Minority Rights Group International
MRGI is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in London. MRGI works to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide, and to promote cooperation and understanding between communities. MRGI has been working with and on behalf of non-dominant ethnic, religious and linguistic communities for over 30 years. MRGI works with minorities and indigenous peoples to avoid prescriptive and patronizing approaches, and has some 130 partners in some 60 countries. In its work MRGI pays attention to factors such as age, class, disability and gender that can further marginalize members of certain groups and communities. MRGI works within a clear framework of international standards in a non-partisan way, andseeks to persuade decision-makers and communities of the need for long-term, sustainable change. MRGI also seeks to raise awareness of the situation of minorities and indigenous peoples among the general public. MRGI has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and observer status with the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights. Prevention of violent conflict and genocide is one of the five strategic campaign goals in MRGI ’s four-year strategy process. The campaign aims at identifying cases where abuses of minority and indigenous peoples’ rights could lead to violent conflict; identifying practical steps that improve minority and indigenous peoples’ rights, and reduce the risk of conflict; achieving new or stronger minority/indigenous conflict prevention mechanisms. MRGI has elaborated a conflict prevention programme in which it will carry out research to throw light on issues relating to minority accommodation and conflict prevention such as positive and negative consequences of autonomy arrangements for nation-building, and the tension between integration and separation and economic benefits of improved communal relations. MRGI has been producing a number of research publications. These include country case studies on Kosovo (an analysis of the intervention of international governmental organisations) and a study on Minority Rights and the Prevention of Violent Conflict. Finally, MRGI has gathered expertise in disseminating research results through a programme of advocacy activities to promote the findings of the research including roundtables in key capitals and a high-level seminar in New York.
Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT, UK
Email: minority.rights@mrgmail.org
www.minorityrights.org