Say No to Racism

‘Promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating racial discrimination’  is the theme for this year’s International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination on 21 March.

We only have to watch the local and world news to realise that racism, xenophobia and intolerance are problems prevalent in all societies.  Discriminatory practices are widespread, particularly targeting migrants and refugees, as well as people of African descent.

Every person is entitled to human rights without discrimination. The rights to equality and non-discrimination are cornerstones of Human Rights law.  (See  Articles 1 & 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .

“It is no longer appropriate to think only in terms of even my nation or my country, let alone my village.
If we are to overcome the problems we face, we need what I have called a sense of universal responsibility, rooted in love and kindness for our human brothers and sisters.

In our present state of affairs, the very survival of humankind depends on people developing concern for the whole of humanity, not just their own community or nation.
The reality of our situation impels us to act and think more clearly.
Narrow-mindedness and self-centered thinking may have served us well in the past, but today will only lead to disaster.
We can overcome such attitudes through the combination of education and training.”                   ~ Joanna Macy

A recent Irish report

‘In Irish Society ‘travellers’ are 10 times more likely to deal with instances of discrimination, than white Irish members of the general population’.

This was one finding in a major new study (November 2017) of discrimination carried out by the ESRI on behalf of the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission (IHREC).  It looked at relative discrimination faced by a different sub-groups within Irish society, including women and different religious and ethnic groups. See full report here:  Who-experiences-discrimination-in-Ireland-Report

Every day, each and every one of us can stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. In the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2018,  we can individually and together make a meaningful contribution to  in fighting racism and supporting human rights for all, rooted in love and kindness for our brothers and sisters everywhere.

See also link to: Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World – Gaudem et Spes

#StandUp4HumanRights  #FightRacism  #JoinTogether  #AfricanDescent  #SayNoToRacism

(The quotation used above is an extract from ‘Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work that Reconnects’, Joanna Macy).