#international day for the elimination of racial discrimination

[racialdiscriminationday]

Everyone has a part to play in fighting racism.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – also known as End Racism Day – is an opportunity to “recognize the contribution of individuals and organizations that stand up against racial discrimination and the challenges they face”.

The UN says there are three key strands to the fight against racism:

Education: teaching the history of racism, slavery, and colonialism, and learning about human rights tools to fight against oppression, racism and discrimination.

Actions speak as loud as words: Speaking out against intolerance often leads to concrete actions to stop it.

We all are agents of change: We all have the power to tackle racism. What is needed is courage and the will to act.

[murderousink23]

03/21/2024 is International Day of Nowruz 🌎, Mother's Day in the Middle East 🌎, Harmony Day 🇦🇺, National Close the Gap Day 🇦🇺, World Down Syndrome Day 🌎, World Poetry Day 🌎, National California Strawberry Day 🍓 🇺🇸, National Common Courtesy Day 🇺🇸, National Fragnance Day 🇺🇸, National French Bread Day 🥖 🇺🇸, Rosie the Riveter Day 🇺🇸, National Single Parents Day 🇺🇸, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 🇺🇳, International Day of Forests 🌳🇺🇳

[humanrightsconnected]

Last Thursday marked two years since the Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. As we observe today the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, discover 5 ways to counter racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. 

[falling-down-the-scroll-hole]

New icon and splash screen, who dis?

"Fandom, Art, Chaos" huh?

Google at least tells you what their icon is all about.

I have this distant memory of orange having some symbolism around tolerance or something...

...does some more searches...

In 1998, Australian Prime Minister John Howard (Liberal-National Coalition) commissioned the Eureka Research to begin an anti-racism study to "explore and understand the subtleties and nature of racism in the Australia of the late 1990s, with a view to mounting an effective mass media and/or education anti-racism campaign". Therefore... 'Harmony Day'.

[punkrockhistory]

Nazi punks fuck off

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, 2024

Fight racism, fascism and anti-Semitism every day, always, without compromise

#fucknazis #fightracism #nazipunksfuckoff #deadkennedys #punkrockhistory

[warningsine]

In October 11 2021, the Supreme Court of Norway ruled that Norway violated the rights of the Sámi people by permitting the construction of wind farms in Fovsen Njaarke, the Storheia wind farm and the Roan wind farm.

At the time of the ruling, the wind turbines had already been put into operation. The Norwegian government had previously granted the licence and the operators had built the wind power plant, although the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination had urged them to stop construction in 2018 and the Saami council had warned that the of the power plant would have detrimental effects on the Sami reindeer herding communities. The reindeer herders argued the sight and sound of wind turbines frighten animals grazing nearby and thus jeopardise age-old traditions, and that land should not be expropriated for such projects.

In the unanimous decision, the court argued that making it impossible or extremely difficult for the Sámi to live their traditional life as reindeer herders is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 27 of which stipulates comprehensive protection of the culture of ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. The violation could also not be justified with reference to the green energy transition: Wind turbines should be built where they do not violate the rights of indigenous peoples. Thus, the license decisions were found to be invalid. The court did not say what should happen next to the farms and the owners are still operating them.

Sámi activists and climate activists continue to protest against the wind turbines. In February 2023, they blocked the entrances to Norway's energy ministry and in May 2023, 600 days after the courts decision, activists held protests in Oslo.

Roan Vind stated that they trusted that the ministry will find good solutions allowing them to continue the production of renewable energy while maintaining the rights of the reindeer owners. Fosen Vind stated that "the ministry is working on which precautionary measures are needed to sustain reindeer herding and its cultural practice."

We invited the owners of the wind farms to respond to an article reporting on the protests. Aneo, BKW, Energy Infrastructure Partners, Stadtwerke München and Statkraft responded.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil passes law requiring race and ethnicity data in employee records

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed into law an amendment to the Statute of Racial Equality, requiring the inclusion of race and ethnicity information in administrative employee records in the public and private sectors. The move is intended to “promote ethnic equality and combat social inequalities resulting from racism,” according to the federal government. Law 14.553/23 also mandates a survey conducted every five years by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics to measure the percentage of occupation of these segments in the public sector. The government aims to produce information that can help overcome racial stigmas and guide public policy implementation.

