Contents

Editorial

Ethnic • National • Multinational

Ingmar Karlsson
Nationalism and Minority Issues from a European Perspective

In the author’s opinion, as a result of the European integration process, we may be once more returning to an Europe of regions, from which national states originally emerged. Only a combination of supranational unity and regional pluralism will enable us to build up the cosmopolitan attitudes required to cope with integration in the West, disintegration in the East and the pressure of immigration from other continents.

Joseph R. Gusfield
Primordialism and Nationality 

An essay focused on the new aspects of the nationalism. Much of the surprise that the upsurge of nationalist movements has occasioned among social scientists, has been a result of our tacit assumption that ”nation” and ”society” are equivalent terms; that the existence of a nation-state was a clear indication that its people were a functioning society. The drive to convert culture into political independence has been amply illustrated by the separatist movements of the past twenty years in many parts of the world.

Françoise Thom
Russian Nationalism

Since the collapse of the Soviet empire, Russian political leaders of all tendencies have reached a consensus about the necessity of redefining ”national interests”. The present study analyses the new political currents in this question. The author’s conclusion is relatively optimist: intelligent nationalism invites Russia to cure her numerous ills, without bothering the surrounding world; aggressive nationalism probably will prevail.

Mart Nutt                                                                                                
Different Nationalisms: The Case of Estonia

Referring to the Estonian experience, the most important argument is undoubtedly the fact that independence was restored without the loss of life. In Estonia there has not been tension leading to bloodshed or to dramatic conflict in the political, social or ethnic level.

János Kis                                                                                                 
Beyond the Nation-State

The author, starting from the old liberal conception regarding freedom and equality, studys the multiethnic societies. He is looking for liberal solutions to the national problem. In the author’s opinion, returning to the historical liberalism can’t be a response to the current problems of Central Europe. For this reason, he supports the idea of a state of associate nations.

DIALOGUE

Majority and Minority Relations in Eastern Europe

A debate organised by the Intercultural Centre of the Pro Europa League on the occasion of the ”Week of Tolerance” in Tîrgu-Mureş. The participants – politicians and experts – discussed the situation of the minorities in Ukraine, Moldavia, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.

CASE STUDY

Vasile Burtea
Historical Marginalisation and Social Cooperation in the Case of Roma Population                                                                                             

The author offers a modern point of view on the Roma issue trying to explain the roots of the physical, economical marginalisation, the religious diversity, the cultural symbiosis and the educational specificity.

DOCUMENT

Recommendation 1203 (1993) on Gypsies in Europe                                                               

Renate Weber
A Specific Recommendation for a Specific Minority                                                              

A short commentary on the Recommendation 1203, as adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

TRANSYLVANIAN CONVERGENCIES

Aurelian Trişcu
Archaic Romanian Cultural Values in the Architecture in Transylvanian Churches                                                                                                    

Culturally speaking Transylvania is a rich territory. This intercultural space, has traits of architectural ecumenism. The author presents some of the oldest orthodox churches from the region.

Paul Niedermaier
The Multiculturalism in the Spatial Conception of the Medieval Churches in Transylvania                                                                                 

A study focusing on the architectural style of the Transylvanian Churches, in a region witch is a bridge beetwen Western and Eastern Christianity.

Faces of Europe

Frank Horn
Guaranteeing Minority Rights in Finland                                                                                  

The minority guarantees that today exist in Finland are multifaceted; they have been based on the different needs of the minority groups that live in Finland. The solutions achieved in Finland may inspire solutions that are sought in other parts of the world. However, they most probably will not be adapted as such without any modification. In the author’s conclusion: the Finnish experience shows that solutions may be found even in situations where armed conflicts are close, if the will for peaceful settlement prevails.

Ecumenica

Charalambos K. Papastathis
The Status of Mount Athos in Hellenic Public Law                                                                     

The Final Act (1979) of the Agreement concerning the accession of the Hellenic Republic to the European Economic Community includes Joint Declaration no.4 concerning Mount Athos, which guarantees the special status to Mount Athos. The author examines, in very general terms, this ”special status” from the point of view of contemporary Hellenic public law.

Altera pars

Tom Gallagher
The Political Dimension of the Caritas Affair                                                                              

An analysis, describing the ”Caritas” phenomenon, a pyramid-saving operation in Romania . For every one person who became rich from ”Caritas”, hundreds were financial losers and not a few were completely ruined, losing even their homes.

REVIEWS

La Roumanie contamporaine                                                                                                     

Sudden Rage at Dawn — Violence Against Roma in Romania                                                    

English Summary