Article is giving the information on basic situation on civic integration in Georgia. Georgia, as multi-ethnic country, is facing the obvious problems with civic integration. The biggest part of the minorities (Azeris and Armenians) are ill-represented and performed in Georgian public. Therefore, Georgian statehood stands against the severe problems of inclusion of minorities in public space. There are number of models of minority accommodation from the international perspectives and experiences. Georgia should choose one of them. However, there is no standard model of such issue. In every case, each country stands vis a vis peculiarities and 100% transplantation of any foreign model on local level is not relevant and adequate. Author, discussing the perspectives of civic integration, is arguing in favor of “integration” model against the “assimilation”, “differentiation” and pure “multiculturalism”. In case of “assimilation”, the country will face the just claims from the minority side about losing their identities. If we adjust the model of “differentiation”, that means to exclude the minorities from public life. Pure “multiculturalism” will stimulate the further fragmentation of the country. “Integration” model with some multicultural element seems more relevant and workable in Georgian realities.

What about this ethnocentrism? An essay on the margins of Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking

The history of national and ethnic minorities in Poland is a story about how they constantly have to create space for their existence and coexistence in Polishness. During the Second Polish Republic, nationalist and liberalist tendencies clashed in public space. The authorities of the Polish People’s Republic saw minorities merely as folk varieties of Polish culture. This had one goal: to create a homogeneous state. The 2005 Act on National, Ethnic Minorities and Regional Languages confirmed Poland’s multiculturalism. Work on the act coincided with the development of views on ethnicity and ethnocentrism in Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking. Today, many representatives of minority groups postulate the need to amend the 2005 Act. The aim of the article is to reconstruct Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking about “ethnicity” and “ethnocentrism”, because his scientific reflection well explains the socio-cultural nature of both phenomena. The article is composed of three parts. The first part is a reconstruction of the concept of “ethnicity”. The second is a reconstruction of the cultural pattern of “ethnocentrism”. The third is an attempt at reflection resulting from the application of Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s views in the process of understanding today’s dynamics of political activities/emancipatory struggles of minorities in Poland.

National and Ethnic Minorities in Poland in the Light of Constitutional Regulations

Poland has been a place of coexistence of various ethnic and national groups for centuries. Throughout history, state borders have changed, which has influenced the ethnic diversity of the country. As a result of these changes and population migrations, national and ethnic minorities live in Poland. The guarantee of protection of the rights and freedoms of these groups, preservation of their customs and traditions, and development of their own culture is the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, as well as the international convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The aim of this article is to analyze the constitutional provisions in terms of the scope of protection of national and ethnic minorities living in Poland and the guarantee of their constitutional rights and freedoms.