Mar. 21 is recognized all around the world as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, an issue that still plagues society, both at home and abroad. 

The day of observation was established in 1996, six years after an incident, known as the Sharpeville tragedy. On Mar. 21, 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. The United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to increase its efforts to erase all forms of racial discrimination and in 1979, adopted a number of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the decade for action to combat racism and racial discrimination. On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on March 21, would be organized annually in multiple countries.

Racial discrimination is something that hurts everybody and has only further weakened the fabric of society when it is ignored. Lauren McTaggart is the settlement and language services manager at the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council. She gives some advice on ways we can all combat racism in our lives.

"Every step we take towards eliminating racism and discrimination is a move in the right direction," says McTaggart. "We can all have hard conversations with ourselves about the racism that lives within us. We need to be mindful of the commonalities that humans share and practice empathy. You could learn about the racism that occurs where you live, and do something about it by participating in and supporting anti-racist community events, and advocate for affirmative action practices in education and employment."

The Multicultural Council's sister organization, the Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre provides free intercultural training seminars for groups looking to gap the bridge between themselves and others.

If you have been a victim of racial discrimination you can explore your options for remediation by clicking here.

If we look around at our relational circles and only see people who look, speak, and act similarly to ourselves, perhaps it’s time to get out and make a new friend.