The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has said, “The Government of Canada strongly condemns any form of discrimination at home and in our global community. We will continue to promote inclusiveness, acceptance, and equality in Canada and around the globe, and will never stop working for a safer, more equal, and more respectful world. On this important day, we reaffirm our ongoing responsibility to speak out against racism, hate, xenophobia, and bigotry in all its forms. Silence is not an option because progress is never permanent.”
The International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was established six years after an incident, known as the Sharpeville tragedy, which got worldwide attention. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. The General Assembly called on the international community to increase its efforts to erase all forms of racial discrimination and in 1979, the General Assembly adopted a number of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the decade for action to combat racism and racial discrimination. On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on March 21, would be organized annually in multiple countries.
Every step we take towards eliminating racism and discrimination is a move in the right direction. Actions that we can all take are: to listen to, validate, and ally with people who report personal and systemic racism; have hard conversations with ourselves about the racism that lives within us; be mindful of the commonalities that humans share, and practice empathy; if you see something, say something; cross the racial divide by offering friendly greetings to all people, regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, ability, class, or housing status; learn about the racism that occurs where you live, and do something about it by participating in and supporting anti-racist community events, advocate for affirmative action practices in education and employment.
Please contact the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council at 306-693-4677 for more information or to learn about how you can get involved.
