The Right to Self-Determination

Generally speaking, the right to self determination means the right of a group of people to freely determine and control their political, economic or social-cultural destinies. The development of the right to self-determination is Intadem with the development of government. This right or concept traces its origins as a political and constitutional principle to the democratic principles proclaimed by the American and French revolutions of 1776 and 1789 respectively. However, its development as a legal principal of international law can be traced down to the works of Joseph Stalin and Woodrow Wilson in 1913 and 1916 respectively
TYPES OF SELF DETERMINATION
There are two types of self determination;
1. Internal self-determination
2. External self –determination
• Internal self determination means participatory democracy in that it is viewed as the right to decide on the form of and identity of rulers by the citizens of a state and the right of a particular group of people in the state to participate in decision making of the state and at as a state level as the leaders. Internal self determination can also be taken to mean the people’s right to exercise their cultural, linguistic, religious or political practices within their state.
• External self determination means the right to decide on the political status of a people and its place on the international arena in relation to other states including the right to separate from existing states of which the person or group of persons is concerned and to set up a new independent state. External self determination is also described as full self determination.

CRITISIM TO THE RIGHT
Financial cost of self-determination-
It is argued that the economic or financial cost of acquiring ...

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... peoples, and minority communities. In this respect it is important to understand self-determination as an ongoing process of choice for the achievement of human security and fulfillment of human needs with a broad scope of possible outcomes and expressions suited to different specific situations. These can include guarantees of cultural security, forms of self-governance and autonomy, economic self-reliance, effective participation at the international level, land rights and the ability to care for the natural environment, spiritual freedom and the various forms that ensure the free expression and protection of collective identity in dignity.
Self-determination is important as it helps in achieving fully participatory democratic processes among the people who are seeking the realisation of self-determination, this may include referendum where appropriate.