(Danish: "The Home Rule Commission")
Danish-Greenlandic commission, appointed to debate home rule for Greenland. In session from 1975 to 1979.
The Home Rule Commission was appointed in October 1975, after a Greenlandic committee had presented a "wish list" for Greenlandic home rule. The commission consisted of 7 Greenlandic and 7 Danish politicians, and a government-appointed chairman.
The findings of the commission, delivered in April 1978, included a series of recommendations for a law providing home rule for Greenland.1 This led to the introduction of a law (Danish Folketing Act no. 56 of February 21, 1979) of almost exactly the same wording, which took effect from May 1, 1979, following approval by a referendum in Greenland.
Note(s):
1 The text of the law providing home rule for Greenland, as suggested by the commission, is remarkably similar to the 1948 law that provided home rule for the Faeroe Islands. Considering the commission had been debating for 4 years, and considering the fact that the shortcomings of the 1948 law had been extensively discussed, I find it rather weak that they were unable to come up with any significant innovations.
One very telling difference does exist, though: the preamble of the Faeroe legislation speaks of the unique history of the Faeroe Islands. The Greenland legislation's preamble speaks of the unique culture of Greenland. The difference, by implication, between white Faeroese and Inuit Greenlanders is that the former have history, while the latter have only culture. The linguistic difference is subtle in English, but far more openly discriminatory in Danish.
Thanks to Piter, who took the trouble to point out that the original WU left out a few details. Nice to know somebody actually reads this stuff.