Combating Discrimination

To end racism and all types of racial discrimination, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21st March each year as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The day aims to remind people of the terrible outcomes of racial intolerance and encourages them to recall their enormous responsibility and sheer determination to combat the ill.
The theme of this year is: “Youth Standing Up Against Racism”. It engages the public critically through #FightRacism, which aims to foster a worldwide tradition of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination and calls on each one to stand against racial prejudice and illiberal attitudes. Nations should, therefore, join UNESCO to reject racism and investigate its root cause.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was established six years after an occasion known as the Sharpeville tragedy or bloodbath in South Africa which caught considerable international attention. This event concerned police opening fire and killing 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid ‘pass laws’ on March 21, 1960.
Since then, many people are still racially abused daily. In 2020 alone, there were several racist attacks on ethnic minority groups, from the horrible murder of George Floyd by white police officers to the consistent unwarranted criticism and abuse of Chinese people over the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why days like International Day against Racism are necessary as fight against racial discrimination goes on.
The UN General Assembly reiterates that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and feature the capability to contribute constructively to the improvement and wellness of their societies. In its most latest resolution, the General Assembly emphasised that any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and hazardous and ought to be renounced.
The world body has remained concerned with this issue since its foundation. The prohibition of racial discrimination is enshrined in all core international human rights instruments. The principle of equality also requires States to adopt special measures to eliminate conditions that cause or help to perpetuate racial discrimination.
One of the robust bastions against racism is education, recognition of the inanity of racial pseudo-theories, and know-how of crimes committed in the name of such prejudices throughout history. UNESCO must work with teachers, museums and publishers to resist stereotypes that stigmatise individuals and peoples because of the colour of their skin, their origin or affiliation. The world strongly needs the tools and instincts to fight racism and condemn it anywhere it occurs, from humiliation to aggravated violence. Racism is a critical problem, but it is not sufficient to acknowledge its destructive effects only.
Discrimination is a risky temptation that inventors of hatred recognise all too well how to exploit. The “next person” is always a handy scapegoat, and racial discrimination a dangerous temptation to use. UNESCO has to compel citizens to react and pass on the values of solidarity, empathy and altruism. Despite the boom in acts and the growing reputation of statements that encourage racism and hatred of others, we must be prepared to respond well.
Though discrimination in Nigeria is not racial-based, other forms of it exists. States and local governments unlawfully segregate against non-indigenes in ways that contravene the Constitution and global human rights law. Sadly, the Federal Government has done nothing to cut down these practices or reform federal policies that are themselves discriminatory.
Article 42 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution states that no Nigerian, solely on grounds of their “community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject.” This language echoes similar guarantees enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
Policies that deny Nigerians the same access to employment and educational possibilities because they belong to a community whose origins are said to lie in some other parts of Nigeria, stand in open violation of those guarantees. International human rights law prohibits discrimination on many grounds, along with race, ethnicity and religion.
There has been an irrevocable alteration in the world of work by a huge entry of women into paid employment because of their fight to obtain economic equality. However, women’s education and professional attainments are yet to translate into substantial improvement. There exists serious limitations dealing with them in the workplace. The question is, how good enough are the laws, statutes and judicial responses to problems regarding Nigerian women in the workplace?
Furthermore, there is active discrimination by people who consider themselves as the authentic inhabitants of their region against settlers from other states which results in many violations of the right to equal opportunities, in particular employment, education and housing. We must closely observe the persistence of the Osu Caste system in the Eastern and Southern parts of the country. Efforts have to be made to get rid of these forms of discrimination.
Lopsided federal appointments largely based on religious and ethnic considerations, are a misshaping of the goals most central to Nigeria’s unique edition of federalism. The constitution clearly underscores inclusiveness and autonomy to ensure that the advantages of national citizenship are shared equitably throughout our intricate expanse of ethnic, cultural and religious multiplicity. It similarly promotes interregional equity and inclusiveness.
In a world of remarkable diversity, knowledge and reverence for others represent the solely feasible path. Building walls to keep other people out often means keeping ourselves closed in. Our divergence is strength. Therefore, we should quickly realise ways to draw on it for the resources of inventiveness, creativity and peace. It will be mutually beneficial if we respect and understand ourselves.