A5: Ethnic Minorities in Border Regions – Potential for Conflict or Cooperation? (Workshop)

Dr. Beate Eschment and Dr. Sabine von Löwis (ZOiS), Dr. Ekaterina Mikhailova (IOS)

Many ethnic groups in the post-Soviet space were separated by borders and boundaries in the course of the 20th century and live in different states. Some make up the titular nation across the border, others do not have their own nation state and their status as an ethnic minority is disputed/contested. Key questions of the workshop are therefore:  How are the relevant ethnic groups perceived and treated by the governments on both sides of the borders and the majority society How do they handle their situation, and how does it affect cohesion, national identity, and language? What role do cross-border ethnic groups play for the stability of the states concerned?