autonomy
autonomy is a compound word of ancient Greek origin, the first part of which, “auto” (αὐτο) means “own”, “self” or “by oneself”. A subject endowed with such a capacity has either no need or a limited need of assistance of others in order to act in accordance with his or her interests or will. The second part of the word, “nomy” comes from the noun nómos (νόμος) which originally meant law, custom, tradition, practice and rule. Thus on an etymological basis autonomy can be defined as independence, self-authority and life according to one’s own rules. Most commonly it is about defining a room for manoeuvre in relation to the power of others. The terms “self-administration”, “self-regulation” or “self-management”, or even “self-determination” or “self-government” are sometimes used synonymously. In the case of minority autonomy two basic types can be distinguished. In the first case the special status granted to the beneficiary is adjusted to a well-defined group of persons, i.e. a specific minority community, and in the second case to a defined geographical area and the entire populace living in that area. In the former case we refer to personal autonomy and we refer to territorial autonomy in the latter case. Within each of these two basic categories there are further subtypes based on the relationship between the state and autonomous minorities and on the division of power and responsibilities between them. Minority autonomy is the concept by which these communities and groups decide autonomously on matters that are inextricably linked to their survival as a community. This includes the cultivation, promotion and transmission of national, ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural identities. International law does not explicitly include the right to a minority autonomy; it is at most ad hoc and appears in specific bilateral treaties. There are also minority autonomys created by internal legislation. In the literature the right to minority autonomy is considered to be indirectly derived from the right to effective participation in public life and decision-making, the right of peoples to self-determination, the principle of subsidiarity, or a combination of these. (See also: right to self-determination and protection of minorities.)