Inter-Continental Workshop on Racial Discrimination (Final Statement)

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, July 21 to 25, 2001

1. More than 60 participants from several States in India and 15 countries of all continents gathered in Chennai, India from July 21 to 25, 2001 around the theme of "People's Struggle for Global Racial Justice - A Challenge in a Globalizing World" for an Intercontinental Workshop on Racial Discrimination organized by Pax Romana ICMICA.

Regional meetings and preparation.

2. Our workshop is part of a series of meetings, activities and projects at the local, national, regional and international levels in preparation for the UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) to be held in Durban, South Africa from August 31 to September 7, 2001. The issue of racism and racial discrimination was taken up as a challenge in developing "New Partnerships for Solidarity, a Source of Hope", as stated by our last Jubilee Assembly held in Paris in September 2000.

3. The Asia/Pacific region of Pax Romana ICMICA held its regional consultation on racial discrimination in Asia in Bangkok, Thailand from December 5 to 8, 2000 as part of the preparation for this Chennai Workshop. Among many aspects of racism and racial discrimination such as migrant workers, gender-related discrimination, ethnic minorities and conflicts, and religious intolerance, the caste system in South Asia, and specifically the Dalit question in India, was highlighted. Consequently, it was proposed that ICMICA should focus its efforts on the issue of caste system in South Asia in relation to the WCAR.

4. The European region of Pax Romana ICMICA organized a seminar in Constancin near Warsaw, Poland, focusing on "the Challenge of Migration in Europe" from May 10 to 13, 2001. The participants recognized that "the migratory movements involving large flows of people should be seen as movements of persons - human beings in their full dignity as God's creatures - carrying their cultures, religions, values, lifestyles, their dreams, joys and sorrows, and they represent another face of globalization processes". Aware of the fact that "the creation of new walls in the process of European integration is dividing the nations between first and second class nations in Europe", they insisted that the migration should be understood as a "new opportunity rather than a threat, in particular to create space for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue". In conclusion, they urged "the governments of the receiving countries in Europe to develop active policies in order to provide the immigrants with the skills and knowledge necessary for their integration" instead of following policies of segregation or assimilation.

5. The African region of Pax Romana ICMICA, together with the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) and the International Young Christian Students (IYCS) organized a joint workshop on racial discrimination with the theme "People's Struggle for Racial Justice in Africa: A Challenge in a Globalizing World" in Nairobi, Kenya from May 13 to 18, 2001. The Nairobi Declaration for Global Justice expressed "deep indignation at the continuing injustices such as exclusion and marginalisation of African peoples and nations as a result of the current process of `racialized` globalisation in Africa". It also stated "the grave impact and persistent consequences of historic injustices inflicted upon the people of Africa and its diasporas throughout the world through slavery, colonization and other forms of domination",

6. Participants at Nairobi Workshop appealed to the international community that "those responsible for historical injustices to recognize and acknowledge more explicitly their grave impact on the lives and cultures of all peoples in Africa and its diaspora", and "engage in the genuine dialogue towards authentic reconciliation by making formal and sincere apologies to the people of Africa and its diasporas and to undertake all possible measures with a view to their redressal in the light of restorative justice". They also reaffirmed their commitment "to a global struggle for racial justice, as a way of being prophetic witnesses to the values of "dignity, justice and equality" together with all people of good will" under the motto of "All Different – All equal; All equal – All different".

7. In the Americas, Pax Romana ICMICA consulted its membership about racism and racial discrimination. They concluded that racism in Latin America and North America have followed different paths due to their distinct social, cultural, economic and religious history. The Latin American region of ICMICA noted that racial discrimination against indigenous peoples and people of African descent persists and the root causes of such a discrimination is historically based on wars of conquest, slavery and slave trade, and colonization. Currently due to the neoliberal policies of structural adjustment and globalisation, many countries in Latin America have undergone profound transformation from being migrants receiving countries to emigrants sending countries. This has led to increasing marginalization of the poor, especially the indigenous peoples and peoples of African descent. Migration to wealthier countries within and outside the region has been met with multiple forms of discrimination. Education has also been discriminatory towards the poor, especially indigenous peoples and peoples of African descent.

