The ICES at the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

Racial discrimination and ethnic conflict are one of the main causes of wars and destruction in many parts of the world. In the South and South East Asian regions the rise of race-based notions of ethnic identity and politics is rooted in the history of European colonialism and modes of governance. That is to say, the rise of nineteenth-century colonial "scientific" racism which placed cultures, peoples and communities in a single civilizational hierarchy also to legitimise colonial rule, resulted in the construction of particular types of racial classifications of cultural, linguistic, caste and regional diversity.

In a region where identities have historically been multiple, overlapping, and often migratory, and sometimes fluid, race-based notions of identity have had lasting political consequences, insofar as it has legitimised post/colonial forms of colonization by elite groups of less "civilized" indigenous groups, castes, or ethno-linguistic or other religious and cultural minorities. Likewise, groups fighting for self-determination have used the language of race and ethnic self-determination and victim-hood to legitimise violence, exclusive claims to territory, even ethnic cleansing as in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur has often noted that violence against women is conducted in the name of the honour of the ethno-racial community. Rape as humiliation has a racial biological purpose - to dilute blood and heritage. Notions of race are then at the heart of forms and types of violence perpetrated against women as members of a particular community or group.

THE UN CONFERENCE ON RACISM

The general assembly stated that the first World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance for the millennium should be "action oriented and focus on practical measures to eradicate racism…". This conference is scheduled to be held in September 2001 in South Africa. The objectives of the conference are
· To review progress made in the fight against racism and racial discrimination, to reappraise obstacles to progress in the field, and to devise ways to overcome them.
· To consider how to ensure the better application of existing standards to combat racial discrimination.
· To increase awareness about racism and its consequences.
· To formulate concrete recommendations on how the activities and mechanisms of the UN can be more effective in fighting racism.
· To review the political historical economic social cultural and other factors which have contributed to racism.
· To make recommendations with regard to new national regional

In most countries many victims suffer the double discrimination based on gender disability and age. Prior to the World Conference, there will be regional conferences that will deal specifically with regional problems. These conferences will thus be a reporting mechanism to bring regional problems to the world conference. Thus the intricacies of each region can be acknowledged along with the larger picture of a worldwide consensus on the need to for mechanisms to protects against racism and xenophobia.

The International Centre for ethnic studies has long been engaged in conceptualising, analysing, and working for solutions to race and ethnic conflicts and violence in the region. A t the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, ICES would seek to contribute both conceptually and practically drawing from its research capabilities and experience in the field. At the Same time ICES will be stimulated by the wide mandate of the conference which will act as the guiding light for the ICES project that will examine the concepts of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender and their interactions.

OBJECTIVES

1. This project aims to add conceptually to the knowledge base on issues related to race, gender, ethnicity and their interactions. One of the main shortcomings of current research is the lack of a comparative approach. Current discourse is generally based on the North American or South African experiences which although very important sometimes do not account for 'other' experiences.
2. To make substantial interventions at the World Conference in South Africa, especially on the interactions between race and gender, and ethnicity, race and caste. This in the long run would, we hope lead to substantial changes to national policy.
3. To act as a catalyst in the race and ethnicity discourse that has begun in Sri Lanka. Although attention has been paid to the effects of conflict on issues of identity etc, the race and ethnicity dialogue has not been given much importance in conflict and post-conflict areas.

ACTIVITIES

1. Preparatory Meetings

a. The first step in conceptualising and developing ICES' role and project for the UN World Conference on Racism was participation at the Asia Pacific Preparatory meetings held in Tehran on February 17-22 2001.

At that meeting there were 6 thematic working groups:
1. Gender and Racism
2. Migration/trafficking
3. Caste
4. National minorities
5. Indigenous people
6. Globalisation and racism

In the course of the meeting where an ICES representative was the rapporteur for the national minorities working group, it was apparent that much more conceptual work was necessary to address the complexities and embedded, old and new articulations of identity based discrimination in the region. The current tendency is to view ethnic, race, caste and linguistic hierarchies as separate formations, rather than complexly articulated forms of social marginalization. Viewing marginalization as an outcome of various hierarchical classifications has implications for policy formulation for social justice and poverty alleviation in the region. Also felt was the need to broaden and inform the regional policy debate with the important work of the UNHCH Sub-Commission on Minority Rights - particularly the autonomy v. integration debate and multiculturalism approaches.

It was also felt that the manner in which culture and gender articulate with regard to universal standards for women's rights and women's positioning as cultural subject (cultural relativism) had not been adequately addressed in a region where women's rights and cultural values are often in open conflict. ICES would seek to contribute a considered and balanced analysis of the universal women's rights - cultural relativism debate in the Asian region.

b. The Second step in contribution to the World conference on Racism would be participation at the preparatory meeting to be held in Kathmandu in April 2001.

The Kathmandu meeting is an important follow up to the Regional Meeting held in Tehran and also a forum where the Asian strategy for Lobbying at the World Conference can be developed and finalised. The UN sub-commission meetings this year which focus on the theme of autonomy-integration will provide a forum for information and developing the Asia-Pacific regional debate on policy vis-à-vis national minorities.

c. UN Minority Rights sub-Commission meetings in Geneva in May 2001 and 2002

2. World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in South Africa, September 2001.

Drawing from the Asia-Pacific Prep. Com. Meetings as well as national level consultations (described below) ICES would seek to develop three substantive issue papers on:

I. Race, Ethnic and Caste articulations of discrimination in the region.

II. Gender, Culture and Race: Debating universal standards and cultural relativism vis-à-vis the women question in the region.

