Articles et publications
Minorities: The Precious Voices of Baltic Multiculturalism
Talking about the Baltic States, it is worth remembering that prior to World War II, Finland was also considered to be a Baltic State. That is to say, there were four Baltic States in prewar Europe. The fact that only three entered the 21st century is an irony of recent history. Yet some similarities and affinities between the Baltic States are too obvious to require emphasis. All three nations stood at the same historic crossroads after the WWI. All were linked to the fate of Russia in terms of (in)dependence and emancipation. All three existed as independent states from 1918 until 1940. (Read more...)
Human Rights and the EU
By Leonidas Donskis
The great Russian humanist, dissident and Human Rights defender Andrei Sakharov, in whose name the supreme EP award in the sphere of the defense of Human Rights was initiated, when asked about what kind of universal ideology could be adopted by humanity in the future, described the universality of Human Rights and our commitment to defend them as the only set of values and ideas capable of bridging the gulfs and reconciling the opposites.(Tęsti...)
Freedom and Democracy in Decline
By Leonidas Donskis
Having listened to the 2011 Freedom House report on freedom and democracy across the world, presented recently in the Human Rights Subcommittee meeting at the European Parliament, the only conclusion that was possible to make was that freedom and democracy are in decline. I realize that this is at odds with the general wave of enthusiasm evoked by the chain of revolutions and uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, yet the Freedom House speakers in the EP were able to offer only such an assessment of things.(Tęsti...)