8. The North American region of Pax Romana ICMICA recognized that a history of genocide towards Native Americans and slavery of Africans belies a notion of harmony and integration. Although ethnic minorities have gained civil and political rights to a certain extent, older forms of racism and racial discrimination persist and new forms have emerged. Discrimination against indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities such as Native Americans, peoples of African descent and Inuit people continues. White supremacist groups are still a threat. New forms of racism include the war on drugs, racial profiling and disparity in administration of criminal justice resulting in overrepresentation of indigenous peoples and minorities in prison and executions.

9. At the UN, the Pax Romana delegation has actively participated in the preparatory processes of UN WCAR such as Regional Preparatory Meetings, Working Group meeting and Preparatory Committees (PrepCom). Pax Romana delegation, besides the procedural issue of NGO participation and accreditation, raised the issues such as youth and racism, right to self-determination, discrimination based on work and descent and religious intolerance. Together with other NGOs representing global civil society, Pax Romana delegation has contributed towards work of various thematic caucuses including youth, religious intolerance, People of African descent, Dalits/Caste discrimination as well as drafting NGO Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

10. All these initiatives and efforts towards the UN WCAR resulted in the Chennai Workshop on racial discrimination, and our common journey of 40 days preparations towards Durban.

Beginning the 40 Days Preparation Towards Durban

11. The opening day of the Chennai Workshop was the first day in our 40 days journey towards Durban. It reminded us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert in preparation for his public ministry. Hence, it is deeply rooted in our spiritual tradition, seen as `Christian Witness to Truth and Justice towards Reconciliation`.

12. The inaugural speech of Mr. Patricio Rod, President of Pax Romana ICMICA, reminded us of our identity as "a community, network and movement of Christian professionals with intellectual responsibilities who are politically concerned, socially engaged, culturally rooted and globally connected". He further emphasized that our mission is to "overcome religious intolerance, and religious pretexts used to justify discrimination, particularly discrimination arising from race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, wealth or social origin".

13. The opening Mass, presided by the Most Rev. Dr. Arul Das James, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore, conducted at the Shrine of St. Thomas the Apostle, set the tone for the participants to engage in prayerful reflection on the reality of racism and racial discrimination in the world.

14. Our week-long program began with an introduction to an overnight exposure program to the social situation of the Dalits – literally meaning `Broken People`- in the neighboring villages of Chennai. All participants were divided into small groups to visit communities to experience their living conditions and to interact with them more intimately. They also met with people involved in pastoral work for Dalits.

15. Our short, but intense exposure program resulted in three main reactions from participants, especially from those visiting India for the first time. First, it evoked surprise, shock and anger at the level of racism or caste oppression encountered. Second, it evoked deep admiration for the people who revealed such strength and grace in life in the midst of such a dehumanizing situation. And last, it evoked hope for the future, in seeing a growing consciousness and movement among Dalits, together with those acting in solidarity with them to overcome caste oppression.

16. The exposure program and presentations from the participants and resource people provided inputs for our collective reflections, which are summarized by the following:

1. Even today caste remains the defining and determining principle of life in South Asia, particularly in Indian society, and caste-based discrimination deeply pervades all spheres of life - private, public, political, economic, social and cultural. This system, having been religiously sanctioned, based on the concept of purity and pollution, colours the ethos of Indian life.
2. Land and land ownership as well as access to water, constitutes the major conflict-prone issue in many villages between Dalits and non-Dalits. Often justice remains denied and undelivered. Even in rare cases where court judicial rulings appear favourable to Dalits on land disputes, there are continuous fears of harassments, intimidation and other violent forms of reprisals.
3. Dalits continue to live in segregated settlements with a minimum of basic services provided at an unbearable cost. Segregation is still very much evident at places of worship and religious practices.
4. Dalit women suffer multiple levels of discrimination from birth to death. Violence against Dalit women, including physical assault and rape, is still systematically practised with hardly any serious access to justice or protection. Dalit women, whose income is critical to their family, are paid much lower wages compared to men. There is hardly any job security or other form of safety net. More often, Dalit women are seen merely as commodities.
5. In spite of Constitutional rights and legislation, and affirmative action in education by the government through the decades, Dalit children still remain predominantly unable to enjoy the benefits of adequate education. They face many obstacles that impede school attendance. Eventually they drop out of the formal education system.
6. Most Dalits are inspired by the life and thought of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the great Dalit leader of the twentieth century who paved the way towards the empowerment of the powerless "Untouchables" or "Broken People", now called Dalits.

