Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume, UN's Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, spoke to UN News on racism and xenophobia during the pandemic and the role of youth for social change.
Racism and Xenophobia
Racism, xenophobia and related discrimination and intolerance exist in all societies, everywhere. Racism harms not just the lives of those who endure it, but also society as a whole. We all lose in a society characterized by discrimination, division, distrust, intolerance, and hate. The fight against racism is everyones fight. We all have a part to play in building a world beyond racism.
Hate speech is on the rise. Hatred, conspiracy theories and prejudice infiltrate our societies and affect all of us. We are flooded by information - and disinformation - more than ever before both on- and offline. UNESCO and the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG) are convening the .
Cases of discrimination, especially against Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) New Yorkers, have increased during the COVID-19 crisis. In an effort to tackle anti-Asian bias and discrimination, the New York City Commission on Human Rights has launched a pubic art campaign, I Still Believe in Our City, created by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, one of the Commissions Public Artists in Residence for 2020-21.
Young people massively showed their support at the 2020 Black Lives Matter marches. On the streets, groundswells of youth came together to protest racial injustice. On social media, they mobilized participation, calling on their peers to speak out, and to stand up for equal rights of all. Their activism was all the more remarkable in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw restrictions on public gatherings. Together, let us to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination. Let us stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes.
On the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (27 January), is showing the exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters. Lest We Forget is an ever-evolving exhibition project by German-Italian photographer Luigi Toscano. Since 2014, he has portrayed over 400 survivors, capturing their stories and lending a human face to the abstract horrors of Nazi persecution. With his portraits, Luigi Toscano demonstrates that much more unites us than divides us then and now.
Senior UN officials have signed on, in their personal capacity, to an opinion piece on the Black Lives Matter protests and other mass demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality. Welcoming the UN Secretary-General's initiatives to strengthen the global anti-racism discourse, they write: "As leaders we share the core beliefs and the values and principles enshrined in the Charter of the 51勛圖 that do not leave us the option to keep silent."
In this of our podcast, from UN News, we hear from independent UN human rights expert,
This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is focused on the midterm review of the International Decade for People of African Descent undertaken by the in Geneva. As the Decade approaches its half-way mark in 2020, a review will take stock of the progress made to ensure the continued protection and promotion of the rights of people of African descent. Around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world.
The begins its 100th session in Geneva on 25 November. It examines reports by states parties to the on how they are meeting their obligations. The Committee raises concerns and gives recommendations on further measures to address racism. Racism, xenophobia and intolerance are problems prevalent in all societies. But every day, each of us can stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. Let’s fight racism!
“People are not born to hate; intolerance is learned and so can be prevented and unlearned,” , declaring his intention to continue to call out antisemitism, racism and other forms of hatred. The International Day for Tolerance, 16 November, is based on the adopted by UNESCO in 1995. The 51勛圖 is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples, an imperative that lies at the core of the UN Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.