Institutionalising the right to self-determination as a human right solution to problems of ethnic conflict in Africa: the case of Ethiopia and South Africa
Written under the supervision of Prof. Michelo Hansungule at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, Centre for Human Rights
Ethiopia's “Leap in the Dark”: Federalism and Self-Determination in the New constitution
Benjamin Disraeli took a calculated “leap in the dark” in 1867, when he extended the right to vote to almost all British men. With hindsight, his leap can be seen to have been a necessary (but not sufficient) means of defusing discontent and promoting democratization. Ethiopia seems poised for an even bigger constitutional leap into a murkier realm, into an ethnicized attempt at democratization. To gain acceptance, a new constitution like Ethiopia's must seem to be all things to all people and, in Ethiopia and elsewhere, the end of the Cold War has seen an explosion of ethnic nationalisms similar to the one occurring in Europe late in the 19th century. Without benefit of hindsight one can only make informed guesses about the effects of a new Ethiopian “constitutionalism” on events which are largely beyond the drafters’ control. I will argue that there are grounds for a guarded optimism over Ethiopia's leap.
Political restructuring in Europe : ethical perspectives
A distinguished selection of contributors provide the theoretical background to the restructuring of Europe that is currently underway. It attempts to situate the ethical debates in a historical, legal and constitutional context, considering important and topical issues such as the rights to seccession and self-determination of minorities in Eastern Europe, and the question of whether national movements are justified in using force to achieve their ends. The authors number legal and constitutional scholars, political philosophers and international relations theorists. There are contributions from Poland and Croatia.