TITLE:
The Protection of Linguistic Minorities: An Appraisal on the Role of Multination Federalism
AUTHORS:
Amare Tesfaye, Zelalem Kebu
KEYWORDS:
Assimilation, Linguistic Minorities, Multination Federalism, Rights of Minorities, Territorial Integrity
JOURNAL NAME:
Beijing Law Review,
Vol.7 No.4,
December
27,
2016
ABSTRACT: This article mainly focuses on the role of multination federalism in protecting linguistic minorities from assimilation or crumbling to/from the majority in a multination federacy like Ethiopia. In doing so, it has attempted to reflect the concerns raised by some other scholars in relation to territorial integrity of the state in a multination federal state structure and a conclusion as to the inappropriateness of such concern has been reached exhaustively. Resultantly, this article argues that multination federalism is highly potent to maintain integrity of the state, resolving the void by filling it against the possible tensions that may exist between the linguistic minorities and majorities. It has subtle fortitude for the protection of linguistic minorities among others through exactitude of the schemes like conferring them distinctive autonomy within a multination state, igniting them to employ their language without any encroachment and epithet, ensuring them to deserve their distinct identity and paving the way to ensure their participation in different fields meant for the public concerns. It also attracts the linguistic minorities’ right to education in their own mother tongue.