March 21st: The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

March 21st: The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

March 21st is celebrated globally as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. On this day in 1960, police killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the inhuman apartheid laws in Sharpeville, South Africa. In 1966, the UN proclaimed this day for calling attention to the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination in all their forms.

The UN Human Rights Office also launched the #FightRacism campaign to take stance against xenophobia, racism, and intolerance, and to promote equality and anti-discrimination. The UN declares: “Racism harms not just the lives of those who endure it but also society as a whole. It deepens mistrust, casting suspicion on all sides and tearing apart the social fabric.”

The UN states that more than 75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, combatting racism and racial discrimination is still an urgent task. The United Nations General Assembly has reiterated that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and emphasized, that any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous, and must be rejected.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called attention to the alarming rise in hate speech on a global scale. Social media platforms and other forms of communication are exploited for promoting bigotry, and dehumanizing and stigmatizing rhetoric spreads through public discourse. The UN notes: “Hate is moving into the mainstream in liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes alike – and casting a shadow over our common humanity”.

António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, has stated: “Hatred is danger to everyone – and so fighting it must be a job for everyone”.

Also in Finland, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech are an urgent problem. A recent publication by The Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) shows that racism has become a part of young people’s everyday life in Finland and that they have utterly serious experiences of racism.

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, an autonomous and independent authority to promote equality and prevent discrimination in Finland, has recently pointed out on their webpage that the latest national and international research shows that racism is a grave problem in the Finnish society. The article states that there is a need to reinforce anti-discrimination and antiracist activism systematically and on a long-term basis.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been internationally endorsed and supported by many celebrities and organizations such as the Euroleague Basketball and singer Lenny Kravitz, among others.

Photo: Houman Auriell