Chapter 12 Ethnic and Linguistic Minorities in the Armed Forces This chapter deals with the position of ethnic and linguistic minorities (those who are of minority populations in a country) within the armed forces. It also deals with the position of non-nationals serving in the armed forces. Where a state’s armed forces represent all sections of society, including ethnic and other minorities, they can become a source of national unity and cohesion. It follows that unnecessary barriers to the recruitment and participation of ethnic minority groups within the armed forces should, as far as possible, be removed. This is a question of fairness and non-discrimination, but it is also a question of effectiveness – the armed forces will operate more effectively in the national interest if they are broadly representative and not dominated by specific ethnic elites. This chapter therefore discusses issues concerning the integration of these groups with a view to establishing best practices, procedures, and legislation within recruitment, selection, and training processes in the armed forces. 1. Issues at Stake There are two broad approaches that a state can adopt to the challenges of a multiethnic population. The first can be called assimilationist, where the over-riding objective is to eliminate or minimize visible differences between ethnic groups by subsuming them under a common national identity. If successful, such a policy will reduce conflict and rivalry between ethnic groups, but it will do so by weakening the ties that members of the ethnic group have to their common history and values and may produce inter-generational conflict. Education and official practice are key tools in an assimilationist approach – the official language may, for example, be the only one permitted in schools. The alternative approach is called multiculturalist. This approach acknowledges, accommodates, and even celebrates ethnic differences. It runs the risk, however, that these differences may remain a prominent source of separation and conflict, especially if ethnic groups are permitted to exist in parallel communities that have little effective contact with each other. The approach that armed forces take towards ethnic differences inevitably reflects this same dichotomy between assimilationism and multiculturalism. Some armed forces have had successful experiences in terms of racial integration. In others, a multicultural approach has led to armed forces with units drawn almost exclusively from ethnic sub-groups. Different challenges in promoting equality and preventing discrimination arise in each case. In a multiethnic state, the armed forces should adequately reflect the composition of society while having a vision that transcends the different identities of its members in order for them to perform cohesively and effectively in the field. The armed forces can act as 100 Handbook on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Armed Forces Personnel