Democracy Now! September 10, 2001

Program Title:
Democracy Now! September 10, 2001
Series Title:
PRA Archive #: 
PZ0388.246X
Description: 

UN World Conference Against Racism ends with a contentious political declaration on slavery and the Israeli occupation of Palestine, while the conversation continues at the grassroots. Well talk to women activists from Uganda, and Kurdistan about racism, sexism and globalization. All that and more on Democracy Now! in exile.

9:01-9:06 HEADLINES 9:06-9:07 ONE MINUTE MUSIC BREAK 9:07-9:26 UN WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM ENDS WITH CONTENTIOUS POLITICAL DECLARATION ON SLAVERY AND THE MIDDLE EAST.After nine days of often bitter debate, the historic U.N. World Conference Against Racism ended on Saturday. Delegates from more than 160 countries, many with competing agendas, managed to unanimously support a statement and action plan for combating racism and related discrimination. But the conference declaration on slavery a statement that condemned modern slavery as a "crime against humanity," expressed "profound regret" for past slavery and suggested ways to assist countries damaged by its legacy was viewed by many African nations as painfully inadequate. Bitter divisions over how - or whether - to call attention to the treatment of Palestinians under Israeli military occupation nearly derailed the conference in its final moments. And the thousands of grassroots activists who attended the conference left wondering if the political declaration and plan of action agreed to by the delegates will have a meaningful impact on grassroots struggles against racism and discrimination. GUEST: CHRIS MCGREAL, reporter, the Guardian 9:26-9:27 ONE MINUTE MUSIC BREAK 9:27-9:46 WOMEN, RACISM AND GLOBALIZATION One of the conversations among grassroots activists in Durban which didnt receive attention in this country concerned the connections between racism and globalization. Many of the countries and peoples most affected by slavery, colonialism, and their aftermath, have been adversely affected by IMF imposed structural adjustment, World Bank lending and development practices, and Western led corporate globalization. GUEST: SARAH MUKASA, with Akinamamawa Africa, a development organization for African Women. She lives in Uganda. CONTACT: www.akinamama.com GUEST: RIN KUSEN, with the Applied Research Center in Oakland, California.CONTACT: www.arc.org 9:46-9:47 ONE MINUTE MUSIC BREAK 9:47-9:58 RACISM AND THE PLIGHT OF KURDS IN TURKEY AND IRAQ Despite the large presence of NGOs, the structure of the conference has meant that government delegates could easily arrive, negotiate and leave without ever having considered actual, real-life experiences and effects of racism. To address this problem, Gay McDougal of the International Human Rights Law Group teamed up with the South Africa Human Rights Commission to organize the "Voices Special Forum on Comparative Experiences of Racism." The forum was carefully planned to attract as many government delegates as possible: the sessions were held during the delegates lunch break in a room next door to the main hall. One of the speakers at the forum was Rayhan Yalsindach, a Kurdish lawyer now living in Turkey, where hundreds of Kurdish villages have been destroyed and thousands killed in recent years by the Turkish government in its efforts to crush an armed resistance movement and Kurdish calls for self-determination. GUEST: RAYHAN YALSINDACH, a Kurdish lawyer now living in Turkey 9:58-9:59 OUTRO AND CREDITS

Date Recorded on: 
September 10, 2001
Date Broadcast on: 
September 10, 2001
Item duration: 
59 min.
Keywords: 
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Distributor: 
WPFW; Amy Goodman, host. September 10, 2001
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