Many post-communist countries in Central/Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are being encouraged and indeed pressured by Western countries to improve their treatment of ethnic and national minorities, and to adopt Western models of minority rights. But what are these Western models, and will they work in Eastern Europe? In the first half of this volume, Will Kymlicka describes a model of 'liberal pluralism' which has gradually emerged in most Western democracies, and discusses what would be involved in adopting it in Eastern Europe. This is followed by 15 commentaries from people actively involved in minority rights issues in the region, as practitioners or academics, and by Kymlicka's reply. This volume will be of
interest to anyone concerned with ethnic conflict in Eastern Europe, and with the more general question of whether Western liberal values can or should be promoted in the rest of the world.
Many post-communist countries in Central/Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are being encouraged, indeed pressured, by Western countries to improve their treatment of ethnic and national minorities and to adopt Western models of minority rights. But what are these Western models? Will they work in Eastern Europe? Here, Will Kymlicka describes a model of Western "liberal pluralism," discussing what would be involved in adopting it in the East. This is followed by commentaries from activists involved in minority rights' issues, both as practitioners and as academics, and Kymlicka's replies to their analyses. Sure to interest anyone concerned with ethnic conflict, this volume will spark discussion among all those struggling over the question of whether Western liberal values can or should be promoted in the rest of the world.
The quality of the commentaries on Kymlicka's introductory chapter and his own concluding response ensure that the volume overall fulfils its purpose of critically examining the applicability of western political theory to the ethnopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe. The mix of contributors allows for a balanced debate of Kymlicka's views.
