International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa, killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. After many years of struggle, the apartheid system in South Africa was dismantled and racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries. An international framework for fighting racism is guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is near universal ratification. However, individuals, communities and societies continue to suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies. Any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous and must be rejected, together with theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races. The United Nations has enshrined the prohibition of racial discrimination in all core international human rights instruments, and places obligations and tasks on States to eradicate discrimination in public and private spheres, and to eliminate conditions that cause or help to perpetuate racial discrimination.

https://teentalk.ca/2018/03/13/international-day-for-the-elimination-of-racial-discrimination-2/