Nation-Building Through Constitutionalism

Abstract

States face the challenge of balancing their roles as both strong and limited - i.e. strong because the people depend on them for their shared identity, purpose and direction, yet limited in order to ensure the rights and liberties of those people are safeguarded. Nation-building projects have the tendency to compromise on human rights and fundamental liberties, not least because the very idea of a “shared identity” often involves the marginalisation of other histories -  or “historical amnesia” as it has been called - as the emphasis is placed on shared history.