MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work

184
7.5 Issues related to minorities
In 2003, Minority Rights Group International 24 highlighted some points for the European
Commission that should be addressed from a minority rights perspective in order to
foster the enhancement of minority groups’ living conditions within a national context. 25
Education. Several steps should be taken to ensure the integration of minorities:
the availability of primary school education in mother tongues; the reforming
of curricula in order to reflect minority cultures and to promote non-discrimination;
the hiring of teachers from minority backgrounds.
Employment. To avoid high levels of underemployment, minorities’ work status
should be more accurately assessed and they should be provided with equal
access to job opportunities, with specially targeted employment options for
minorities.
Recognition of minority presence. The above efforts would be supported by the
recognition of the rights of minorities and the inclusion of this in legislative
systems.
Governance. There should be legal and constitutional reforms, to build capacity
for minority governance structures, coupled with greater representation of,
and participation by, minorities in legislative bodies to provide equality for all
citizens.
Health care. There should be access to healthcare services without discrimination,
in addition to sufficient services being available in areas largely inhabited
by minorities.
Environment. Encompassing agriculture and rural development, this refers to
the need to ensure access to biodiversity; to review environmental conditions,
with the aim of ensuring that minority areas are not disproportionately damaged
and that conservation measures do not prohibit minority groups from
access to and use of traditional lands and territories.
Young people constitute a significant minority group in the world. According to
Oxfam, 26 41% of the world’s unemployed people are young people and they live in
extreme poverty on less than a dollar a day. Also, political instability and conflict
leave young people especially vulnerable to violence. Young men make up a large
proportion of those recruited or forced to fight in conflicts and wars, and male children
are not exempt – there are more than 300 000 child soldiers around the world.
Girls and young women are especially vulnerable to rape and sex slavery. Violence
and conflicts affect young people by interrupting access to school, disrupting basic
health services and inflicting psychological trauma.
Minority and immigrant women are vulnerable to multiple inequalities, discrimination
and racism. Because of being both women and immigrants, they face disadvantages
in entering labour markets or mostly work in undervalued jobs. It is not only
young women but also young disabled people, youngsters from different religious
backgrounds, gays and lesbians who may suffer the consequences of discrimination.
It is estimated that 10% of the world’s population has a disability and they are faced
with barriers of equal opportunities and full participation in life of the community,
such as high unemployment rates, low income, obstacles in the physical environment
and social exclusion. 27 In many parts of the world, individuals with a different sexual
orientation (that is, different from the majority) are subjected to discrimination, which
T-Kit No.11 - MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work