The EUTopia Project enabled us to think about how rights emerged and were negotiated between states and minorities. Through explorations of Haitian and Chilean minority rights, we demonstrated the significance of a state’s authority in the Age of Revolutions and the Twentieth century and analysed the state’s prerogative for making citizens during state and nation formation.
However, it is important to note that the classification of minorities changed throughout time. In the Cold War era, the category of ‘minority’ encompassed politically marginalised communities and the victims of gendered discrimination. The 1970s can be seen as a watershed moment for transnational organising by NGOs and the recourse to international instruments, in the face of "sovereign emergencies" in South America (1); with particular focus on Argentina and Brazil. This shift meant human rights became an important language for states and civil society activists making recourse to the law (see examples of Mexico, Zoe).
We thoroughly enjoyed being part of such a stimulating, collaborative discussion on the history of human rights, and feel
have learnt a lot from our European peers on the wonders of legality - something that we are not so well versed in as History students! Fusing together our knowledge of History with the context provided by the other groups has been super enlightening and encouraged us to re-evaluate our conceptualisation of minority rights and their theoretical and practical implications - in particular, understanding how the law is engaged both to emancipate and to persecute. We found the conception of linguistics as inextricable from law really interesting with regard to the Brussels and Catalan cases and learnt that minority rights extend to ideology, gender, and every-day social practices in the instance of Dutch-speaking women and Jews in France and Germany. The fascinating interrogation by our Slovenian co-researchers on what constitutes a ‘nation’ made us reflect on our own areas of research and ponder whether the nation, as a symbol of multi-pluralistic commitment and common connection to the past, holds the potential to unlock the emancipation of minority groups.
Aron:
The study of the Polish diaspora in Haiti allowed for the analysis of the changing nature of racial identity in the formation of the world’s first Black republic. The induction of Polish soldiery into the legal category of ‘black’, regardless of skin colour, provides crucial insight into how the state enfranchised minorities into a narrative of racial revolution that ultimately became the founding mythos of the emerging Haitian nation. This study also facilitated exploration into the way in which Polish soldiers were able to cross strict racial divides in Saint Domingue, find solidarity with the cause of black emancipation and finally become, in the words of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, ‘among the children of Haiti.’
Charlotte:
The case of the Mapuche in Chile is a multifaceted one that speaks to the intricacies of language, translation and self-determination. This spectacular indigenous group, despite remaining autonomous throughout the colonial period after having conquered the Spanish in the 15th century, remain at the constant peril of homogenisation and repression of the state. I made a case for reading into their flourishing poetry - which has seen somewhat of a Renaissance in recent decades - to access the affect and raw identity experience of the Mapuche. Moving beyond the legality of language and fostering our interdisciplinary skills in this way has proved enriching for empathising with a group which is deserving of being understood on its own terms. Considering the Mapuche as a ‘nation’ or ‘peoples’ themselves is constructive to campaigning for their rights as a minority, but presents its own legal challenges. I look forward to investigating this further to read how Mapuche representations in literature may be utilised in state discourse and legal politics.
Mehr:
The UK has been a dominant participant in foreign affairs and it was really interesting going to the archives to find out more about the relationship Britain had with Latin American countries as they faced communist insurgencies, against the backdrop of the Cold War. In learning about the teaching methods to Brazilian militants, I was fascinated by the lack of coverage of this topic. This speaks to the subjugation of minority voices even in the present era. In going forward, I want to focus on how Brazilian citizens vocalised their concerns about missing or deceased people who had been tortured and created international coalitions.
Kiran
The issue of sports washing is still relevant today but my research took me to the case of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina when the event was used as a spectacle by the leader of the authoritarian junta at the time, General Videla, to cover up the extensive human rights violations being conducted. This was a dirty war waged against its citizens backed by the US through Operation Condor which has led up to 30,000 declared missing or dead. This research took me to the archives at the University of Warwick where there were numerous documents detailing the transnational solidarity campaign that came in support of the people of Argentina mainly by way of Trade Union organisations. Going forward in my research after the Peak Event in which we learnt a tremendous amount from our peers from the other universities in the EUTopia project, I would like to take a look more into the actual legality behind General Videla’s regime and how he used specific laws and legal powers to persecute the citizens of Argentina.
Zoe:
My passion for women’s rights is what inspired me to initially research gender-based violence in Mexico. My horror when I came to realise the extent of the violence and terror is what drove me to pursue this as a project and share their stories across international borders at the EUTopia Conference. The concepts of legal history and minority rights unfolded time and time again throughout my research as historians and activists revealed the Mexican government’s impunity at every stage of investigating the brutal murders of women across the state of Chihuahua; I based my project predominantly on the city of Ciudad Juarez, the infamous epicentre of these feminicidios. The concept of ‘feminicide’ as a legal and academic term was both new and fascinating to me. As a term that initially emerged out of the academic sphere to define the specific set of circumstances in which women in Mexico were being murdered by men and the government’s subsequent ignorance, it was eventually adapted into and defined in national and international domains as activists fought tirelessly for justice for the victims and accountability of the state. For Mexican women, justice was essentially non-existent and unobtainable. Without the pressure of NGOs and international organisations, it is possible that the law would have continued to exclude women from its protection. The crisis of gender-based violence and impunity continues to plague Latin American states. Therefore, to continue my research I would like to look more into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and whether other states in the EU and UN have retained the same level of scrutiny on the Mexican government.
A fitting find: found on the streets of Paris en route to CY Cergy Paris University, snapped by our professor Rosie Doyle. ‘Le patriarcat tue’, translation: ‘The patriarchy kills.’
Thanks so much to the facilitators and co-researchers of this EUTopia Peak Event for such an incredible opportunity. We’re excited to continue this collaboration and to see where it goes!
See what we got up to in Paris - here is a vlog that we made.
(1) Patrick William Kelly. Sovereign Emergencies: Latin America and the Making of Global Human Rights Politics Cambridge University Press: 2018.
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