A minimum of 30% of commissioned and trust positions in the federal administration will be allocated to black people in accordance with the decision announced by the government during the celebrations of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Paulo Rená da Silva Santarém, co-director of Aqualtune Lab, a legal collective dedicated to the analysis of law, technology, and race, welcomes the government's move, calling it “absolutely necessary data that actually comes late.” According to him, producing reliable empirical data is essential to support policies aimed at overcoming structural racism in Brazil. While there may be discrepancies between declaration and registration, producing this data will help objectify the fight for racial equality.

Continue reading.

[thenuclearmallard]

21.03.2023

Racism in Russia: Report of ADC Memorial and International Committee of the Indigenous Peoples of Russia to the UN CERD

To the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

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Marking March 21 – the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ADC Memorial and the International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia have prepared an alternative report to the UN CERD, informing the Committee about the violation of the rights of ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and migrants by the Russian regime. The criminal war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine has spread discrimination and repression to the occupied territories, aggravated the situation of the Crimean Tatars in the annexed Crimea, and caused irreparable harm to indigenous communities and ethnic minorities. Conscription and the imposition of contract army service mostly affected the poorest regions of Russia – exactly those where ethnic minorities live, thus they disproportionately suffer from mobilization. For indigenous peoples, involvement into the war threatens their physical survival, while mining companies continue to destroy their traditional territories.

Over the past decade, state propaganda has been shaping a discourse about Russia’s exclusivity, its “unique historical path” and “traditional values”, superiority in the possession of natural resources. By 2022, civil society and opposition movements were practically suppressed, independent media were closed and/or expelled from the country, anti-war and in any other civil activity criticizing the actions of the authorities and expressing solidarity with Ukraine is being persecuted. The repressive legislation on “foreign agents” has affected the rights of dozens of individuals and organizations. Leading human rights organizations have been liquidated or restricted in their work, including leading experts in the field of combating racism and discrimination. Recently it became known that the Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit to liquidate the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, that has been analyzing the problems of racism, xenophobia, and human rights violations in Russia for many years.

The gradual degradation of Russian society under the influence of the state propaganda and the tightening regime took place in an atmosphere of escalating hatred and discrimination against various vulnerable groups.

Russia’s migration policy remains extremely harsh, and numerous migrant workers from Central Asian countries face racial profiling, police and judicial arbitrariness. Structural discrimination of Roma population has not been overcome; in recent years there have been massive interethnic conflicts that turned into violent pogroms; thousands of Roma were forced to flee from their places of residence. Russia’s repressive policy has spread to the newly occupied territories: Crimean Tatars are now being persecuted not only in Crimea, but also in the South of Ukraine.

The massive propaganda of national exclusivity and xenophobia inevitably legitimizes direct violence and permit aggressive nationalists to move from words to deeds. Hate-motivated conflicts, including among children and youth, often occur, and there is every reason to expect an increase in the number of ideologically motivated attacks against foreigners, migrants, and representatives of minorities.

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

MARCH Celebrity Birthdays & Events March Events

All Month Long: International Women’s History Month | March is for Minors (2021 | 2022 | 2023) | Reading Month

March Birthdays

Pisces Stars (Feb 19-Mar 20)

1: Alexis Fields, Lupita Nyong’o 2: T’Nia Miller, Danielle Moné Truitt, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Nathalie Emmanuel 3: Gloria Hendry 4: Angela V. Shelton, Vinette Robinson 6: Anna Maria Horsford, Birgundi Baker 7: Wanda Sykes, Kali Troy 9: Christiana Pitts, Rena Anakwe 10: Ego Nwodim, Harriet Tubman, Jasmine Guy

