Race equality

Internet aids 'people power'

Mary Robinson - Secretary-general of the UN Conference against Racism

Building Internetworks for Africa's regeneration and race equality and equity worldwide. This is the subtext for black interest and participation in the peoples' meeting, the NGO Forum, that precedes and continues during the World Conference on Racism (WCAR), August 31- September 7 in Durban this year.

Clearly the coming together of non-governmental organisations (ngos) representing the world's peoples is important. Face to face contacts are essential, even when travel costs are high. Leaders of campaigning race equality ngos can showcase their work, lobby government leaders at the official meeting, pick the brains of experts, get media exposure, and gain information about new funds and resources.

Yet, a new trend is noticeable. Many ngos are making their pleas for racial justice and showing their wares on the Internet.A diverse range of interest groups - workers, farmers, students, fraternal and women's societies, as well as civic leaders, professionals and intellectuals - are linking up via the Internet to support the themes and objectives of the WCAR. This gives an electronic tweak to the WCAR slogan "United to Combat Racism: Equality, Justice and Dignity".

Some selected Internet web sites include:

Non-governmental Organizations

Black Radical Congress (BRC)
http;//www.blackradicalcongress.org

South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO)
http://www.sangoco.org.za/wcar/

Global Afro-Latino and Caribbean Initiative (GALCI)
http://www.caribectr.org/

European Network Against Racism
http://www.enar-eu.org

Human Rights Internet (HRI)
http://www.hri.ca/racism/

Internet Centre Anti-Racism Europe (ICARE)
http://www.icare.to/worldcon.html

AntiRacismNet (Project Change and IGC)
http://www.ngoworldconference.org

Applied Research Center (ARC)
http://www.arc.org/trji/

International Possibilities Unlimited (IPU)
http://www.ipunlimited.org/WCAR/wcar.html

International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG)
http://www.hrlawgroup.org/notflashed.html

Related Sites and Information:

Declaration of African Descendants Preparatory Meeting for the Americas December 5-7, 2000 Santiago, Chile

http://www.udayton.edu/~race/06internat/afrodesc00.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brc-discuss/message/1907
http://mail-archive.com/brc-discuss@lists.tao.ca/msg00946.html

Principles/Commitments on Race and Poverty NGO Roundtable on Race and Poverty Preparatory Meeting for the Americas December 3-7, 2000 Santiago, Chile

http://www.ngoworldconference.org/ngocc_attach1.htm#6 http://www.hri.ca/racism/Submitted/Author/racepovworking.htm http://www.udayton.edu/~race/06internat/hrights/PrepCom09.htm

Official United Nations and NGO Forum

United Nations (UN)
http://www.un.org/WCAR/

United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/

United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/cerd.htm

World Conference Against Racism NGO Forum (WCAR NGO)
http://www.racism.org.za

Calendar of Events

May 21-June 1, 2001
Second PrepCom for WCAR
Geneva, Switzerland

August 28-September 1, 2001
NGO Forum (of Non Governmental Organisations)
Durban, South Africa

August 31, 2001
International Day of Action Against Racism
Durban, South Africa

August 31-September 7, 2001
World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
Durban, South Africa

Accreditation
Your organization may be eligible for accreditation to participate in all proceedings of the World Conference Against Racism. Application forms may be obtained from:

Ms Sandra Aragon-Parriaux
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Room PW-RS 181
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
E-mail: saragon.hchr@unog.ch