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Korean protesters
express their dismay about the history of racial discrimination
in Asia (9/3/01)
World Council
of Churches candlelight vigil march (8/31/01)
Palestinian supporters and Zionist supporters face off within the
NGO Forum grounds, and are separated by South African police (8/30/01)
An empty chair
behind the United States placard, in one of the meeting rooms. (9/5/01)
Fidel Castro
standing in front of the logo for the World Conference Against Racism,
at the closing ceremony of the NGO Forum (9/1/01)
Dalit activists
from South Asia go on a hunger strike to protest their exclusion
from U.N. documents (9/6/01)
All photos
by Ethan Flad/ The Witness
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The
United Nations World Conference Against Racism
From August 26 to September
8, 2001, thousands of governmental officials, non-governmental organizational
representatives, and international lobbyists of from around the world
gathered in Durban, South Africa for the United Nations World Conference
Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances.
Informally known as the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), the culmination
of this two-week series of events was the release of two official U.N.
documents - a Declaration and a Program of Action - which are available
on a special UN
WCAR web site. These two documents will be sent to all national governments
for ratification, and will form the groundwork for international standards
on racial/ethnic human rights concerns over the coming years. The non-governmental
community also published a corresponding Declaration and Program of Action,
which are available on an NGO
web site.
Religious activists were prominent
at the WCAR. An Ecumenical Caucus, spearheaded by a delegation from the
World Council of Churches, organized public witnessing events -- like
a march and candlelight vigil in downtown Durban on August 31st -- as
well as behind-the-scenes advocacy work. A Religious & Spiritual Caucus
worked to ensure the discussions about racism were not only held at a
political level, but also affected people in a personal, spiritual context.
Essays and articles on the
WCAR from people of faith will appear in this section over the coming
several weeks. Most of these pieces will be from those who attended the
WCAR, but some will be from people who followed its proceedings from afar.
We welcome unsolicited submissions for consideration toward this collection:
send to editor@thewitness.org.
Essays
A
View from the Edge
There was a fleeting sense of hope following the World
Conference Against Racism, reports Laura Mariko Cheifetz. Hosted by a
post-apartheid South Africa that is struggling to recreate itself, the
conference symbolized how far we have come in overcoming racism, yet how
much work must still be done. [posted 01/09/02]
The
Hope of History's Exploited Peoples
The agenda
of the World Conference Against Racism emerged from a staggering wealth
gap in the world. With the US avoiding the conference, Isaac Miller looks
for an opportunity to mend the gap and build community among us all. [posted
12/14/01]
A
Story of Dust: Christian Faith and the Paradox of Power
The signs of abusive power are readily witnessed in
South Africa, yet the nation’s suffering people also represent the
Rainbow People of God. After four months of living in this enthralling
country, Jonathan Reiber reflects on the role of faith in the liberation
of the oppressed. [posted 11/25/01]
Repenting
of Our Racist Past
In the midst of the world racism conference, two words
central to the faith community emerged: repentence and forgiveness. Although
they failed to show up in the conference documents, Bishop Roger Sainsbury
hopes that the worldwide Church will take the lead by highlighting them
as a follow-up to Durban. [posted 11/19/01]
An
Indigenous Youth in Durban
Prior to the start of the World Conference Against
Racism, an International Youth Summit was held in Durban, South Africa.
Tansey Smith, a Native American member of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe,
was enlightened by the experience of meeting other young people from around
the world. [posted 11/14/01]
Disappointed
in Durban
There was a sense of betrayal in Durban, according to Ethan
Flad. Many people went to the WCAR expecting landmark decisions on a wide
range of justice issues, and felt that little was ultimately accomplished.
South
Africa Revisited — Grassroots Nation-Building in the Works
Although
South Africa’s racist apartheid regime has been replaced by a democratic
government, the country’s old economic structure remains virtually
intact. Tim Smith, who played a key role in the anti-apartheid solidarity
movement, analyzes the economic and social challenges facing the post-apartheid
nation. [posted 11/13/01]
Developing
Grassroots AIDS Education
A trip to rural South Africa was a stark reminder of
how quickly the AIDS pandemic is spreading without local outreach. Ann
Smith finds hope in the response of a group of young students who took
it upon themselves to address HIV/AIDS in the absence of adult leadership.
[posted 11/13/01]
The
Human Need for Order
Some people dismissed the UN racism conference
as "messy." Racism IS messy, writes Jen Deaderick — and
is, in part, a result of the need of humans to impose order. [posted 11/13/01]
A
Rare Area of Agreement: The Evil of Slave Trade
An Ecumenical Caucus at the World Conference Against
Racism played a key role in advocating for disenfranchised and oppressed
peoples. Sonia Omulepu from the World Council of Churches reported on
the small but significant successes of the ecumenical community in Durban.
[posted 11/08/01]
Ruminations
on Being Oneself
How we look often says a lot about who we are. Jayne
Oasin noticed hundreds of different hairstyles at the UN racism conference
in South Africa, which recalled a hair-raising history of racial &
social consciousness in the U.S. [posted 11/08/01]
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