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Feature Article

A View from the Edge

What do you get when you combine more than 2,300 representatives from 163 governments, nearly 4,000 representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and about 1,100 media representatives? Add a pinch of spring air and nine days of meetings in South Africa and you have chaos and grace on the path to a world free of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The third World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa challenged the international community, both state and civil society, to envision just such a world. Durban is located on the eastern coast of South Africa in the state of KwaZulu-Natal on the Indian Ocean. The location for the WCAR was a deliberate choice-a place symbolically poised on the edge of a newly envisioned world. The people of South Africa are varied in racial and cultural backgrounds, including Africans (blacks), Afrikaners (whites), coloreds (mixed race), Indians and others. Apartheid fell in 1994 and now South Africa has the most progressive constitution of any nation on earth, although de facto apartheid persists in many ways.

Third Time's the Charm
The first two World Conferences Against Racism took place in Geneva in 1978 and 1983. They were focused on policy and condemned apartheid as a crime against humanity. The United States government boycotted both conferences. In 1997, the United Nations General Assembly recognized that racism and racial discrimination persist, and called for a forum to examine new and emerging forms of racism and racial discrimination, which is why this third world conference included "xenophobia and related intolerance" in the title.

The first event of this conference was a youth summit, where young people from all over the world participated in informal meetings, heard speakers and asked questions of panelists. The contentious result was a Youth Declaration. Next came the nongovernmental organizations forum, where work was organized into thematic commissions, related to the various caucuses that had been working together on particular issues, and the result was a Declaration and a Programme for Action in which victims gave voice to their experiences in a somewhat controversial document.

Two working groups were established to deal with those documents. The most contentious language was discussed in informal consultations among governments during lunch and evening hours, but governments spent so much time arguing about procedure and language that formal meeting times were extended to midnight. The three hot issues were:

· lists of the grounds for racism, victimized groups and multiple grounds of discrimination (such as gender and HIV/AIDS status);

· colonialism and slavery possibly being declared crimes against humanity, and a request for reparations; and

· the Middle East, with paragraphs in the declarations referring to the Israel/Palestine issue not being approved, but bracketed and included as an attachment to the final document.

The United States government walked out midway through the conference, with Israel following suit, after the group of governments from Africa issued a strong statement supporting international reparations language. This was
not an unexpected development, since the United States had been threatening to withdraw. For some this was a relief; for many it was a disappointment.

Beyond Durban
The United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, said the meetings in Durban began the process of shaping a global movement to end racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The very existence of dialogue and of such a movement is deeply encouraging, since our shrinking world requires a movement that transcends national boundaries. Conference participants who went home on or around September 11th returned to a renewed sense of hopelessness. The events that followed the terrorist attacks, such as the violence and hate rhetoric directed towards Muslims and Arabs, were strangely incongruous with the fleeting post-Durban sense of hope.

We have a staggering amount of work to do before we can come to the table as equals. For example, Zulu dancers were hired to stand outside certain hotels and perform traditional dances for the viewing pleasure of conference attendees. A disproportionate percentage of the participants in the NGO Forum came from the United States, while poorer countries were less well represented. The gender analysis of the event was weak at best. These and other instances reminded us constantly of the work that needs to be done.

However, some extremely effective organization happened around the issue of caste, a system of inequality and segregation based on occupation and descent in South Asia, parts of Africa and Japan. After the United States and Israel walked out, several rallies took place calling the United States government to accountability. Many marginalized peoples were able to voice their concerns and gain access to government delegates. In light of these efforts, Durban was a very good beginning.

Despite all the logistical difficulties posed by the limited capacity of Durban, the venue was appropriate. It was winter when we arrived in South Africa, and spring when we left. This is a nation in the midst of a struggle to recreate itself in a way that citizens of other countries can never fully comprehend. Yet we are all called to live into the painful and liberating recreation of a world in which all of God's children have enough and are valued equally, regardless of their gender, race, class, religion, caste, sexual orientation, ability, language, HIV/AIDS status and citizenship. For "On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines . . . And [God] will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations, [God] will swallow up death forever" (Isa. 25:6--8).

