Ethnic conflicts and minorities in a mutiiethnic society

Abstract

The relationship between ethnic conflicts and democratisation is one of the most topical issues of the present time, but also of the future of multiethnic societies.That is why the subject of the analysis in this paper will be basic determinants ofethnic policies and models of ethnic relations management in the territories of former communist/socialist, multiethnic federations (CSSR, USSR and SFRY). Causes, factors, chief political and social actors and the impact of ethnic conflictson development and democratisation of post-communist multiethnic societies will be also analysed. As ethnic conflicts, i. e. the relationship the Majority - Minority, are going to be an active factor of changes in Eastern Europe, this paper will dealwith connections between ethnic conflicts, the status of minorities and the achieved level of democratisation. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of processes in the territory of former Yugoslavia, which could provide an abundance of material for such an analysis.This particularly applies to the most important conflicts between Serbs and Croats; Serbs, Croats and Muslims in B&H, Serbia and Macedonia. The exarnple of the Serbian-Albanian relations and war in Kosovo will be elaborated on because it sublimely manifests the devastating force of ethno nationalisrn alongwith Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo, and Albanians and Macedonians in western Macedonia. However, the analysis will be reduced to Serbia and the FRY, more specifically to the crisis of national and state identity of the Majority (Serbs) andthe status of Minorities.