Background
Racism and racial discrimination take many forms and impact all aspects of life.
Impacts could include the ability to find a job, get an education, have equal access to healthcare housing, food, water or get fair treatment in a court of law.
Racism, xenophobia and related discrimination and intolerance exist in all societies, everywhere.
They affect us all – directly or indirectly. We all lose in a society characterized by discrimination, division, distrust, intolerance, and hate.
Racism harms not just the lives of those who endure it but also society as a whole. It deepens mistrust, casting suspicion on all sides and tearing apart the social fabric.
Like COVID-19, racism and xenophobia are contagious killers.
We need to come together and continue working for the common good with conviction and determination.
Equal protection of the law for all persons should be ensured to halt police brutality. Zero impunity for perpetrators is a must.
The road to
#FightRacism
In 2001, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) was adopted at the 2001 World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa (the Durban Conference). It is the UN’s blueprint to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance globally.
Looking to the future
Racism and racial discrimination take many forms and impact key aspects of life.
The 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – together with the International Decade for People of African Descent and 2030 Sustainable development Agenda – give us the opportunity to place racial equality and equity at the centre of the global and national agenda.
It is the time for all of us to set priorities and future actions, a chance to renew and strengthen commitments to implementing the DDPA.
Racism does not need to persist
There is another way, a way that moves us beyond the narratives of separatism, discrimination, division and fear and hatred of the other. We can all step forward and raise our voices - on the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media, at home and on the sports field.
The fight against racism is everyone’s fight and everyone wins when we eradicate racial discrimination from our societies. We all have a part to play in building a world beyond racism.