---Special focus: World Conference Against Racism---
The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) will take place from August 31 to September 7 in Durban, South Africa. At that meeting, the international community is expected to broaden its focus on the wide variety of modern forms of racism and discrimination. Millions of people continue to encounter discrimination solely due to the color of their skin or other factors that indicate the race to which they belong. Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says, "As we see all around us, racism and racial discrimination continue unabated. Although we refer to our world as a global village, it is a world sadly lacking in the sense of closeness towards neighbor and community which the word village implies. In each region, and within all countries, there are problems stemming from either a lack of respect for, or lack of acceptance of, the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings. Our world is witness to serious ethnic conflicts; to discrimination against minorities, indigenous peoples and migrants workers; the accusation of institutionalized racism in police forces; harsh immigration and asylum policies; hate sites on the Internet and youth groups promoting intolerance and xenophobia."

WCAR Purpose
WCAR will focus on action-oriented and practical steps to eradicate racism, including measures of prevention, education and protection and the provision of effective remedies. Participants hope to create a new world vision for the fight against racism in the 21st century. According to Robinson, "If the World Conference is to make a difference, it must not only raise awareness about the scourge of racism, but it must lead to positive actions at the national, regional and international levels that can bring relief to those who bear the brunt of racism and racial discrimination. This is a subject that requires firmness of resolve, disciplined and persistent action, and clear-sighted thinking."

Goodwill Ambassadors
Marian Wright Edelman was named one of the eight Goodwill Ambassadors for the World Conference against Racism. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), has been an advocate for the disadvantaged in the United States for her entire professional career. Edelman, a graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.

A glance at some key topics:
1) Multi-ethnic States and the Protection of Minority Rights
The World Conference will offer an opportunity for putting the issue of the protection and promotion of minority rights on the floor for debate and into the plans of action.
2) Racism Against Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are persistent targets of intolerance.
3) Gender and Racial Discrimination
The injustices suffered by victims of racial discrimination and related intolerance are well-known: limited employment opportunities; segregation; and endemic poverty are only a few among these. The disadvantages faced by women in societies around the world are also familiar: lower pay for work of equal value; high illiteracy rates; and poor access to health care. While race is one reason for inequality and gender is another, they are not mutually exclusive forms of discrimination.
4) Migration and Discrimination
Throughout the world, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and internally displaced persons are the victims of racial discrimination, racist attacks, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance. In 2000, some 150 million migrants were living outside their countries of birth. Of these, some 50 million people were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, and human rights violations.
5) The Race Dimensions of Trafficking People
Each year, millions of individuals(the majority women and children) are tricked, sold, coerced or otherwise forced into situations of exploitation from which they cannot escape. They are the commodities in a multi-billion dollar global industry dominated by highly organized criminal groups operating with impunity.
6) Discrimination and Citizenship
Whole populations have been denied nationality in their own countries-or been stripped of their citizenship-because of their race or ethnicity. Some have been present in a country for generations, often predating their country's independence; others are indigenous peoples. Disputes over nationality have generated refugee crises, where particular ethnic groups have been arbitrarily stripped of their citizenship prior to their forced expulsion.
7) Religion
Religious leaders and institutions have often been the impetus for reconciliation and healing within communities where there is tension. Despite this, however, acts of religious intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief are common.
8) The Media
Developments in technology have had a profound impact on the role of the media by providing individuals and groups with new ways to communicate with each other. Regrettably, the Internet and other new forms of communication have also been used to disseminate messages of hatred and contempt for certain groups based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity and gender.

---U.S. Muslims Support Participation in U.N. Conference on Racism---A survey of American Muslim opinion released shows overwhelming support for U.S. participation in the upcoming United Nations conference on racism in South Africa, but indicates a split on the issues of stem cell research and the president's faith-based initiative. That survey, conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also showed that Muslims do not support human cloning but do favor school vouchers. (Note -- Poll results do not constitute Islamic legal rulings on these issues.) According to the Washington-based Islamic advocacy group's poll of 1008 individuals, 90 percent of American Muslim respondents said the United States should attend the United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), 37 percent said they opposed the use of stem cells from human embryos in medical research, 81 percent said they are against human cloning, and 67 percent want the introduction of school vouchers in the educational system. Other survey results included the following highlights: (1) 81 percent of American Muslim respondents rated President Bush's domestic policies as 5 or less on a scale from 1 to 10. (1 being biased against Muslims and 10 being biased in favor of Muslims.) FYI, there are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2 billion worldwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in America.

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