Federalism, Decentralisation and Conflict Management in Multicultural Societies Public Conference from Thomas Fleiner Budapest – January 2008

How should they be governed? Who should govern whom? Holding or bringing multicultural Societies together we have to ask: And even more explosiv: Who should decide who should govern? Main Questions:

Multicul- turality Nation- state Challenges of the Na- tion-State Glocali- sation Fragmen- tation Diversi- tiy con- flicts The Challenge of the Nation State

Do federalism and decentralization help to bring or to hold multicultural societies together? Why is multiculturalism a problem? The issues:

Is a fragmented civil society as nation builder of a multicultural state conceivable and realistic? Based on what concepts does the international community intervene and/or manage conflicts of multicutlural societies?

Egocentric Hobbes Bearers of unalienable rights Locke Rational Citoyens Rousseau Exploiters or exploited Marx Cost-benefit driven Homo oeconomicus State of Modernity: all human individuals are equal as being What is the main problem? Capable of rea- son and judge- ment Kant What is good for all? Universal values, but they do not take culture as legtimacy fundament for politcal identity serious Nation-State facing Multiculturality

Nation - State Ignoring Culture Denying Culture Integrating in- to one cultu- re of identity Conflict with ethnic minorities

have economic roots are generated by fundamentalism are promoted by warlords have historical roots are stired up by neighbours Controversy about the roots and the potentials of the different conflicts: Induced by ethnicity Illegitimate state State v. minority terror Multiculturality: Diversity Conflicts Symptoms or causes?

Consumers profit from global market „citoyens“ claim universality of human rights human beings seek local security and local identity Reality Modern State Glocalisation

What is good for us and for our communities? To get legi- timacy from diversi- ties by Promoting: shared-rule self-rule? Reconciling: conflict ma- nagement power- sharing? Tolerating: minority protection; affirmative action? Equalising: collective rights? Challenges of the Nation-State with regard to fragmen- tation by diversity L e g i t i m a c y o f m u l t i c u l t u r a l n a t i o n s t a - k e s c u l t u r e s s e r i o u s e l y b u t i s f o c u s s i n g o n p a r t i c u l a r r a t h e r t h a n u n i v e r s a l v a l u e s

I. To bring or to hold together by state-making or by state-reconstructing

Bring together through constitution making by democratic procedure: Who is the „Pouvoir Constituant“?

Bring together by Constitution making Negotiation

Hold together through reconstructing the federal balance: Creating a new canton by secession

Berne Jura CH Creating a new Canton Jura out of secession and self-de- termina- tion

French German Along language lines?

Catholic Protestant Or along religious lines?

Nation – building: Hold together through reconstructing the federal balance:

II. Hold or bring together by decentralization

The challenge of elitism To bring together by improving local democracy

Transparancy and accountability To bring together by improving local democracy

Responsiveness To hold together by improving local governance

Human Rights To hold toge- ther by improving local governance

III. To hold or bring fragmented civil society(ies) together

With Rights

To bring civil so- cieties together with rights Right of Self-determination

To bring together with rights Collective rights

Civil societies facing diversities

How can civil societi(es) hold together when they face pluralism of languages

How can civil societ(ies) hold to- gether when they face religious diversities

IV. To bring or hold together by the international community

To bring together Role and legitimacy of international action

To hold togethter Forms of international involvement: Governance

Constitution making State- making State Unity Bring and hold multiculurality together Negotiation Soft secession Nation-Building Elitism Transparency Responsiveness Human Rights Self-Determination Collective Rights Language Religion Intervention Int. governance Recon- structing State Structure Decentra lisation Local de- mocracy Local Go- vernance Civil So- ciety Rights Diversi- ties Interna- tional C. Bring together Hold together Bring together Hold together Bring together Hold together Bring together Hold together