Direkte Demokratie und Sprachminderheiten in der Schweiz und in Sudtirol - Ein Vergleich = Direct democracy and minority language in Switzerland and South Tyrol - a comparison. EDAP 2/2010
Do procedures of direct democracy involve fundamental dangers with regard to social, ethno-linguistic and religious minorities? Is there even a conflict between popular decision-making by initiative and referendum and the requirement of interethnic consociational democratic procedures? The article focuses on the existing tension and supposed contradictions between procedures of direct democracy (initiative and referendum) and the protection of rights and interests of minorities in multilingual areas. Drawing upon some recent examples of such kind in four Swiss bi- or multilingual cantons and in South Tyrol the author compares these experiences and discusses the crucial issue whether such a conflict can be solved and which special precautions should be established when it comes to apply direct democracy in multilingual areas. Eventually he presents a new approach about how civil rights to direct political participation, enshrined in Italy's constitution and South Tyrol's autonomy statute, could be brought into concordance with the need to respect the equality of fundamental rights of linguistic groups within a multilingual polity, which is currently debated in South Tyrol's politics.
International action to prevent discrimination: the situation of the Roma community in the field of education. EDAP Paper 03/2010
This article discusses why recent discriminatory incidents against the Roma community, one of the biggest minorities in Europe, rise in racism and anti-Roma hate speech in public discourse concerns international organizations. The first part of this article briefly outlines human rights bodies’ definition and regulation on the principle of equality and non-discrimination generally and in particular with regard to Roma education. The second part compares recent international human rights’ conclusions on Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovakia with regard to the human rights developments of the Roma minority, and to the implementation of their national anti-discrimination legislation. In addition, the latter traces the debate on the access of Roma children to education in those countries, as well as reviews the European Court of Human Rights' case law, in particular with regard to two cases of Roma segregated education in Croatia and the Czech Republic. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as to how overcome the vicious circle of poverty and discrimination faced by the Roma population, in particular in the field of Roma education.
High-frequency hearing thresholds: effects of age, occupational ultrasound and noise exposure
AbstractPurpose
It has been suggested that high-frequency audiometry (HFA) could represent a useful preventive measure in exposed workers. The aim was to investigate the effects of age, ultrasound and noise on high-frequency hearing thresholds.MethodsWe tested 24 industrial ultrasound-exposed subjects, 113 industrial noise-exposed subjects and 148 non-exposed subjects. Each subject was tested with both conventional-frequency (0.125–8 kHz) and high-frequency (9–18 kHz) audiometry.ResultsThe hearing threshold at high frequency deteriorated as a function of age, especially in subjects more than 30 years old. The ultrasound-exposed subjects had significantly higher hearing thresholds than the non-exposed ones at the high frequencies, being greatest from 10 to 14 kHz. This hearing loss was already significantly evident in subjects with exposure <5 years and increased with years of exposure and advancing age. The noise exposure group had significantly higher hearing thresholds than the non-exposed group at the conventional frequencies 4 and 6 kHz and at the high frequency of 14 kHz. After stratification for age, there was a significant difference between the two groups at 9–10 and 14–15 kHz only for those under 30 years of age.ConclusionMultivariate analysis indicated that age was the primary predictor, and noise and ultrasound exposure the secondary predictors of hearing thresholds in the high-frequency range. The results suggest that HFA could be useful in the early diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss in younger groups of workers (under 30 years of age).
