THE BEIJING AGENDA: GENDER AND RACISM

UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), Durban, South Africa, 28 August-7 September, 2001.

1. BACKGROUND:
In the period between 1973 and 2003, the UN designated three decades for action in the fight to combat racism and racial discrimination. As part of these decades, world conferences against racism were held in 1978 and 1983.

In the months leading up to third UN World Conference Against Racism (WCAR 2001), several contentious issues have emerged, with the US threatening to pull out of the conference over two of these, namely the issue of reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the inclusion on the conference agenda of Zionism as racism. As columnist and activist Molly Secours has written: "Reparations raises disquieting questions for many countries (not just the US) about the origins of wealth, the residual effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and accountability for continued racial injustices inflicted on people of color around the world." With regard to the issue of Zionism as racism, Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says that this issue was resolved 10 years ago when the UN repealed a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

For more information about plans and preparations for WCAR 2001, visit the web-site of the World Conference Secretariat at: http://www.un.org/WCAR/ or contact: World Conference Secretariat, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: (41-22) 917-9127: E-mail: wcr.hchr@unog.ch. Web-site: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm

2. WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS: WCAR 2001 will highlight a number of important women's human rights issues. Experience has shown that the following facts are key in any discussion around women's human rights concerns. Women already know that:
 race and gender are not mutually exclusive forms of discrimination.
 multiple discriminations can occur when gender, class, race and ethnicity intersect.
 minority, immigrant and indigenous women disproportionately face racial and/or ethnic-based violence, sexual abuse/trafficking, and limited or no employment opportunities.

3. WCAR WOMEN'S CAUCUS: This caucus was formed by more than 40 NGOs representing all world regions who participated in the First Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of WCAR from May 1-5, 2000. The main goal of the caucus is to represent the interests of women and girls who are victims of racism and/or racial discrimination. The caucus has pushed hard for gender, age, class, sexual orientation, and economic status to be included in any analysis undertaken by WCAR. For more information, visit the Women's Human Rights Network website at: http://www.whrnet.org/wcar.html.

4. NGO FORUM: The NGO Forum will take place parallel to WCAR and regional planning meetings have been held in every world region. Central to the discussions has been the determination that there be time and space for the real voices of people suffering from discrimination to be heard. For further information about the NGO Forum, contact Moshe More, SANGOCO (South African NGO Coordinating Organization) at: moshe@wcar.sangoco.org.za. Tel: (27-11) 403-7270. Fax: (27-11) 403-5531, or visit the NGO Forum website at: http://www.racism.org.za/index.html. Also visit the web-site of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) at: http://www.conferenceofngos.org/txt/index.html.

5. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL WOMEN AND YOUTH ACTIVITIES Many youth and women's human rights groups are planning major activities at WCAR and the NGO Forum, and some have set up listserves and e-bulletins/bulletin boards so that people worldwide can be part of the planning process.

PLEASE NOTE: Where dates are given for activities, please be aware that these may change. Always check the final programme.

ASIA/PACIFIC  South-Genderlist at south-genderlist-en@isiswomen.org. To subscribe to this listserve, contact Susanna George at susanna@isiswomen.org.

 Asia Pacific Gender and Racism-List (APGR-List). To subscribe to this list, contact: Majordomo@isiswomen.org. An archive for this list is kept at the isis International/Manila web-site at: http://www.isiswomen.org/womenet/lists/apgr-list/archive/.

 WCAR Watch! an online bulletin board, accessible through the e-newsletter WE! To subscribe, contact Kathy Clarin at kathy@isiswomen.org.

 Asian Human Rights Commission/Hong Kong (AHRC). Write to: timgill@ahrchk.org.

 The Asia Migrant Centre (AMC), a mechanism for advocates on Asian migrants' human rights. Contact: amc@pacific.net.hk.

 Asia-Pacific NGO Coordinating Committee (APNGOCC), a mechanism to promote the Asia-Pacific NGO position on racism-related issues. Visit their web-site at: http://www.hurights.or.jp/wcarasia.htm

 "Women of Dalit Communities: Breaking the Culture of Silence": Organized by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and the National Federation for Dalit Women (NFDW). This event will be held at the NGO Forum on 29 August 2001. Five Dalit women from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka will share their lives, their challenges and achievements. For further information, contact APWLD at: e-mail alison.gita@apwld.org, web-site http//www.apwld.org

GLOBAL  "Women at the Intersection of Race and other Oppressions: A Human Rights Hearing." The Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) is facilitating this hearing on Thursday, August 30, 2001 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at ML Sultan Technikon, 41/43 Centenary Road, Durban, South Africa as part of the NGO Forum. The goal is to give voice and visibility to women's experiences of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, caste, sexuality, age and other realities. For more information, contact CWGL at: Fax: (1-732) 932-1180 or e-mail: cwgl@igc.org. For a schedule of topics and testimonies at WCAR, visit the CWGL website at: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/wc/index.htm. Also visit the web-site of Women's Human Rights Network at: http://www.WHRNet.org

 World Court of Women Against Racism. The Asian Women's Human Rights Council (AWHRC) and El Taller International, with partner organizations in South Africa and worldwide, will hold a "World Court of Women Against Racism" on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 8.45 a.m. -7.00 p.m. at the Christian Centre, Durban, South Africa. Testimonies will be heard on the violence of colonialism, on cultural genocide, on militarization and nuclearization and on contemporary forms of racism. Visit the AWHRC and El Taller web-sites at: http://www.awhrc.org and http://www.eltaller.org for more details.

 "Breaking Through the Vicious Cycle of Humiliation: Strategies for Racial Justice through Human Rights Education." The People's Decade for Human Rights Education (PDHRE), will be hosting this workshop, tentatively set for 2 - 3 September, 2001 at the NGO Forum. The workshop will look at patriarchy as the system that triggers other forms of supremacy, hierarchy and exploitation. PDHRE has offices and affiliates in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean, Europe and North America. For more information, contact PDHRE at e-mail: pdhre@igc.apc.org. Web-site: http://www.pdhre.org/wcar.html

UNIFEM GENDER AND RACISM PUBLICATION "Connecting Across Cultures and Continents Black Women Speak Out on Identity, Race and Development" (1995). 89 pages. ISBN 0-912917-35-0. WE173Z US$9.95, by Achola O. Pala (Ed.). This collection of essays presents a cross-cultural multi-disciplinary critique of racism both as a development issue and as a challenge to the international women's movement. It provides a thought-provoking analysis of black women worldwide. Available from Women, Ink.