First Summer School
Bolzano/Bozen (Italy), 25 August - 6 September 2008

The core themes of the Summer School have been international standards on minority and human rights in Europe, compared with human and minority rights standards in South Asia (including the role of SAARC), soft law mechanisms of minority protection and their possible dissemination in South Asia, concepts of federalism and autonomy (including case studies, like South Tyrol and Kashmir), indigenous rights and ethnic diversity both in Europe and Asia. During the 10 working days of the Summer School the participants have been offered a wide range of activities: lectures, workshops, case studies, group work, study visit as well as an excursion.

Lectures have been held in English language by researcher and experts from partner institutions, academics and practitioners from international bodies, like Council of Europe or OSCE. Dowload the program here.

18 participants (researches, civil servants, media fellows, human rights activitits) dealing with human and minority rights issues from Europe and South Asia have been selected amongts 96 applicants and have participated in the summer school. Download the list of participants here.

Moreover, in the frame of the EURASIA-Net First Transregional Summer School, one public lecture on the activities of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and the ways of monitoring racism and discrimination against ethnic and religious groups across the European Union has been held by Mr. Ioannis N. Dimitrakopoulos on Thursday 28 August in the evening .

One Panel Discussion on "South Asian cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity as a field of experience for future diversity management in Europe?" has been organized on 2 September. Experts on minority and diversity management issues (Samir Kumar Das, Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (India), Tapan Kumar Bose, South Asian Forum for Human Rights (Nepal), Gabriel N. Toggenburg, EURAC, Giovanni Poggeschi, EURAC) exchanged experiences and discussed as South Asian cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity could serve as a field of experience for future diversity management in Europe.

The participants at the Landtag (Govt. of the Province of Bolzano/Bozen),

and at EURAC

EURASIA-Net has been funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission