 |
 |
Youth Summit Hopes to End Racism
by Robert Nolan
Medill News Service
"As a young citizen of the world community, I stand with the United Nations against racism, discrimination and intolerance of any kind. Throughout my life I will try to promote equality, justice and dignity among the people of my home, my community and everywhere in the world."
-- (From the official pledge of the World Conference Against Racism)
Thousands of young people from around the world are expected to gather on Aug. 31 in Durban, South Africa, to talk about race, intolerance and discrimination at a Youth Summit preceding the United Nation's World Conference Against Racism.
The summit, coordinated by the International Youth Committee, the Youth Secretariat and the Task Team of South Africa, will host more than 500 delegates from non-governmental organizations divided into groups representing Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Monica Aleman of the International Youth Committee said the summit has three goals: "To renew and finalize the establishment of an international youth network against racism, to influence political decision-making and to submit our youth declaration on the first day of the World Conference Against Racism."
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, who also is secretary general of the U.N. conference, is expected to support members of the summit when they present their statement to the WCAR.
"Youths are often the victims of racism," said Jacqueline Nzoyihera of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York. "We wanted them to be involved because of their creative and original ideas on how to fight that."
Youth groups hope to convince government delegations to integrate elements from the Youth Summit into the Declaration and Program of Action that will be drafted by nations attending the anti-racism conference Aug. 31 to Sept. in Durban.
The World Conference Against Racism is the third of its kind since 1965 and is expected to draw delegates from every U. N. member state. Its mission is to put into effect action-oriented guidelines to fight "racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance."
The United States is expected to provide the largest number of participants to the preceding youth event, with an estimated 300 delegates slated to attend the summit.
The Declaration of the Americas Regional Youth Caucus, a collection of delegations from the Americas, has outlined eight major issues it hopes to address -- education, health, justice, globalization, environment, media, gender and the role of the United Nations -- that will be used as guidelines for discussion.
Bomani Johnson, a delegate from the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group dedicated to social justice, and a representative to the International Youth Committee, said that while attendees from the Americas have decided to focus on these topics, the definition of racism has a much broader context that runs deep into all issues.
"(Racism in) each one of these things manifest themselves everyday in the United States, but racism isn't defined by the United Nations, and many different things come to mind for people here and around the world," said Johnson. "The one thing that cuts through all this is that young people are always affected."
One of the primary goals of the summit is to allow young activists the opportunity to exchange ideas on issues related to human rights.
Delegations from each of the five major regions will host a night of activities intended to celebrate the diversity represented at the summit, and other social events involving sports and celebrities such as Muhammad Ali hope to highlight common youth interests.
John Mayer, a 20-year-old student at George Washington University, will serve as part of a delegation from the Robert. F. Kennedy Memorial in Washington, D.C., which is dedicated to preserving the social agenda of the former U.S. attorney general and senator of New York who was assassinated while running for president.
Mayer has done extensive research on the criminal justice system in the United States and hopes to meet others who can contribute to his fight against the death penalty, the juvenile justice system and the war on drugs, all of which he says are unfair to American minorities.
"I am really anticipating the opportunity to meet with people from around the world who share our work, whether it be for prisoners' rights or fighting the death penalty," said Mayer. "I hope that we are able to see the area surrounding the conference and witness part of the history of racism."
The American delegation has not backed down from its original agenda, which includes discussion of slavery reparations -- a topic that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has suggested should not be discussed at the World Conference Against Racism. "Many governments are afraid to address reparations because of the financial implications," said Aleman. "But slavery in the past, as well as the current slave trade in Africa, are crimes against humanity that must be discussed."
Mayer also noted the importance of American participation in such controversial subjects. "It would be tragic and ridiculous if the U.S. government does not participate if reparations are to be discussed," said Mayer. "If we keep running away from these issues then we are not going to get anywhere, and everything we are saying and working for becomes devalued."
|
|
|
|
