On the theme of Minorities and Cohesive Societies: Equality, Social Inclusion, and Socio-economic Participation.
On Day 2, Anastasia Crickly, former IACD Trustee, former Chair of the INR Committee, and 2023 Lifetime Award Recipient addressed the Forum. Read the details here:
‘Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre Ireland and our friends in the International Association for Community Development globally salute the courage and contributions of minorities in all your diversity everywhere. We are very alarmed by the global upsurge in anti-minority racism and particularly by the recent far-right ignited riots on the streets of Dublin which brought increased anti-Roma racism. Community workers everywhere struggle daily with the effects of social media-inspired hatred which makes achieving the SDG impossible.
Achieving the equality, social inclusion and socio-economic participation essential for cohesive societies involves complex intersectional actions. We know this takes time, but being human is not work in progress, and human rights realisation cannot masquerade indefinitely as progressive implementation.
1 We call on this Forum, the UN, and member states to name and address in law and policy the systemic racism at the root of exclusion and discrimination of minorities including in your own organisations. Member states have committed to this under ICERD and to the disaggregated data which makes progress from agendas to actions possible.
2 The holistic approach required for cohesive societies requires free and full participation by collective minority voices facilitated by community development as well as targets and timelines worked out with minorities who need to be visible at every level. Access and participation are not ends in themselves but require targeted outcomes and lasting human rights-proofed mainstream policies – which explicitly name and include minority rights. They also require political will at every level, including the UN.
3 We call on all Governments to immediately redouble efforts to address the current toxic global discourse of lies and fabrications through robust anti-hate legislation and mandatory protocols for social media corporations. Political parties need to demand that members adhere to human rights standards, especially at time of elections.’
