On this day in ...… 1992, The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (logo at right) created the office of High Commissioner on National Minorities. According to the OSCE website,
The post of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities was established in 1992 to identify and seek early resolution of ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between OSCE participating States.High Commissioner Knut Vollebaek, former Norwegian ambassador to the United States, began a 3-year term in 2007.
… 1970, U.S. President Richard Nixon (below left) delivered a special congressional message enunciating Native American self-determination as official U.S. policy. Previously, it had been the stated policy objective of the federal government eventually to terminate the trusteeship relation between the federal government and tribal nations. (photo credit) In his address, "Message from the President of the United States Transmitting
Recommendations for Indian Policy," Nixon contended that such termination policies did not work, and called instead for broad-sweeping self-determination legislation. Five years later, Congress would pass the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.(Prior July 8 posts are here and here.)
