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Why are minority rights important? Because the true test of a pluralist, democratic society is the extent to which the society includes minorities, allows them to participate and integrate rather than excludes, vilifies and discriminates against them.
The term “minority rights” refers to the rights of individuals and groups that define themselves or are defined by others based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc. These rights can be individual or collective in nature.
There are two main areas of focus at this time:
1) Hate crime registration - How are hate crimes registered in the various European countries? Are the hate crime statistics reliable? What do the statistics tell us? How many hate crimes are committed on the basis of race or ethicity, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability?
2) Discrimination policies - Equal rights and equal opportunities, fact or fiction? What do the complaint procedures against discrimination in the various European countries actually protect against? Are there equal rights and opportunity issues that are not protected?
Rights are not set in stone. While there has been a general tendency at the European level to increase the protection of rights, there are those both at the national and European levels, that would like to base rights on the shifting sands of political pragmatism or expediency. Still others, would like to bury at least some of the rights of Europeans in legalese.
Rights can also be protected and expanded. This is most often done through the creation or revision of laws and through the political process, but can also be achieved through demonstrations, lobbying, or by monitoring areas of concern. These areas of concern are most often either geographical or thematic in nature.
Minority rights is one such area of concern.