From April 20, thousands of delegates from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are expected to gather in Geneva for the United Nation’s Durban Review Conference, a five-day follow-up to the 2001 World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in the developing world held in Durban, South Africa.

Noble principles seem to stem from such an initiative, although reality showed us a completely different picture. The event in 2001 resulted in a “hate fest” of Anti Semitism where the only country blamed for racism, racial discrimination, apartheid and related crimes was Israel. Attendees at that time remember how libels like “protocols of savvy elders of Zion”, a notorious anti-Semitic book, or “Mein Kampf “ were circulating freely in the conference , and  how offensive slogans were shouted against whoever seemed to be Jewish.

This year things do not look too much different, as the preparatory meetings were held under the same spirit. Notably major promoters of the Conference have been Arab countries together with Sudan, Iran and Venezuela, places where minorities and diversities (religious, sexual, political, ethnical) do not seem to be very much respected. After long rounds of negotiations Canada USA and Australia decided to withdraw their official delegation, together with some European countries led by Italy and The Netherlands, who regarded the final declaration draft as unacceptable.

Few days ago, Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced his presence at the Conference, a sublime act which, among other things, consecrates the persecution of Baha’i religion affiliates in his country, with the blessing of the United Nations. Moreover the most cruel world dictatorships representatives are expected to hold the floor, in a triumph of hypocrisy where the other is the enemy and any occasion is legitimate to spit on the Universal declaration of Human Rights, on which the United Nations were founded.

It is sad to see how an important occasion for making the world a slightly better place is missed. International conferences should be an occasion of debate, mutual understanding, and progress; instead we will see pure propaganda aimed at distorting the idea of struggle against discrimination made by countries which discriminate on a daily basis.

I believe that European countries should agree on common positions on those matters, principles like defense of Human rights were conquered after ages of fights, it would be a political suicide for Europe giving up on them.

Michele Rimini

Κρίσις (crisis): ancient greek - a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute

Κρίνω (crino): ancient greek - I pick out, I choose, I decide, I judge

Crisis…
Choice….
Decision….
Judgment….
Dispute….

Is this the time to choose? Yes, this time is the first one for our generation in which we must choose…we are asked to take decisions, to use our judgment, to handle ourselves in hard and risky disputes that could even result in the loss of our jobs, of our social condition…of our lives.

For the first time, people under 30 are called to be really responsible of the future, as they’ve never been asked before…or maybe they just have the real chance to prove the world that they can win against the crisis.

Indeed, I believe that young people have the right sense of flexibility and the attitude to change which is the only way to survive and to exit from this difficult period, with a renovated and strengthened trust in the community, our jobs, our families and our policy makers…

In these months, it is not rare to find young people feeling themselves betrayed by financial leaders, companies’ managers, governmental officers and chiefs…..and that’s maybe right: we’ve been trusting leaders that have failed or, at least, have long lived in a system which was destined to fail.

That is why we should all stand up for a better time, we should tell what we believe could be the best way to start up from the deep places we’ve been travelling towards during the last few months; and we should all never stop keeping our eyes wide open, capturing every small signal of possible future failures or crises, remembering the hard times we’re living in…

So, let’s take this chance…let’s think hard about the way we could contribute to make the change real, let’s figure out our vision and strategy to reach it; let’s start communicating and taking action from our strategy, let’s involve our social, economical and political leaders….starting from our families.
We should never stop imagining a better place and never stop being conscious that we all, as young people, have the opportunity to make it real!

What I hope, today, is that all young people start moving, start taking action, taking decisions and choosing the opportunity to change; I am trying to do it, from my side: I will fail only if I stop believing in my future vision and if I start being afraid of the future.

So, don’t be afraid! We’ve got all we need for change…don’t you think it?

Azzurra