Minority Rights Group International is an international human rights organisation founded with the objective of working to secure rights for ethnic, national, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoplesaround the world. Their headquarters are in London, with offices in Budapest and Kampala. MRG has an international governing Council that meets twice a year. MRG has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The organisation was set up in the 1960s by a group of activists and academics "who feel a special concern that the rights of minorities to preserve and develop their cultural integrity are being infringed in many countries... the MRG has been established to protect the rights of minorities to co-exist with majorities, by objective study and consistent international public exposure of violations of fundamental rights as defined by the UN Charter". Its first director was David Astor, editor and proprietor of The Observer newspaper at the time. MRG raises funds for its work from individuals, trusts and foundations, governments, and the European Union. All of MRG's , and databases are available for free from the website but the organisation does encourage anyone using them to to support the work of the organisation for future research, advocacy and support to partners.
Work
MRG works with around 150 partner organisations around the world, providing education and training to help them secure their rights in society. It lobbies governments and the United Nations alongside and behalf of minorities. MRG publishes reports used by activists worldwide to educate their communities, highlight issues in the media and put pressure on governments to create better conditions for minorities and indigenous peoples. MRG’s publications are aimed to be used as campaigning documents that expose the current situation minorities and indigenous peoples live in, give historical context and offer strong recommendations for change. MRG also produces a regularly updated online resource, the , which provides profiles of minority communities in every country of the world. It also publishes an annual report, the , and an annual index, , which ranks countries according to the degree of physical danger facing communities. Legal cases taken up by MRG are done in view of promoting and protecting minority rights, strengthening the rule of law and contributing to conflict prevention around the world. Some key legal cases MRG has fought include challenging , as well as when having passport photos taken or at school. Other international cases MRG have supported include the , and . MRG supports cases by way of submitting briefs that expand areas of law that may be unfamiliar to the judiciary such as in the case of , to producing in support of a case.
Minority Voices Newsroom
The was developed by MRG as part of a 3-year development and training project. The Minority Voices programme aims to increase the inclusion of minority and indigenous peoples' perspectives in the EU media, particularly in coverage of development issues relating to the Millennium Development Goals and to increase awareness among development policy-makers of the specific needs of minority and indigenous communities in meeting the MDGs. The Newsroom provides news stories that cover interviews, photo stories, press releases, new reports and media statements. It aims to provide a source for journalists to identify stories and media contacts amongst minority and indigenous activists regarding minority and indigenous issues and the MDGs. It also serves as a platform for activists and individuals from within minority and indigenous communities to engage with EU-based media.
