166
PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS
number of languages spoken at home by migrants in a country of immigration can be quite
large. Furthermore, the children have a great need to learn to use the language of the country
of immigration as quickly and as effectively as possible. Should, however, some new minorities
settle compactly together in a region of the country and in large number, there is no reason
to treat them differently from old minorities. It should be noted, however, that the European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages does not cover the languages of migrants. In any
case, persons belonging to new minorities are entitled to set up their own private educational
institutions allowing for the teaching of and instruction in their mother tongue. The State is entitled
to demand that the official language also be taught.
4.4 States should, where appropriate, take measures in the field of education, in
order to encourage knowledge of the history, traditions, language and culture
of the minorities existing within their territory. Persons belonging to minorities
should have adequate opportunities to gain knowledge of the society as a whole.
65. Experience has shown that in societies where different national, ethnic, religious or linguistic
groups coexist, the culture, history and traditions of minority groups have often been neglected
and the majorities are frequently ignorant of those traditions and cultures. Where there has been
conflict, the minority groups’ culture, history and traditions have often been subject to distorted
representations, resulting in low self‑esteem within the groups and negative stereotypes towards
members of the group on the part of the wider community. Racial hatred, xenophobia and
intolerance sometimes take root.
66. To avoid such circumstances, there is a need for both multicultural and intercultural
education. Multicultural education involves educational policies and practices which meet the
separate educational needs of groups in society belonging to different cultural traditions, while
intercultural education involves educational policies and practices whereby persons belonging
to different cultures, whether in a majority or minority position, learn to interact constructively
with each other.
67. Article 4.4 calls for intercultural education, by encouraging knowledge in the society as a
whole of the history, tradition and culture of the minorities living there. Cultures and languages
of minorities should be made accessible to the majorities as a means of encouraging interaction
and conflict prevention in pluri-ethnic societies. Such knowledge should be presented in a
positive way in order to encourage tolerance and respect. History textbooks are particularly
important in this regard. Bias in the presentation of the history and neglect of the contributions of
the minority are significant causes of ethnic tension. The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization has concerned itself with the need to eliminate such prejudices and
misrepresentations in history textbooks, but much remains to be done.
68. This paragraph of article 4 also emphasizes the complementary duty to ensure that persons
belonging to minorities gain knowledge of the society as a whole. This provision should counteract
tendencies towards fundamentalist or closed religious or ethnic groups, which can be as much
affected by xenophobia and intolerance as the majorities.
69. The overall purpose of article 4.4 is to ensure egalitarian integration based on
non‑discrimination and respect for each of the cultural, linguistic or religious groups which
together form the national society. The formation of more or less involuntary ghettos where
the different groups live in their own world without knowledge of, or tolerance for, persons
belonging to the other parts of the national society would be a violation of the purpose and spirit
of the Declaration.