On March 21, 1960, up to 7,000 people converged on the local police station in the Township of Sharpeville, South Africa protesting the apartheid “Pass Laws” that required non-whites to carry their ‘pass books’ at all times. Police opened fire on the peaceful demonstration and killed sixty-nine people.
The horror of that day is remembered, and its significance is marked, every year on March 21st – The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states –
‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’
Despite the work that has been done to eliminate discrimination, fifty-three years later, we are still fighting racial and ethnic discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. Intolerance is unacceptable.
In Canada, our equality rights are guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
Article 15. (1) –
‘Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age of mental or physical disability.’
For Canadians, this day is a time to reflect on how our diversity defines us as a nation.
What a day (or week) for our Judgement, I wonder is it by chance or else......
The horror of that day is remembered, and its significance is marked, every year on March 21st – The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states –
‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’
Despite the work that has been done to eliminate discrimination, fifty-three years later, we are still fighting racial and ethnic discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. Intolerance is unacceptable.
In Canada, our equality rights are guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
Article 15. (1) –
‘Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age of mental or physical disability.’
For Canadians, this day is a time to reflect on how our diversity defines us as a nation.
What a day (or week) for our Judgement, I wonder is it by chance or else......
