MINSOC - Minority civil society, inter-ethnic peace and sustainable democracy

Nationalism is on the rise today in post-Communist Europe. Nationalist sentiments have been used by dominant political forces against ethnic, racial and religious minority groups. Minorities have been blamed for economic and social problems the countries are facing. As a consequence, minorities lack full integration in the democratic institutions and ethno-cultural boundaries are created. The EU-funded MINSOC project aims to conduct a comparative study in post-Communist countries on the role the social institutions of both majority and minority groups (church, school, cultural associations) play in the creation of the ethno-cultural boundaries and on how minorities can be integrated into the democratic process.