11: Ajani Russell 12: Tiffany Richardson 13: Adina Porter, Toccara Jones 14: Carol Speed, Elise Neal, Greta Onieogou, Jazzy Ellis, Tamara Tunie, Penny Johnson Jerald 15: Aaron Rose Philip 16: Cynthia Bond, Kimrie Lewis, Sierra McClain, Ajiona Alexus 18: Ayisha Issa, Amanda Foster, Bonnie Mbuli, Christina Elmore, Irene Cara, Queen Latifah, Vanessa L Williams 19: Alycia Pascual Pena 20: Bianca Lawson, Dominique Jackson, Erica Luttrell, Freema Agyeman, Vanessa Bell Calloway 

Aries Stars (Mar 21-Apr 19) 21: Sonequa Martin Green 22: Kandyse Mcclure, Kellie Shanygne Williams 23: Chaka Khan, Vanessa Morgan 24:Raven Bowens 25: Jeryl Prescott 26: Diana Ross 27: Mariah Carey, Halle Bailey 28: Celai West, Chrystale Wilson 30: Gabrielle Byndloss 31: Erica Tazel, Andrea Bordeaux, Zethu Dlomo, Judi Shekoni 31: Rebecca Naomi Jones

March Events:

10: Araminta Ross, Harriet Tubman Day | Spring Begins | 17: Noah’s Birthday Takeova, St. Patrick’s Day | 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | 31: National Smile Day, Trans Visibility Day/Trans Day of Visibility

[newsbites]

Given the history of March 21, some leaders are now calling for the day's name to be changed to better reflect its origins.

FECCA, the national peak body representing people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, is among them. They would like to see the name changed back to [the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day,] the one given by the United Nations in the years following the Sharpeville massacre.

[racialdiscriminationday]

PACE Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination on combating racism and intolerance made the following statement

“The International day for the elimination of racial discrimination is an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved in countering racism at global level, and on how to tackle the challenges that people of African descent still face. This year, as the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024, proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations, draws to a close, the picture is far from satisfying.

In 2020, the violent death of George Floyd at the hand of the police and the widespread protests that followed on both sides of the Atlantic sparked awareness of the extent of Afrophobia and the need to tackle it. A window of opportunity seemed to be open for legislators, policy makers and the society at large to seize. The developments since then are not always positive. Deeply entrenched racism endures. New forms of prejudice targeting people of African descent emerge. The current political landscape is a reason for concern, with racist and xenophobic populist movements resisting progress and undermining the struggle for inclusiveness and respect.

As members of the Committee on equality and non-discrimination, we reaffirm on this occasion our commitment to counter all forms of racism. Referring to Resolution 2389 (2021) on Combating Afrophobia, or anti-Black racism, in Europe, we reiterate our call on fellow politicians and public authorities to counter racism in all its forms, including at institutional level, and multiple and intersectional discrimination; recognise the contribution of people of African descent to Europe’s development and culture; and to recognise the negative impact of colonialism, enslavement and the transatlantic slave trade.

Finally, we reiterate our support to the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance. We believe in the Charter of European political parties for a non-racist and inclusive society, based on political parties self-regulation power, as an important tool to prevent and counter racial discrimination.”

[murderousink23]

3/21/2023 is International Day of Nowruz 🌏, Mother's Day in the Middle East 🌏, Harmony Day 🇦🇺, World Down Syndrome Day 🌏, World Poetry Day 🌏, World Social Work Day 🌏, National California Strawberry Day 🍓🇺🇲, National Common Courtesy Day 🇺🇲, National Fragnance Day 🇺🇲, National French Bread Day 🥖🇺🇲, National Rosie the Riveter Day 💪🇺🇲, National Single Parents Day 🤱🇺🇲, National Ag Day 🇺🇲, Train it Chooseday 🚉🇬🇧, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 🇺🇳, International Day of Forests 🌳🇺🇳

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 12.21 (after 1940)

