World Anti-racism Conference Sets Stage for Dialogue, Compromise

As the ongoing World Conference Against Racism entered the third day Sunday in Durban, South Africa, delegates are still making serious efforts to find a compromise through face-to-face dialogues on sensitive issues such as the Mideast problem and slavery compensation.

The conference has presented an opportunity to face the issues of racism and discrimination squarely, said U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan at the conference.

He said while the two issues are threatening the consensus at the conference, efforts have been under way to find a compromise and hopefully a concrete plan of action that can be helpful to governments, non-governmental organizations and societies when they return home.

According to Annan, some of the issues have already been resolved, while some of them are still on the table.

"The question of Zionism versus racism is dead" and the question of slavery reparations and the proposed condemnation of slavery as a crime against humanity are still under discussion, he said, adding that these two questions are among the more delicate points at the conference.

"The question is not going to disappear. There are many people who are going to deal with it and it's going to continue, but I don't think that the place to settle this matter is here."

Opening the discussion of the round table attended by 15 heads of state on Friday afternoon, Annan said "the path must be one of dialogue; inclusive and constructive and informed by respect and mutual understanding".

"But more than any agreement on a document reached here in Durban, the ultimate test of the success of the conference will be whether any real progress has been made in people's day-to-day lives," the U.N. chief said.

He urged the world leaders to use their power to move their respective governments to put in place constitutional, legislative and administrative guarantees that protect against discrimination.

On his part, Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa and chairman of the round table talk, proposed that the discussion should focus on three broad themes: recalling past practices of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; examining the sources, causes and forms of contemporary manifestations of racism; and emphasizing the need to draw on lessons learned to identify concrete and achievable goals.

"We look forward to the future with hope and great expectation that the process we start here today will continue and lead to concrete measures which will benefit all peoples all over the world," he said.

These speeches, undoubtedly, have set the stage for the opening plenary debate and the ongoing sideline negotiations that will guide the work of the historic conference.

Inside the conference center, lots of behind-the-scenes work has been going on. "I'm quite confident that with good will we will succeed. And as I have said, we will give comfort to the worst elements in every society if we were to fail," Annan said.

The delegates have raised a wide range of issues for discussion. Among them are sources, causes, forms and contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; measures of prevention at the national, regional and international levels; provision of effective remedies, recourse, redress, compensatory and other measures; and strategies to achieve full and effective equality.

Victims of racism are also telling their stories. "Listening to the testimony of those who have suffered racism and discrimination is vital to our understanding of these scourges and to the search for more effective ways to combat them," Mary Robinson, U.N. high commissioner for Human Rights and secretary general of the World Conference Against Racism, said here on Saturday.

While many leaders and delegates highlighted more well-known manifestations of racial discriminations, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said intellectual racism has been used to distort the history of Africa's struggle against slavery and colonialism.

The most current theory is that blacks sold blacks during the time of slavery, and that the slave traders were not the only ones responsible, Wade said.

Cuban President Fidel Castro said that "in order to make any progress in our work, we must acknowledge the profound impact of colonialism, conquest and slavery not only on the people of South Africa, but throughout the continent and the globe".

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said: "We hope that the conference will be major historical turning point in the world to rid us of all forms of racism. ... I hope this conference will say what is right in the face of the bloody tragedy which is a racist, colonialist conspiracy of aggression, forced eviction, usurpation of land and infringement upon the Christian and Islamic holy places."

But it seems that African leaders are differing in the issue related to the reparations of slavery.

"Monetary compensation would hurt the dignity of Africans" and an apology would close the eye of history and help an intrinsic healing process, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said here on Saturday.

However, Senegalese President Adoulaye Wade said the issue of reparation should not be set aside completely, but should be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

There should be a plan for a remedy to the injustices caused to Africans in the diaspora, he said, adding that the history of slavery should be recorded in textbooks and curricula, and remembered in memorials and monuments.

Meanwhile, Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema said the cancellation of African debt should be considered.

In another development, demonstrations are still going on outside the venue of the conference.

The demonstrations, joined by hundreds of thousands of people, are mainly focused on two issues: reparations of slavery and the issue of Israel's occupation of Palestine.

The marchers called on Israel to immediately stop its campaign of "assassination, murder and terror" against Palestinian activists and leaders, to stop the use of live ammunition against civilians and to end detention without trial.

The conference, which was opened here on Friday, is to last till September 7. About 14,000 delegations, including at least 15 heads of state and government and 160 foreign ministers, are present at the conference.






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