 From Henry Gombya, Geneva
African-Americans long involved in the struggle for leaders of the western world to recognise the scourge of the slave trade, have said that US President Barack Obama has badly let them down and that he is worse than former President George W Bush.
Speaking at the Durban Review Conference meeting here in Geneva Switzerland to discuss the evil of racism, Jahahara Amen-Ra Alkeburan-Ma'at, an African-American author originally from Missouri said President Obama has 'sold out' people of his colour by not attending the most important conference regarding that wants to deal once and for all with the problem of racism. He said that with Bush they knew where they stood.
He likened Obama to a dentist who pulls out your teeth by first stabilising your gums so that you do not feel the pain while he pulls out your tooth. The pain comes much later on he said. The Global Afrikan Congress (GAK) joined Ma'at in his criticism of Obama and have written a letter to President Obama criticising him for not attending the Geneva racism conference.
Signed by GAK's co-chair Cikiah Thomas and Dorothy B Lewis the North American representative, the letter said that through his speeches, Obama had raised not only the hopes and aspirations of dispossessed Americans but those of the dispossessed the world over.. The principles, philosophy and moral courage you demonstrated, represent fundamental changes with respect to equality, racial justice and the fulfilment of our hopes for humankind, they said, adding that billions of people around the world from all geographical regions, see you as the realization of the hope they did not think was possible in their lifetime.
Never before, their letter went on, had the descendants of enslaved and colonially subjugated Africans had the opportunity to see and hear the international community acknowledge their complicity in African slavery. We respectfully submit that your administration's decision not to participate in the United Nation's Durban Review Conference is the wrong message for you to be sending to the world. You have conquered complex and challenging issues. You have made it known to the lobbyists in Washington that business will be done differently in Washington. To give in to lobbyists and boycott the Durban Review Conference (is) a violation of the core principles you have embraced," they said.
In a press statement released later in the day, GAK joined other NGOs, the December 12th Movement, the International Association Against Torture (IAAT), the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) and the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) to declare 'victory' on the opening day of the UN Review of the World Conference Against Racism. (WCAR). Dr Ibrahim Salama from the office of the UNHCR said at a NGO briefing that he was quite certain that the draft outcome document adopted Tuesday would be accepted as an enhancement to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)..
"This simple affirmation is important given the continuing campaign by Western countries which signed the DDPA in 2001 to revise history and eliminate steps the DDPA took in setting the concrete framework for resolving racism," the statement said. This prompted Roger Wareham of the December 12th Movement and Secretary General of the
IAAT to say of those countries responsible for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery that 'they can run but they cannot hide'. "This Review Conference and the outcome Document will serve as a catalyst for our people to become even more active in pursuit of our just and long overdue demands. We are one step closer to reparations," the statement read. It was understood that the current text in the Review outcome document was the sole reason the United States chose to stay away from this conference.
The DDPA was agreed by consensus at the first Durban Review Conference held in Durban South Africa in 2001. The United States and Israel both rejected it and walked out of the conference. In a statement giving her reason for not attending Durban I, the United States cited as its main stumbling block, it's reaffirmation of the DDPA. Durban II outcome document refers to incitement to hatred that the US finds problematic.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay says: "I believe that difficulty could have been overcome. It would have been possible to make it clear in a footnote that the US had not affirmed the original document and therefore is not in a position to reaffirm it which is a routine practice in multilateral negotiations to enable consensus-building while allowing for individual positions to be expressed."
She explained that the reference to incitement to hatred in the outcome document is covered in Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "This is one of the key overarching human rights treaties drawn up after World War II. It was intended to ensure that the type of incitement to hatred employed by the Nazi propaganda machine in the 1930s and 40s would be prohibited by law."
Ms Pillay said the media had interpreted the US withdrawal from the conference as based on the continued retention of language on defamation of religion and anti Semitism in the outcome document.
"In fact, no such language exists in the text. The outcome document clearly states that the Holocaust must never be forgotten and deplores all forms of racism including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. ''I fail to see why, given that the Middle East is not mentioned in this document, that politics related to the Middle East continue to intrude into the process," she said.
Meanwhile, the Conference entered its third day of deliberations after Member States unanimously adopted its outcome document that acknowledged the need to enhance further, the effectiveness of the mechanisms dealing with racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The conference's President, Kenya's Attorney General Amos Wako described the adoption of the Outcome Document as proof that boycotts did not help the process,. He said that one could remain constructively engaged and reach a consensus. "Provided that all moved forward in this journey, all could achieve their objectives united in diversity, based on love and respect," Wako said.
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Looking for Mr Right (7)
