OHCHR UNESCO Dimensions of Racism Proceedings of a Workshop to commemorate the end of the United Nations Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination Paris, 19-20 February 2003 Organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 2005 NOTE The papers published in this volume were presented at a workshop entitled “Dimensions of racism”, organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on 19-20 February 2003. The choice of the material contained in this book and the opinions expressed therein do not necessarily represent the views of UNESCO or of OHCHR and do not commit them. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO or OHCHR concern- ing the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concern- ing the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Material contained in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, provided credit is given and a copy of the publication containing the reprinted material is sent to OHCHR. Correspondence regarding this publication should be addressed to: Research and Right to Development Branch, Anti-Discrimination Unit Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations Avenue de la Paix 8-14 1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland CREDIT The drawing on the cover page was prepared by Yeison Caceres from Colombia in the context of the Young People Drawing for Human Rights competition organized by OHCHR Field Presences in 2003/2004. HR/PUB/05/4 II Editorial Note The United Nations Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination ended in 2003. One of the Decade’s educational activities was a workshop that brought to- gether education and training experts, academics, United Nations human rights experts and individuals from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on racism and related issues. The purpose of the workshop was to develop educational materials for use by teachers and students on eliminating racial prejudice and fostering tolerance. The workshop, organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), took place in Paris on 19-20 February 2003. The background papers presented at the workshop analysed racism and racial discrimination in specific contexts, including in education, the workplace, health, migration, contemporary forms of slavery, the media, the criminal justice system, and the experience of double discrimination based on gender and race. Those papers form the basis of the chapters in this book. The aim of the publication is to provide a better understanding, on a cross-cultural basis, of racism, racial discrimina- tion and xenophobia. It examines how these phenomena manifest themselves and are experienced by victims. It explains how racism is currently combated and how it can be prevented. The intention is to generate interest and encourage students in particular to develop ideas on how to fight racism, and to become involved in that fight. Special acknowledgement is due to Mr. Kevin Boyle of the Human Rights Centre of the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, who had the task of editing this manual. Finally, thanks are due to the staff of the UNESCO Struggle against Discrimination and Racism Section and the staff of the OHCHR Anti-Discrimination Unit who were closely involved in the early stages of the project. III CONTENTS Editorial Note ................................................................................................. III Introduction Kevin Boyle ..................................................................................................... 1 Eliminating racism in a changing world: 1 arguments for a new strategy Doudou Diène ................................................................................................. 13 The international legal response to racism 2 Nozipho January-Bardill .................................................................................. 21 Racism and education 3 Katarina Tomasˇevski ...................................................................................... 39 Racism and employment 4 Julio Faundez .................................................................................................. 53 Racism and health 5 Cristina Torres Parodi ..................................................................................... 67 Racism and HIV/AIDS 6 Shalini Bharat .................................................................................................. 83 Racism and contemporary slavery 7 Kevin Bales and Jessica Reitz ........................................................................ 99 Racism and migration 8 ILO et al. ......................................................................................................... 111 Researching discrimination against immigrants 9 August Gächter ............................................................................................... 135 Racism and the administration of justice 10 Leila Zerrougui ................................................................................................ 153 Racism, the media and the Internet 11 Bent Sørensen ................................................................................................ 165 Racism and gender 12 Sapana Pradhan-Malla ................................................................................... 179 About the authors ......................................................................................... 193 Websites ........................................................................................................ 197 V Introduction Introduction Kevin Boyle “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948) All of us have difficulty with the idea that although we are all different we all should be treated the same. It seems ‘natural’ to ascribe negative meanings to differences, to associate difference with the supposedly inferior or superior or the dangerous. It is not, however, natural. It is something we learn and is therefore something we can unlearn. This book is about the meanings that we give to differences between us, on account of race or ethnicity or nationality, and the negative effects those meanings have on the quality of life of millions of people in the world. It is also about the continuing struggle, of which we as moral beings should all be a part, to understand, and ultimately eliminate from our world, racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.1 This book is intended as a resource in that struggle. It is aimed at college and university-level students and their teachers. The fight against racism begins with being informed. In the different chapters of the book experts explain how racism manifests itself, what its effects are and how it can be countered. The authors bring out how racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia have impacted on all our lives, but especially on those who are its victims. Racism is to be found in all parts of the world. It is present in the workplace, in education, in health care and in the courts. It is to be found in the media and the Internet. It is imbued in how majorities see and treat ethnic minorities, immigrants and asylum-seekers. It is often present in the stereotypes minority groups hold of majorities as well. It can represent additional discrimination and suffering for women or those living with HIV/AIDS. These are among the dimensions of racism examined in this book. This introduction will provide some flavour of the analyses and ideas presented in the chapters that follow. It will also highlight what the authors believe needs to be done if we are to defeat discrimination and intolerance. The Durban World Conference The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance was an important event in the history of international efforts to address racism. It was convened in 2001 in Durban, South Africa, by the United Nations and is, therefore, known as the Durban Conference. South Africa was an appropriate setting for the Conference since a new non-racial democracy had replaced decades of institu- tionalized racism under apartheid. A world conference, as the name implies, is a gathering that can claim to reflect world opinion and bring together Governments, inter- 1 Dimensions of Racism governmental and non-governmental organizations or civil society groups from every region. The goals of the Conference were to agree upon a global repudiation of the evils of contemporary forms of racism and also to define a comprehensive programme of action to eradicate it. The Durban Conference achieved these difficult goals over nine days of intense nego- tiation. The Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the Conference by con- sensus provides the basis for future international cooperation against all forms of racism and racial discrimination. These documents call for continued dialogue and research, as well as offering detailed proposals for national-level policy and action. The Declaration and Programme