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Racism is Alive, and Thriving
Often, people do not want to talk about race or racism. Very few are brave enough to openly say that in the 21st Century, they believe in the superiority of one race not only because it is considered politically incorrect, but also, because humanity would like to think that it is far beyond this type of thinking and belief systems which bred the evils of slavery and Nazism. This is just one 'spade' that people don't want to name at all .
The scriptures tell us that, "knowledge is a sword and wisdom is a shield", but despite all the knowledge we have from the experiences of history about the consequences of racism and racial discrimination, we have moved no closer to gaining the wisdom we need to grant equal opportunities to all regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity or religion .
Poverty and human rights have been at the centre of the discussions, debates, disagreements and negotiations to produce a document during the Copenhagen +5 Special Session that will take us forward in terms of action. In the context of rights, the discussions have centred on the importance of not just focusing on political and civil rights, but also on economic, cultural and social rights, if dents are to be made in the rising numbers of those who are socially excluded from societies. One reason why many more women, men, boys and girls are joining the ranks of the poor, is because of the impact of racism and racial discrimination on peoples' ability to exercise their cultural, social and economic rights .
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2000 Human Development report reminds us that the "principle of equality has been the driving force for human rights", and the basis for many of the most significant social movements and liberation struggles, both global and national, in the 20th Century. According to the report, 165 countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and 155 have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination .
If a roll call was taken in every single country in the world today, every country would have to stand up and plead guilty to the charge of racism and racial discrimination as a rights violation within its borders. Not one country in good conscience, could point its finger at another .
South Africa, for example, is hailed for its democratic Constitution which guarantees a wide-spectrum of rights, including the right to exercise one's sexual identity. Yet, 98 percent of the country's Whites live in formal houses, while more than 50 percent of the Blacks live in traditional dwellings and backyard shacks, the 2000 UNDP Human Development Report says. It also notes that in Australia, Canada and the United States, indigenous peoples are still the most deprived in economic, social and cultural rights .
Racism and racial discrimination also affect a nation’s access to health, education and other services, plunging them into a vicious cycle of poverty and social exclusion only because they are perceived as 'different' and even worse 'inferior' .
The debates and discussions here in Geneva tended to shy away from this issue, which many people see as emotive. But the space for this significant discussion at this juncture in human history will be created within the regional preparatory meetings in 2000 and 2001 leading up to the World Conference Against Racism to be held in South Africa (August 31-September 7, 2001) .
Shamefully, we are in the Third Decade (ending in 2003) designated by the General Assembly for action to combat racism and racial discrimination, and to ensure support for people struggling for racial equality, and the leopard is changing its spots.
Racism and intolerance is taking on new forms and xenophobia is on the rise as people migrate across borders in search of ways out of poverty. Even more alarming is that we are seeing in this globalised world a strong resurgence of intolerance and hate crimes perpetrated by the youth. The new information and communications technology is being used to spread the messages of intolerance and racism in an uncontrollable way , because talk of control begins to impinge on freedom of speech .
If anything strips a people of their dignity, it is racism and racial discrimination, and we cannot keep talking about restoring a sense of dignity in people's lives, if we don't begin to tackle the issue head on. It may cause sparks to fly, people may realise they haven't become more tolerant or more humane. But we can also forget about all the declarations, actions and strategies which may emanate from all of the Special Sessions to review the major commitments made by the international community during the last decade, if we do not start now to 'Name and Shame' all forms of racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance of human rights.
Read TerraViva
The IPS renowned international newspaper will publish a special edition in Geneva, at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (Copenhagen+5). Follow the conference on line day by day from June 26 through July 1, with exclusive reports by a team of 13 IPS journalists from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America and Latin America.
A selection of the IPS Coverage from Geneva will also be carried by TerraViva Daily Journal (New York) and TerraViva Europe (Brussels),.
Has the world lived up to its 1996 commitments..?
Solidarity 2000 starting 17th of June!
MS's big summer event Solidarity 2000 will start very soon now, with a week-long variety of debates and arrangements. The activities range from encounters between young people from Balkan, Africa and Central America to big conferences on the planet's social development and environment.
Judge by yourself:
The 1996 Copenhagen Social Summit final report in English, French and Spanish.