IN a great effort to remind the peoples of the world that individuals and groups have the right to live as they see fit, an International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is celebrated March 21 of each year. It has become not only a day to celebrate the achievements that have been reached in creating what is a relatively harmonious and culturally diverse world, but also to recognize that racism is still a serious problem and a constant threat to the harmony of the peoples of the world and much work remains to be done to eliminate and prevent racial discrimination.
Much of the racial discrimination that afflicts mankind today is a direct result of the systems of oppression and exploitation that were put in place in the 16th century when the slave trade began. In the 20th century, repressive actions were taken against the Jews in World War II, against the natives of South Africans with apartheid, and against the Bosnians in the mid-1990s. The international community has singled out this form of human oppression as a burden on the conscience of mankind which can never be justified.
Much has been done in the last half century, to transform the attitudes and values that lie at the heart of racial discrimination. Laws have been changed in many countries to make discrimination illegal. And even if racism persists in some areas, the world community continues to reaffirm the importance of tolerance and respect for other people, beliefs, races, and cultures.
The world’s diversity is its strength and not a weakness, and it is necessary to nurture programs that increase opportunities for those who have been historically left behind, and to pursue remedies to make sure that all peoples of the world are treated equally.