III. A paper on youth, race, conflict, and exclusion is also proposed. Youth are often the most vulnerable to engage in conflicts and the targets in armed conflicts, yet it remains a relatively neglected issue. ICES will seek to develop a paper on youth, conflict and marginalization in Sri Lanka. We would draw from the recently completed national youth survey, and assist in data analysis. Youth is also the cross cutting theme selected by the South African hosts of the conference.

Purpose of the issue papers:

1. These issue papers would constitute substantive research and reference
documents.

2. The papers would have a policy orientation for developing comprehensive frameworks to address forms of marginalization within states.

3. The issue papers would also support the work of the working groups, (National Minorities/ Caste & Race and Gender groups) in their interventions at the world conference on Racism to be held in South Africa on August 31-Sept

4. The minorities paper would also seek to broaden the regional debates by relating regional issues to the work of the UN Sub-commission on Minority Rights, and to contribute to the UN sub-commission meetings in Geneva in May 2001 & 2002.

3. National Level Meetings.

It has been evident that a National Level process on the theme so the World Conference on Racism and other forms of Discrimination and Intolerance is important and lacking at the present time. Thus ICES has taken the initiative in organising two meetings in Colombo for this purpose, and to inform its work.

The First Meeting will be held at the end of April and will be an informative meeting for Sri Lankan NGOs and Institutions of the processes of the WCAR. This will also be a de-briefing session on the meetings held in Tehran and Kathmandu for those who were not involved in the process thus far.

ICES will bring together a team of experts who will edit and comment on the papers that will be produced for the WCAR in South Africa in August. These papers will be disseminated early July, 2001 and the Expert Groups Meeting will be held on July 7, 2001. At this meeting papers will be finalised. Further editing and publishing will take place after this consultative process prior to the final publication being taken to South Africa in August.

Finally, we felt that the issues discussed in the World Conference need to
be widely disseminated in Sri Lanka. We would suggest a national conference
on "Multiculturalism and Reconciliation in Conflict and Post/Conflict
Situations" to be held in January 2002. This might be done in consultation
with the Ministry of National Integration.

The South Africans also indicated that they would be happy to give space for authors of books and for exhibitions on the themes of the conference.

PROJECT TEAM

1. One overall coordinator who will be based at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies in Colombo. She will attend the preparatory meetings and coordinate the national level meetings to be held in Colombo. She will also oversee the publication of the papers and coordinate ICES activities at the World Conference.
2. Two Senior Researchers will oversee the research and generate two papers to be presented at the World Conference.
3. Six Junior Researchers will assist the two senior researchers.

WHY ICES?

The International Centre for Ethnic Studies has been a research institution that has been at the forefront of innovative research in to the concepts of ethnicity, race, governance etc. Many research projects have been carried out over the years that have examined the conceptual aspects of race, ethnicity, gender, class etc. and their interactions. These conceptual investigations have also been taken a step further and examined in relation to different regions of the world especially the South Asian region and its Diaspora. Through its many projects and activities ICES has developed and maintained a vast network of scholars, activists and leading thinkers in various fields that continue to add to the knowledge base of the world with new ideas.

ICES has undertaken a two year project that began in April, 2000. It is titled "Diversity in South Asia" and is a project that will aim to protect minorities in the region. There is no shortage in the region of the theoretical concepts of how minority rights can be protected. There is however a want for a link between theory and practice. Thus one of the main aims of this project is to forge a link between policy makers and theoreticians on minority issues. Other than in Sri Lanka and India the other South Asian states do not have national level institutions that deal specifically with minority issues. It is an aim of this project to empower national level institutions so that they are better able to deal with these issues. Furthermore this project will aim to develop, establish and assist institutions that will protect and promote diversity. Finally this project aims to elaborate regional standards that will aid in the development of effective mechanisms to protect and promote diversity in South Asia.

In 1997 ICES conducted a project titled "Multiculturalism and Modes of Ethnic Coexistence in South and South-East Asia". The Objectives of this project were twofold. One, to Identify the cultural dynamics of peaceful coexistence within select culturally diverse Asian politics and two, to identify traditions of multiculturalism which might be common to the South and South-East Asian regions which could be used to further peace in conflict situations. The case studies conducted and data collected reflect the following principles. That modern ethnic or racial identities are political constructs used to by oppressed groups to claim a space for their culture and identity, and equally used to justify the tyranny of the majority and/or the (reactive) violence of the minority. States have been ethnicised and racialized as a response to claims for cultural difference and diversity.

With the Working Group on Minorities ICES has organized "minority protection in South Asia" to look at region specific problems that are not addressed effectively in the universal declaration. These investigations were into the rights of minorities, duties of states and the nature of tools. Discussion of conflict resolution and protection of minorities within the framework of the declaration.

In the last years of his life Dr. Tiruchelvam participated in and contributed actively to the UN Sub-Commission on Minorities. Last year at opening sessions Dr. Asbjorn Eide, Chair of the Sub-commission, noted Dr Tiruchelvam's enormous contribution to the growth and development of the work of the UNHRC Sub-Commission on Minorities, and regretted his absence. Dr. Eide said that he hoped that ICES would continue to contribute to and support the work of the Sub-Commission. ICES also organised an annual Lecture at the Sub-commission meetings. Last year Professor Yash Ghai delivered the Lecture.

In keeping with this tradition and drawing from these initiatives ICES will seek to contribute to the world conference and share its experience from working in the field.