1941 – World War II: A Thai-Japanese Pact of Alliance is signed. 1946 – An 8.1 Mw earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan, kills over 1,300 people and destroys over 38,000 homes. 1963 – "Bloody Christmas" begins in Cyprus, ultimately resulting in the displacement of 25,000–30,000 Turkish Cypriots and destruction of more than 100 villages. 1965 – International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is adopted. 1967 – Louis Washkansky, the first man to undergo a human-to-human heart transplant, dies in Cape Town, South Africa, having lived for 18 days after the transplant. 1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 is launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans. 1970 – First flight of F-14 multi-role combat aircraft. 1973 – The Geneva Conference on the Arab–Israeli conflict opens. 1979 – Lancaster House Agreement: An independence agreement for Rhodesia is signed in London by Lord Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Muzorewa and S.C. Mundawarara. 1988 – A bomb explodes on board Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 270. This is to date the deadliest air disaster to occur on British soil. 1988 – The first flight of Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in the world. 1991 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The leaders of 11 now effectively autonomous Soviet republics sign the Alma-Ata Protocol establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States in place of the collapsing Soviet Union. 1992 – A Dutch DC-10, flight Martinair MP 495, crashes at Faro Airport, killing 56. 1995 – The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control. 1999 – The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain. 1999 – Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216 overshoots the runway at La Aurora International Airport, killing 18. 2004 – Iraq War: A suicide bomber kills 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers. 2012 – 2012 phenomenon: Festivities are held in parts of Mesoamerica to commemorate the conclusion of b’ak’tun 13, a roughly 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar whose passing many New Age spiritualists had earlier held to portend a variety of cataclysmic or transformative events. 2020 – A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623. 2023 – 14 people are killed and 25 others injured during a mass shooting at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. The perpetrator, a student at the university, kills himself after police arrived; he also killed his father before the shooting.

[punkrockhistory]

Nazi punks fuck off

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, 2023

Fight racism, fascism and anti-Semitism every day, always, without compromise

#fucknazis #fightracism #nazipunksfuckoff #deadkennedys #punkrockhistory

[racialdiscriminationday]

Today we join our voices again to urge all States to push forward in the fight against racial discrimination.

“The commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a moment to take stock of the persistent gaps in the implementation of our shared commitment to protect hundreds of millions of people whose human rights continue to be violated due to racial discrimination. It is also an opportunity to recommit to our promise to fight all forms of racism everywhere.

Through our work, we see clearly that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance continue to be a cause of conflict around the world. We are witnessing a dangerous regression in the fight against racism and racial discrimination in many spaces. Minorities, people of African descent, people of Asian descent, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, are particularly vulnerable as they often face discrimination in all aspects of their lives based on their racial, ethnic or national origin, skin colour or descent. In this regard, it is crucial that States implement their international human rights obligations and commitments under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Initiatives aimed at revitalising multilateralism, including the Summit of the Future, provide an important opportunity to firmly establish the collective responsibility of States in ensuring concrete progress to address structural and systemic racial discrimination and its root causes.

The proclamation of an International Decade for people of African Descent in 2014 marked a significant milestone in the global effort to combating systemic racism and racial discrimination faced by people of African descent worldwide.

As the International Decade comes to an end, it is time to confront and rectify the pervasive obstacles and barriers hampering recognition, justice, and development for people of African descent. We call on States to respond to growing calls for reparatory justice and economic empowerment for people of African descent. We also call on States to leave no person of African descent behind in their efforts to realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

Today we join our voices again to urge all States to push forward in the fight against racial discrimination. We also call on States to proclaim a second International Decade for People of African Descent, to ensure greater recognition, justice, and development for people of African descent, including by engaging meaningfully in reparatory justice processes for past injustices.”

*The experts: Ms. Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Ms. Tracie L. Keesee and Mr. Juan E. Méndez, Experts of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement; Ms. Barbara Reynolds, Chairperson, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Ms. Verene Shepherd, Chairperson, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Ms. June Soomer, Chairperson-Designate, Permanent Forum on People of African Descent; and Ms. Hanna Suchocka, Chairperson, Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

For further information and media enquiries, please contact: Niraj Dawadi (niraj.dawadi@un.org)