CVEK

Objective of the conference has been to contribute to better understanding of the processes of redefinition of nation’s identity. That in consequences would allow not only better conditions for handling of the minority and migrant issues, but also increased mutual understanding between nations in Central Europe. In Central European countries, the process of national self-determination since 19th century has been more on the ethnic and cultural side than on the civic and territorial one.

Central European reality can be characterized by the notion “Kulturnation” (broad cultural community), rather than “Staatsnation” (self-determining political nation). The salience of ethnic component in constructing nationhood among CEE is likely the critical factor why these states are not ready to fully accept the cultural other as equal members – the other may be national minorities or new immigrant groups. Most societies, entering the era of post-industrial times and cross-country migration are not ready for full acceptance otherness – either autochtonous minorities, migrants, or even people with multilayer identities. Confusion is visible mostly in radically different manner in which citizenship in particular countries of the Central Europe – ius soli (birthright citizenship) and ius sanguini principles (right of blood) are used to determinate of the state citizenship in most of EU countries.
Participants from 10 countries took part on the conference.

„Top 10“ conclusions of the conference:
1. There is no consensus about the term nation in Europe (double meanings, difficulties of translation, different contents).
2. Ethnic and civic dichotomy brings conceptual problems to researchers while studying issues connected with a term nation.
3. Term nation should be studied by using a functionalist paradigm.
4. Functionalist paradigm does not exclude thinking about demands of minorities in terms of justice.
5. Issues of banal nationalism, symbolic exclusion, and tribal thinking is more important to conceptualize than to study open nationalism.
6. Researchers should avoid „fetishization“ of legal definitions of the term nation.
7. Language of conceptualization of the term nation is often primordial.
8. Modern national states create a „cocktail“ of civic and ethnic traditions.
9. The role of researchers is a deconstruction and falsification of policies and practices that are rooted unconsciously in nationalized legal norms.
10. Chance of moving forward: redefinition of the core solidarity based on ethnicity to core solidarity based on modern citizenship.

CVEK published a peer-reviewed publication out of selected contributions in English:Nation Uber Alles. Processes of redefinition and reconstitution of the Term Nation in Central European countries.