New York, Dec 10 2010 12:05PM
As the United Nations system gears up to celebrate 2011 as
the<I>International Year for People of African Descent</I>,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered an impassioned plea today to
the world community to eradicate racism once and for all.
"The international community cannot accept that whole communities are
marginalized because of the colour of their skin,"
he<"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=1032">told
an event at UN Headquarters in New York to launch the Year. "People
of African descent are among those most affected by racism. Too
often, they face denial of basic rights such as access to quality
health services and education. Such fundamental wrongs have a long
and terrible history.
"The international community has affirmed that the transatlantic
slave trade was an appalling tragedy not only because of its
barbarism but also because of its magnitude, organized nature and
negation of the essential humanity of the victims.
"Even today, Africans and people of African descent continue to
suffer the consequences of these acts," he added, calling for their
full integration into social, economic and political life and at all
levels of decision-making.
The General Assembly proclaimed the Year in December 2009 in a
resolution citing the need to strengthen national actions and
regional and international cooperation to ensure that people of
African descent fully enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil and
political rights, to advance their integration into all political,
economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and to promote a
greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and
culture.
"As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms, 'all human
beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,'" Mr. Ban said.
"If we are to make those words real, then we must eradicate racism
once and for all. The success of the International Year requires
concerted efforts across the United Nations system and at the
regional and national levels, with the widest possible engagement and
participation."
--
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
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