Laura Mariko Cheifetz is a junior at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. She is a member of St. James Presbyterian Church in Bellingham, Washington and under care of North Puget Sound Presbytery.

· Arrange antiracism training for your PW group or congregation. Contact the PC(USA)'s associate for the antiracism program, Mark Koenig, 888/728-7228, ext. 5097; mkoenig@ctr.pcusa.org.

· Join your local human rights or racial justice task force. If there isn't one, create it!

· Commemorate March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with a special church service or a community event.

· Learn more about the WCAR and antiracism, visit www.racism.org.za.

Amara Okoroafor, age 25 Organization: International Possibilities Unlimited Residence: Washington, D.C. (Origin: Nigeria) Amara Okoroafor came away with mixed emotions about the WCAR process. She found it encouraging that the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was committed to creating avenues for youth participation in this event's process, but discovered that youth voices were not heard from all regions of the world. Amara feels the term "youth" has a negative connotation that allows people to patronize young people, rather than recognizing them as viable contributors to the community. She pointed out that while youth may have less experience, they have the energy and creativity to look at new strategies and to change the ideological makeup of the world. Amara looks forward to launching a program for a post-Durban strategy geared to youth.

Lalaine Viado, age 28 Organization: Network of Asia/Pacific Youth Residence: Manila, the Philippines Lalaine Viado's reaction to WCAR was a desire to stay optimistic throughout the process, even though she found it complicated and slow. Her organization was primarily concerned with issues of sexual and reproductive rights of young people in the Asia/Pacific region and the participation of young women. A significant obstacle for our world, according to Lalaine, is the discrimination young people face because of their ethnicity, age and gender. She said "the potential of young women is not being harnessed in the church, in families, in the government and in major processes such as the WCAR."

The voting representatives of the 2000 PW Business Meeting, held in conjunction with the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women, voted to conduct antiracism training for Presbyterian Women and to evaluate our organization from an antiracist perspective during the 2000--2003 triennium. With that initiative in mind, participation in the World Conference Against Racism seemed a natural extension of our work and as vice-moderator for justice and peace concerns, I was chosen to participate in this event.

It was difficult to imagine being part of such an important global conference and I began to wonder how this would relate to the work being done by Presbyterian Women in the United States. On my arrival in Durban, South Africa, I began to sense the scope of the WCAR Non-Government Organizations (NGO) Forum. As we assembled for the opening ceremony, the panorama of faces, clothing and languages made the diversity of the participants evident. As someone representing Presbyterian Women and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I felt called to learn as much as possible about the issues of racism and discrimination, and to decide how to interpret what I learned.

At any given time, simultaneous events were being held. For my work with Presbyterian Women, I chose as many as I could involving the plight of women and children. Many times I heard women speak passionately about the impact of racism, gender and poverty on their lives. Where one issue exists most often the other two issues intersect it. There were repeated calls for advocates to become involved in working with governments to see that past documents become ratified and monitored-especially those relating to racism, women and children, and human rights in general.

In all the forums and commissions that I attended, there was a call for education-both formal and informal. This is an area in which Presbyterian Women can and should be involved. We must advocate for equal, quality education for all students in our schools. We must become involved in speaking out for our children and grandchildren, to assure that human rights courses and diversity training are included in all levels of curriculum. But we cannot stop with the school systems; education in diversity must be included from preschool through adulthood, making certain we find it in our churches and Christian education materials as well. We also need to be concerned about education on a global scale, for only through education can the stranglehold of poverty and oppression be broken.

The focus of the NGO Forum was "United to combat racism . . . equality, justice and dignity for all." As members of Presbyterian Women, we commit ourselves "to build an inclusive, caring community of women." By working toward equality, justice and dignity for all, we follow the PW Purpose and seek to build a global community where all are accepted
and treated with respect. Only when we achieve dignity for all will equality and justice be reality.

Gerry Tayler is vice-moderator for justice and peace concerns, Churchwide Coordinating Team of Presbyterian Women. She lives in Grand Haven, Michigan.

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