacy</a> and good governance, based on previous Coppieters studies. The former looks at non-state diplomacy as a mechanism of greater international cooperation at all levels and how it can contribute to open societies. The later concerns how we define “<a href=”http://localhost:8888/ideasforeurope/publication/a-quality-democracy-for-a-new-state/”>quality democracy</a>” in the 21st century and what strategies we can implement to re-legitimize democracy and make it more representative, inclusive, flexible, reactive and transparent.