Woes of a Label
Aditi Das, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly–Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), elaborates on the vast plethora of stances exhibited by the council on issues pertaining to the minorities.
Acknowledging the various forms of stereotypes faced by minority communities around the world, the committee decided to elaborate on the challenges faced by them.
The Delegate of Republic of the Congo began the discussion by citing Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), emphasising that there existed laws that were made to protect minority communities from the discrimination they faced due to their linguistic, religious and ethnic differences; but effective implementation of such laws was where the problem existed. Giving the example of the Rohingya Muslims, the Delegate of the Republic of Finland brought out that discrimination persisted in almost every sphere of the lives of such people, not excluding their workplaces, places of religion, or even their own homes.
The Delegate of Turkmenistan brought to light the concept of Islamophobia. The essence of this was explicated by the Delegate of Canada by claiming that because of the acts of terror carried out by some extremist groups, an entire religion faces severe problems. On the other hand, the Delegate of the State of Israel mentioned the oppression of smaller religious groups and the forced conversion of those who chose to follow them. Witnessing the contrast, the Delegate of the Republic of Yemen explained that discrimination was not due to religion, but improper education. Justifying his stance, he asked the committee that if Islam was considered catastrophic and oppressive, why was it still the fastest growing religion? The Delegate of the Republic of Suriname tried to reason out by adding that unawareness was the root of incorrect assumption and distrust. He further suggested that educating the public could help improve the situation of constant crisis.
In furtherance of the aforementioned arguments, the Delegate of the Republic of Kazakhstan mentioned that the over-indulgence of the media and their incorrect portrayal of incidents, played a major role in spreading unwarranted terror among the less privileged.
Mentioning that individuals belonging to minority communities start to face challenges from very early in their childhood, the Delegate of the Commonwealth of Dominica brought to light that poverty was a major factor which ensured that the condition of minorities did not improve with time. In conclusion, the Delegate of People’s Republic of China contended that for any country to identify the depth of challenges faced by such communities, they would have to choose a system that would work best for them, depending on their cultural and stereotypical differences. The economy, he emphasized, played a major role in amelioration.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
Not a First World Problem
Samiksha, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly–Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (UNGA-SOCHUM), presents the discussion of the committee on problems faced by ethnic minorities.
An ethnic minority refers to a group of citizens that are generally numerically less and have different ethnic characteristics as compared to the majority of the population. Ethnic minorities usually come into existence when they emigrate from one place to another due to capitalism and other reasons. The committee agreed that the problems faced by them are manifold and discussed them in the session of the UNGA-SOCHUM.
The Delegate of Romania spoke about the Roma minority—the second largest minority after the Hungaria. She stated that according to a survey, the Roma, individuals with mental health disorders, people with HIV-AIDS, and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Queer+ (LGBTQ+) community, are the most vulnerable to discrimination. 25% of adults above the age of 60 are unable to read or write and 23% of the population has not graduated from school. They have been denied basic human rights, such as access to public washrooms, on the basis of them being unhygienic. They were subject to a lot of hate crimes, such as burning down houses, rapes, and other forms of violence.
The Delegate of the Republic of Kiribati emphasised how the indigenous occupants became a minority due to Australian and European domination. He pointed out the low population as one of the main underlying reasons for the issues faced by them and also put forward the example of the Red Indians.
The Delegate of Grenada chose to focus on women belonging minority groups, as the problems faced by them range from harassment at the workplace, to them being forced to give up their cultural identities in order to get married. There are also no laws on government actions taken against minorities, which, according to the Delegate, only increases the injustice that ethnic minorities have to face.
Nearly all delegates had identified the various issues that were faced by the ethnic minorities of their respective countries and were determined to find solutions to help curb the same.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
Small Changes, Big Differences
After discussing the causes and parameters pertaining to the condition of minorities, the committee decided to discuss the solutions that would eradicate them. Aditi Das, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly–Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), elaborates on the session that resulted.
After much deliberation in the committee, the motion to discuss the solutions to end discrimination against minorities was set to roll.
The Delegate of Japan started by bringing to the committee’s attention that since the government was formed by the majority of a country’s population, the concerns of the minorities tended to fade out. The Delegate of the People’s Republic of China said that despite being formed by the majority, countries needed to implement the national laws before the international ones, as national laws catered best to the needs of the people within their borders. Referring to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Article 169 of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, the Delegate of the Republic of Chile encouraged more countries to execute the pre-existing laws.
Following course, the Delegate of the Republic of India suggested the establishment of advisory and decision-making bodies to look into the problems faced by the minority communities. Talking about the right to culture and ownership, he urged the facilitation of dialogue between borders. The Delegate talked about the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987 that constituted of legal services and authorities, for providing free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society. He claimed that it ensured opportunities for all. Retorting to this, the Delegate of the Republic of Tunisia responded that India did not deserve to speak on this, due to the high rate of crime in the minority communities on its own lands.
