112 - Structural Racism and Trends in the Global ... - The ICHRP
112 - Structural Racism and Trends in the Global ... - The ICHRP
112 - Structural Racism and Trends in the Global ... - The ICHRP
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
former Yugoslavia, or of political conflict over control of <strong>the</strong> state by rival ethnically identified<br />
power groups, as <strong>in</strong> Burundi <strong>and</strong> Rw<strong>and</strong>a.<br />
3. At <strong>the</strong> world level, new <strong>in</strong>ternational f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>and</strong> economic relationships develop with amaz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
speed, lead<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensification of globalisation which, while rooted <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> economy, also has<br />
wide ramifications <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> political, social <strong>and</strong> cultural spheres of human activity. <strong>Global</strong>isation<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs diverse peoples toge<strong>the</strong>r, but even as it emphasises <strong>the</strong> common humanity of humank<strong>in</strong>d<br />
(most visibly <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> field of consumer behaviour), it also underl<strong>in</strong>es differences which often lead<br />
to asymmetrical relations, tensions <strong>and</strong> societal stress.<br />
4. Consequently, while <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>and</strong> implications of racism did not disappear from public<br />
discourse, <strong>the</strong> phenomenon has changed sufficiently <strong>in</strong> recent years so as to produce a<br />
considerable amount of empirical research <strong>and</strong> generate controversial debates <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>oretical<br />
literature. Aga<strong>in</strong>, as Van Boven po<strong>in</strong>ts out: “Today <strong>the</strong> situation is different. Very few or ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
no countries can nowadays make a legitimate claim that <strong>the</strong>y do not face with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />
borders problems of racial discrim<strong>in</strong>ation as def<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> article 1 of <strong>the</strong> International Convention<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Elim<strong>in</strong>ation of All Forms of Racial Discrim<strong>in</strong>ation. Problems of racial discrim<strong>in</strong>ation are<br />
not only rampant elsewhere, <strong>in</strong> foreign countries; <strong>the</strong>se problems arise everywhere, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with<strong>in</strong> one’s own borders. Such awareness is now widespread <strong>and</strong> constitutes a step forward but<br />
also underl<strong>in</strong>es <strong>the</strong> complexity of <strong>the</strong> problems.” 2<br />
5. In <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g sections of this paper I shall refer to some of <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal tendencies of <strong>the</strong><br />
globalisation process that have a bear<strong>in</strong>g on issues of racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic discrim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>and</strong> discuss<br />
some of <strong>the</strong> more relevant approaches to an underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> dynamics of contemporary<br />
racism.<br />
GLOBALISATION AND MIGRATION<br />
6. <strong>Global</strong>isation, as it is generally understood, is not only a process of <strong>in</strong>ternational economic<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegration under <strong>the</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g force of transnational corporations <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir particular <strong>in</strong>terests. It<br />
also refers to a number of ancillary processes that are profoundly chang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> way human<br />
be<strong>in</strong>gs behave, relate to each o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong> perceive <strong>the</strong> world around <strong>the</strong>m. At no earlier time <strong>in</strong><br />
history has <strong>the</strong> notion of ‘One World’ been more adequate than <strong>in</strong> our time. Peoples all over <strong>the</strong><br />
planet are <strong>in</strong>ter-connected by <strong>in</strong>stant telecommunications, <strong>the</strong> expansion of s<strong>in</strong>gle world-wide<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial, commodities <strong>and</strong> services markets has turned <strong>the</strong> most variegated cultural groups <strong>in</strong>to<br />
one-dimensional consumers, workers (both male an female) <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> far<strong>the</strong>st corners of <strong>the</strong> earth<br />
may be employees of <strong>the</strong> same transnational company, <strong>and</strong>, most important of all, at least for <strong>the</strong><br />
purposes of this analysis, massive migrations have brought people toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> new <strong>and</strong> excit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ways that did not yet exist (except embryonically) at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> UN framed its first <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
human rights <strong>in</strong>struments.<br />
7. Let us start with <strong>the</strong> issue of migration. While <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational economic system has always relied<br />
to some extent on migrant labour <strong>and</strong> whole nations were born out of <strong>the</strong> wide-scale movements<br />
of peoples <strong>and</strong> communities over <strong>the</strong> centuries, it was not until <strong>the</strong> post-war “boom” years that<br />
immigration became a political <strong>and</strong> human rights issue <strong>in</strong> Europe, to be dealt with bilaterally<br />
between states, covered <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly by special legislation <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational agreements. Europe,<br />
2 Ibid. Article 1, paragraph 1 of ICERD reads as follows: "In this Convention, <strong>the</strong> term 'racial discrim<strong>in</strong>ation' shall<br />
mean any dist<strong>in</strong>ction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour,<br />
descent, or national or ethnic orig<strong>in</strong> which has <strong>the</strong> purpose or effect of nullify<strong>in</strong>g or impair<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal foot<strong>in</strong>g, of human rights <strong>and</strong> fundamental freedoms <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
political, economic, social, cultural or any o<strong>the</strong>r field of public life"<br />
2