[WA-News] n closing, NGO Forum proposes stronger, more specific references to

[Jennifer Radloff]

In closing, NGO Forum proposes stronger, more specific references to
discrimination

The final Declaration and Programme of Action from the NGO Forum at the
World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Discrimination is
still awaited three days after it closed. Much-debated drafts of the output
documents have been floated, with differences ultimately persisting over
positions on Palestine and Tibet.

Israeli non-government organizations (NGOs) inserted text stating that
anti-Zionism is equal to anti-Semitism. Put against the background of the
Holocaust, which the Israelis repeatedly highlighted, Palestine supporters
had a hard time of it to have the text changed even as they argued that the
two cannot be equated.

Almost every thematic and regional caucus at the gathering expressed
concern with the fact that the Palestine issue had overshadowed all other
issues. Even organisations of other displaced and violated peoples  most
fighting for the right to self-determination  had little space to air their
views. These included Tibetans, Kurds, Berbers and Hawaiians, among others.

While the Draft NGO Declaration highlighted the plight of the Kurds, the
Tibetans were horrified to find not a single mention of their problems.
Other smaller organisations, such as the Oromia Support Group, working to
bring to international attention, the violent repression of the Oromo
people in Ethiopia, have made independent "contributions" to the official
Working Group finalising the WCAR Declaration.

The indigenous people's caucus was one of the best organised and coherent
during the meetings. Led by the indigenous communities from North and Latin
America, they were able to make clear stances and to lobby in order to gain
the sympathy of NGOs around the world. The final recommendations emphasised
indigenous peoples' right to decision-making, self-determination and also
linked their problems to environmental racism.

Many indigenous peoples' NGO representatives, however, expressed the
opinion that there is insufficient mention of them in those sections of the
Draft Declaration not directly focused on indigenous peoples, in paragraphs
of issues such as reparations and migration.

One of the most positive outcomes of the conference was the establishment
of linkages between several groups working with migrant workers. Groups in
Asia, especially  Indonesian NGOs with Arab organisations, Bangladeshi
groups with Malaysian and Hong Kong-based NGOs with others from south and
southeast Asia  set out concrete plans of action to deal with problems of
migrant communities.

Another positive evidence of the conference was that the gender perspective
has become mainstreamed. 'Intersectionality' was a running theme through
every debate, the main focus of 'inter-sectional' discrimination being the
double discrimination faced by women  as women and as ... migrants,
refugees, black, dalits .... However, it was pointed out by the caucus on
media that the racial stereotyping of women in mass media continues.

The media caucus also higlighted the use of media and the new information
and communications technologies in the propagation of hate speech.
Participants in the caucus agreed that hate speech must be prohibited by
enforcing codes of conduct with strict anti-racism standards and other
self-regulatory mechanisms.

The caucus on caste, while it was unhappy about the lack of support from
the intergovernmental meeting, had the satisfaction of having the Draft NGO
Declaration clearly spell out that "caste-based" and "work and descent"
related discrimination are issues requiring UN intervention. Caste-based
discrimination has been squarely put before the international community for
the first time by activists. The movement initiated by Indian NGOs expanded
to a more universal reckoning with NGOs from Nepal, Bangladesh, Japan,
Nigeria and Senegal joining in with accounts of similar caste- or work- and
descent-based discrimination in their countries.

Among other groups whose voices were little heard during deliberations  not
all of who have their points of view expressed even in the NGO
Declaration  are the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual groups as well
as groups advocating spirituality. A number of these organizations have,
however, submitted independent contributions to the working group working
on finalising the WCAR Declaration.

Among others who have made independent contributions to the Working Group
are indigenous peoples' organizations from the Americas and Europe, the
European Women's Lobby group, and the international Human Rights Watch. The
Human Right Watch has laid particular emphasis on bringing caste-based
discrimination to the attention of the international community.

As South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, President of
the WCAR, still awaits the NGO recommendations, government deliberations
over the text of the official Declaration has got well underway. The delay
in the resolution of the NGO Declaration means that their recommendations
are less likely to influence the official Declaration.

At the opening of the WCAR, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
said that "every country has some form of discrimination" and that all
delegates to the conference must return to their homelands with concrete
plans.

All at the WCAR must assuredly agree, but sharp differences in the
interpretations of what are effective and concrete plans are inevitably
delaying decision-making.

 From the WCAR Media Team of ISIS International-Manila.