Day 90: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

 "Overcoming racism compels us to address public policies and private attitudes that perpetuate it. On this International Day, I call on Member States, international and non-governmental organizations, the media, civil society and all individuals to engage meaningfully in the promotion of the International Year for People of African descent – and to work together against racism whenever and wherever it occurs."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2011

 The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On this day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination (resolution 2142 (XXI)).

Since then, the apartheid system in South Africa has been dismantled. Racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries, and an international framework for fighting racism has been built, guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Convention is now nearing universal ratification, yet still, in all regions, too many individuals, communities and societies suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings.

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting this ideal.

Over the past 37 years, Cultural Survival has worked in dozens of countries around the world, both in on-the-ground projects and the advocacy campaigns of our Global Response program.

One of the unfortunate things common to almost all Indigenous Peoples is being under assault—culturally, economically, or physically.  In almost every case they suffer all the consequences of extreme marginalization: poverty, lack of government services, shorter life spans, poorer health, and substandard.

Because they look, act, and dress differently from the dominant society, Indigenous Peoples are often discriminated against or seen as less than human. There are enormous pressures on them to give up their unique cultural traditions and be assimilated into the general population. Those pressures may be circumstantial or the result of deliberate government programs. In Australia, Canada, and the United States, for example, hundreds of thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed into government- and church-run boarding schools and other institutions so they could be culturally reprogrammed. The damage from those government programs cannot be calculated.

Under the guidance of our Indigenous-led Program Council, Cultural Survival partners with Indigenous communities to defend their rights and sustain their cultures. They help develop the knowledge, advocacy tools, and strategic partnerships they need to protect their rights. Every Cultural Survival program is designed to become self-sustaining and run entirely by the Indigenous community.

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