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During the past 500-1000 years, racism on the part of Western powers toward non-Westerners has had a far more significant impact on history than any other form of racism (such as racism among Western groups or among Easterners, such as Asians, Africans, and others). The most notorious example of racism by the West has been slavery, particularly the enslavement of Africans in the New World (slavery itself dates back thousands of years). This enslavement was accomplished because of the racist belief that Black Africans were less fully human than white Europeans and their descendants.
Racism as a result, has the reduction or cancellation of the human rights of those discriminated people. Racism is often closely related and can be confused with xenophobia. Xenophobia is one of the prejudices with more suspicion and rejection towards foreigners, or generally, against different ethnic groups, or persons whose physiognomy social, political and cultural is different.
It is based on historical linguistic, religious, and cultural arguments to justify the total and mandatory separation between different ethnic groups, in order not to lose the "identity". In the last decade of the twentieth century this very aggressive rejection was expressed in all societies and in places where different ethnic groups live together are not mixed or integrated into indigenous communities.
Countries involved with this problem:
U.S., Spain, Argentina, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba, Brazil, Swiss, Colombia, Iran, Iraq, France, China, Korea, Japan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Bosnia Herzegovina.
It continues to be a problem because there are economical, social, cultural and political problems in the world. Nowadays people do not respect others opinions or ideas, religion or economical position.
In 1997, the General Assembly decided, in resolution 52/111, to hold the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The World Conference which will be held in Durban, South Africa from 31 August to 7 September 2001, will be a landmark in the struggle to eradicate all forms of racism "requiring a strong follow-up mechanism to examine whether Governments have delivered on their promises made," according to the High Commissioner. She promised "to make it a conference of actions not just words." The World Conference is a unique opportunity to create a new world vision for the fight against racism in the twenty-first century.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights is acting as the preparatory committee for the World Conference. Prior to the Conference, two preparatory intergovernmental meetings are planned. The first was held in Geneva from 1 to 5 May 2000, and the second will be held from 21 May to 1 June 2001, also in Geneva. At the first meeting, governments took a number of organizational decisions, including the adoption of the provisional agenda for the Conference and its draft rules of procedure. Member States also held informal consultations in January where they took stock of the recommendations of six experts seminars that took place in the last two years. They also discussed the draft declaration and programme of action, to be adopted by the Conference.
During 1999 and 2000 six regional experts seminars were held in: Geneva, Warsaw, Bangkok, Addis Ababa and Santiago de Chile. The objectives of each seminar was to discuss the issues of priority concern for that region, to advance the regional dialogue on racism, raise awareness, share information on the issues of racism and intolerance and to share "best practices".
MISSION: Delegates it is time for each representative to find ways that all countries can come to terms with these problems. How can it be controlled without interfering in the sovereignty of a country? Respect is a important value in our lives. If you have any doubt let it know to
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