17. During our Chennai meeting we were informed about many efforts carried out at the grass- root level, by the Dalits themselves, and also by non-governmental and civil society organizations, Government and academic institutions, as well as by the local Churches and Christian communities, to redress the unjust system of caste discrimination. Nevertheless, the situation appeared to us so serious, and the distance from words and intentions to actual facts so large, that an urgent and dedicated commitment is necessary, if a positive change is to be achieved, especially in the present circumstances of the impact of globalization in Indian society.

The Church and Racism

18. Our short presence in Chennai, especially our live-in exposure to the rural reality of Dalits and Christian Dalits in Tamilnadu made us agonizingly aware of the fact that the Church in India too, over its history, has become a prey to caste and casteism. True, there have been prophetic voices against casteism within Christian communities. We are also encouraged by many examples, now and in the past, of a strong resistance and many constructive efforts to do away with this evil. But the painful reality remains that the Church in India is still far from the vision of a united Christian community, "where there is no Jew, nor Greek" (Rom.10.12 & Gal.3.28).

19. Looking beyond the reality of the Church in India, we were confronted with the painful reality that racism and racial discrimination still continues to exist in various forms - subtle, hidden and at times even institutionalized - in the Church in most parts of the world. In spite of strong condemnation by the Church leaders at different levels, racism has remained part of the Church history and its consequences are visible even today.

20. Experiences ranging from colonialism to present attitude towards certain groups of people such as Afro-Americans, indigenous peoples and migrants in most parts of the world, revealed to us that Christians and Christian communities are still not able to overcome the racial prejudices and discriminative practices.

Religious Intolerance

21. The Chennai Workshop was also an opportunity for us, through sharing, debate and inputs by Christian and non-Christian scholars, to come face to face with different dimensions of religious intolerance and discrimination.

22. The phenomenon of religious intolerance, we believe, is intrinsically linked with the phenomenon of racism and all other forms of discrimination. Stereotyped and uninformed perceptions of the "other" have often resulted in prejudicial and negative feelings, fears and insecurities. And institutionalized religions, when coupled with political power, have often become instruments of domination, discrimination and even intolerance towards minority religions and religious communities. Furthermore, manipulations by the external forces of political and economic powers have made religion a source of division rather than a source of unity among peoples of different faiths.

23. We also learnt that religions, as human institutions each with its own set of exclusive and vested interests, often have confrontational and antagonistic relations among them. All religions proclaim to aim at the fullness of life, equality, dignity and rights for all. Yet in reality, they often remain as competitors or enemies, rather than allies and partners in search of a common vision of a society free from racism and all forms of discrimination.

1. 25. Any form of discrimination and intolerance among religions or on the ground of religion and belief have to be condemned and fought against. We are convinced that the answer lies in the path of dialogue understood as active and common struggle across religions and faiths towards the emancipation of all persons irrespective of race, caste, gender, religion or belief.

   Racism from a Theological Perspective

2. 26. We, Christians like all other religious persons, believe that all men and women are created in God's image and therefore human dignity and equality become inviolable. From the very roots of God's creative action, every form of violation of that dignity, of which racism is a clear example, must be considered an act of violation against the creator.
3. 27. The biblical tradition stresses God's defence of the weakest and poorest in society. God preferentially loves the stranger and the poor, and is identified with them. Everyone is judged on the basis of treatment of the least in society. "In so far as you did this to one of the least of my brothers of mine, you did it to me". (Mt 25:40) In this spirit, we Christians are directly called to oppose all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

   On the Road from Chennai to Durban

4. 28. The spirit of conversion and repentance, which was at the core of the Jubilee Year 2000, needs to be deepened. It should lead us to concrete expression towards purification of our historical memories and realities.
5. 29. Our participation in Durban needs to be a concrete sign of our collective will to commit ourselves to combat racism and racial discrimination in both our local and global society and our local and global Church.

All Different - All Equal
All Equal - All Different