Minority Rights Group International
Encyclopedia
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is an organisation founded with the objective of promoting respect for the human rights
of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples
around the world. Their headquarters are in London
, with offices in Budapest
and Kampala
.
The organisation was set up in the 1960s by a group of activists and academics "who feel a special concern that the rights of minorities to preserve and develop their cultural integrity are being infringed in many countries ... the MRG has been established to protect the rights of minorities to co-exist with majorities, by objective study and consistent international public exposure of violations of fundamental rights as defined by the UN Charter". Its first director was Laurence Gandar, a prominent newspaper editor and anti-apartheid campaigner from South Africa.
and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
. It works closely with around 150 partner organisations around the world, who advocate on behalf of minorities and indigenous communities.
MRG produces a regularly updated online resource, the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, which provides profiles of minority communities in every country of the world. It also publishes an annual report, the State of the World's Minorities, and an annual index, Peoples Under Threat, which ranks countries according to the degree of physical danger facing minorities.
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
around the world. Their headquarters are in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with offices in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
.
The organisation was set up in the 1960s by a group of activists and academics "who feel a special concern that the rights of minorities to preserve and develop their cultural integrity are being infringed in many countries ... the MRG has been established to protect the rights of minorities to co-exist with majorities, by objective study and consistent international public exposure of violations of fundamental rights as defined by the UN Charter". Its first director was Laurence Gandar, a prominent newspaper editor and anti-apartheid campaigner from South Africa.
MRG's work
MRG uses a campaigning approach, which includes advocacy, media work, legal cases, research, publishing and providing training for civil society groups that work with minorities and indigenous peoples. MRG is an accredited non-governmental organisation with the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is a quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and considering individual complaints of...
. It works closely with around 150 partner organisations around the world, who advocate on behalf of minorities and indigenous communities.
MRG produces a regularly updated online resource, the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, which provides profiles of minority communities in every country of the world. It also publishes an annual report, the State of the World's Minorities, and an annual index, Peoples Under Threat, which ranks countries according to the degree of physical danger facing minorities.
Some Recent publications
- Uncounted: the hidden lives of Batwa women (in English and French) (May 2010)
- Resolving conflicts using traditional mechanisms in the Karamoja and Teso regions of Uganda (August 2009)
- Filling the Vacuum: Ensuring Protection and Legal Remedies for Minorities in Kosovo (May 2009)
- Forgotten or Assimilated? Minorities in the Education System of Turkey (March 2009) (in English and Turkish)
- A Double Bind: The Exclusion of Pastoralist Women in the East and Horn of Africa (December 2008)
- Protecting the rights of minorities in Africa: A guide for human rights activists and civil society organizations (December 2008)
- The Right to Learn: Batwa Education in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (December 2008) (in English and French)
- African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights: Ten years on and still no justice (September 2008)
- Pushing for Change? South East Europe's Minorities in the EU Progress Reports (July 2008)
- Why a minority rights approach to conflict? The case of Southern Sudan (April 2008) (in English and Arabic)
- One year on: counter-terrorism sparks human rights crisis for Sri Lanka's minorities (December 2007)
- A Quest for Equality: Minorities in Turkey (December 2007)
External links
- Minority Rights Group International - Official website