International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN)

 

United Nations
March 21, 2012

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, commemorates the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960. On that day in South Africa, peaceful demonstrators against apartheid were killed. In 1966, the United Nations declared that each year on March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination should be observed as a symbol of the worldwide need to end racism.

Canada is a country to be proud of. But our pride is diminished when we do not use our individual and collective voices to oppose racism. March 21 reminds us, particularly in our role as educators, to recommit ourselves to the struggle against racial discrimination in the sincere hope of creating a just society where every human being’s dignity is affirmed through fair and equitable treatment.

Grade 8 students from Sir Alexander Mackenzie Senior Public School were recently honoured for their efforts to combat racism by the Government of Canada. The students created the only winning video from Ontario, entitled “Are You Sure?”, in the “Racism. Stop It!” National Video Competition.

This contest encourages young people, aged 12 to 20, from across Canada to produce a short video to express their points of view on eliminating racism. More than 1,200 students participated in this year’s competition. This is their winning video.

Websites

“Action Guide on Human Rights.” UNA-Canada (United Nations Association in Canada). www.unac.org/en/link_learn/hr_toolkit/index.asp.

Action Week Against Racism (AWAR). www.inforacisme.com/.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association. www.ccla.org/.

Canadian Race Relations Foundation – Fondation canadienne des relations raciales. www.crr.ca.

The Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement/Le Centre d’excellence pour l’engagement des jeunes. www.tgmag.ca.

“Cultural Profiles Project.” Citizenship and Immigration Canada. www.settlement.org/cp.

Equality Today! www.equalitytoday.org/.

HopeSite – The Web’s Center for Holocaust Education. www.hopesite.ca/.

“Human Rights Toolkit.” UNA-Canada (United Nations Association in Canada). www.unac.org/en/link_learn/hr_toolkit/classroom.asp.

International Federation for Human Rights. www.fidh.org/.

Media Awareness Network. www.media-awareness.ca/.

Multicultural Children’s Literature (links). Rev. 2 April 2007. www.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/multicultural.htm.

“Multiculturalism: A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism – An Overview.” Canadian Heritage Multiculturalism. Rev. 30 June 2007. www.pch.gc.ca/multi/plan_action_plan/index_e.cfm.

National Anti-Racism Council. www.narc.freeservers.com/.

Native Law Centre of Canada.www.usask.ca/nativelaw.

Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations (NAARR). www.naarr.org.

“Racism. Stop it!” Canadian Heritage. www.pch.gc.ca/march-21-mars/index_e.cfm.

UNA-Canada (United Nations Association in Canada). www.unac.org/.

Youth Forums Against Racism/Forums jeunesse contre le racisme. Canadian Heritage. www.unac.org/yfar/splash.htm

Video

Too Colourful for the League. Prod. Diversus Productions, Inc. Videocassette. Ciné Fête, 2002. (52 minutes) (#107238 – Available from Library Media Resources: media.tdsb.on.ca/av).