Today is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
"Racism has been a banner to justify the enterprises of expansion, conquest, colonization and domination and has walked hand in hand with intolerance, injustice and violence." -- Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Guatemalan Indigenous Leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Since 1966, the United Nations has recognized March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year's theme is Racial Profiling and Incitement to Hatred, including in the Context of Migration.
Today, too many Indigenous Peoples face constant human rights violations. They are marginalized, denied control over their own development that is based on their own values, disregarded when it comes to the exploitation of their natural resources, and often lack equal access to basic social services. And Indigenous women are marginalized even further for being Indigenous and for their gender.
The world's Indigenous population is estimated at 370 million people living in more than 70 countries and made up of more than 5,000 distinct peoples, representing 5% of the world's population. Indigenous people face huge disparities in terms of access to quality education and health care.
In Guatemala 53 percent of Indigenous youth aged 15-19 have not completed primary education, as compared to 32 percent of non-Indigenous youth. Indigenous people
also suffer from discrimination in terms of employment and income. According to the ILO, Indigenous workers in Latin America make on average about half of what non-Indigenous workers earn.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Australia made up 54 percent of young people in youth justice detention, despite comprising about five percent of the population. In the United States, Native people experience violent crimes at rates far greater than the general population. They are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans.
Everyday we hear the unfortunate news that an Indigenous leader is killed for claiming and fighting for their rights.
7 Things You Can Do Today:
1. Listen to radio interviews with Indigenous leaders on issues of discrimination.
Maylei Blackwell (Cherokee/ Thai) works with Indigenous migrants from Mexico who live in the Los Angeles area. Blackwell discusses the issues of racism and discrimination in the context of migration and immigration.
Antonio Gonzales explains why the use of Indigenous people as mascots is culturally offensive and can no longer be tolerated in the 21st century.
2. Listen, read, honor, and cite the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article 2 that states:
"Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their Indigenous origin or identity."
"Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their Indigenous origin or identity."
3. Learn how to maximize the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Generic and specific Native American names such as the "Braves", "Indians", "Seminoles", and "Chiefs" are given by the dominant culture to many high school, college and professional sports teams in the United States. Its time to put an end to racist sport mascots. Start with your town or school.
6. Be Social! Please share this message by forwarding and posting on Facebook and Twitter.
Share what you have learned with your networks and sensitize them to racial discrimination happening against Indigenous Peoples. Forward this message, tweet it, post it on facebook. #RacialDiscrimination
