National self determination includes:
- Self-government
- Autonomy
- Independence
- Sovereignty
- Nation-statehood
Self determination means…
- The power to control one’s own affairs
- The power of people within a nation-state or nation to make their own decisions about what is in their interest
Why do nations pursue self determination?
Self-determination means the nation can choose it’s own political status and determine it’s economic, cultural, and social development
What defines a people or nation?
- A common history
- Racial or ethnic identity
- Cultural homogeneity
- Linguistic unity
- Religious or ideological unity
- Territorial connection to a particular territory
- National self-identification
Patriation means:
Bringing legislation under the authority of the country to which it applies
What does national self-identification mean and why does it present a problem?
It means that the nation is in charge of itself, the right of self-determination is the right of allowing a people to choose their own destiny
This presents a problem because…?
Nations can achieve self-determination by…?
- Acts of revolution or war
- Decolonization
- Successor states
- By referenda
- By third-party processes
Decolonization means…?
- when imperial powers grants independence to their colonies
- dates back to the 19th century ( Canada’s independence from Britain is an example)
- A process by which a nation can achieve national self-determination
- Also a contemporary phenomenon
Successor states means…?
- When large nations break into smaller states
- When USSR broke up, the 15 Soviet republics declared themselves new independent states
- Global community officials officially recognized new states by establishing diplomatic relations with them (Ex. Ukraine, Latvia, India/Pakistan/Kashmir)
Referenda to pursue self determination examples:
Quebec:
- in 1980 and 1995 Quebec sought sovereignty-association with Canada through referendum
- an effort to create politically independent nation that was still tied to Canada economically
- Quebecers voted through a referendum
Third party involvement in self-determination means…?
- negotiations, dialogue, and creation of legal agreements through consensus
- third party involvement, like the U.N., can result in agreements for national self-determination between sides
- process rarely has international force for resolving the matter, conflict often arises – NO TEETH TO BACK IT UP
- ex. Western Sahara