Contrasting the views of all other delegates, the Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic suggested a ban on all social media sites to prevent wrong dialogue exchange and miscommunication. The Delegate of the Commonwealth of Dominica expressed his disagreement by emphasizing on the right to freedom of speech and protection of children.
Furthermore, focussing on economic stabilisation, the Delegates of the Republic of Finland and the Swiss Confederation suggested a bi-directional approach which included both financial aid and educational scholarships. They talked about the establishment of research groups which would ensure interactive sessions between several groups within the country’s borders, and also called for a community radio for outreach programmes. It was concluded by the delegates that proper understanding of the situation could definitely promote and protect humanity.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
The Delegate of Japan started by bringing to the committee’s attention that since the government was formed by the majority of a country’s population, the concerns of the minorities tended to fade out. The Delegate of the People’s Republic of China said that despite being formed by the majority, countries needed to implement the national laws before the international ones, as national laws catered best to the needs of the people within their borders. Referring to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Article 169 of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, the Delegate of the Republic of Chile encouraged more countries to execute the pre-existing laws.
Following course, the Delegate of the Republic of India suggested the establishment of advisory and decision-making bodies to look into the problems faced by the minority communities. Talking about the right to culture and ownership, he urged the facilitation of dialogue between borders. The Delegate talked about the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987 that constituted of legal services and authorities, for providing free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society. He claimed that it ensured opportunities for all. Retorting to this, the Delegate of the Republic of Tunisia responded that India did not deserve to speak on this, due to the high rate of crime in the minority communities on its own lands.
Contrasting the views of all other delegates, the Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic suggested a ban on all social media sites to prevent wrong dialogue exchange and miscommunication. The Delegate of the Commonwealth of Dominica expressed his disagreement by emphasizing on the right to freedom of speech and protection of children.
Furthermore, focussing on economic stabilisation, the Delegates of the Republic of Finland and the Swiss Confederation suggested a bi-directional approach which included both financial aid and educational scholarships. They talked about the establishment of research groups which would ensure interactive sessions between several groups within the country’s borders, and also called for a community radio for outreach programmes. It was concluded by the delegates that proper understanding of the situation could definitely promote and protect humanity.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
Protect the People Who Aren’t Yours Too!
Samiksha, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly-Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Council (UNGA-SOCHUM), brings to light the statements made by the members of the committee.
The protection of cultural identities of various religious groups and ethnic minorities is immensely important, according to the committee. Ethnic minorities are groups of people that are significantly lesser in number and have culture and ethnicity different from that of the dominating group in the specific region.
The Delegate of Turkmenistan started by stating that Allah is the only God and that Turkmenistan is a predominantly Muslim country. The minorities present in this country are Protestants, Catholics, and Shi’a Muslims and the Delegate claimed that several amendments have been made to their constitution for these minorities. The Delegate made clear the fact that the state law is considered more relevant than the international law. The Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic raised a question to the Delegate of Turkmenistan. He spoke about recent events wherein the government of Turkmenistan burned Bibles and a church. To this, the Delegate of Turkmenistan replied by saying that all the steps taken by the government were only for the protection of the minorities. The Delegate stated that some sources had informed the government about forceful conversions taking place in the church and were later found to be counterfeit.
The Delegate of Turkmenistan was then questioned by the Delegate of the Republic of Suriname, who asked him about the steps taken by the government for the protection of cultural identities. The Delegate stated two plans that were implemented—the Children Protection Plan, and the National Plan of Action to Protect Women. According to the Children Protection Plan, children belonging to ethnic minorities in Turkmenistan will enjoy equal rights irrespective of their birth, sex, race, ethnical origin, language, or religion. It also regulates the protection of children from economic exploitation, dangers to their health, situations which may affect their education, or circumstances which in any way affect their overall development. The National Plan of Action to Protect Women ensures complete equality between men and women.
The last question posed at the delegate of Turkmenistan was by the delegate of the Republic of Korea. He pointed out that the Delegate had said Allah was the only God; but other religions exist as well. The Delegate of Turkmenistan defended his stance by stating that Turkmenistan was founded in the 1800s, when Islam was the religion of the majority. The Delegate concluded that the rules and state laws of the country were formed accordingly.
The Delegate of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan) then spoke about the measures taken by the government for the Afghani Hindus, such as the Asmai Temple in Kabul. He stated clearly that the extremist party, Taliban, was the contributing factor to the problems being faced by the minorities, as their orchestrated attacks caused conflict. The Delegate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan) then asked the Delegate of Afghanistan when Afghanistan would stop blaming Pakistan for the terror attacks. The Delegate of Afghanistan simply replied by saying they would stop blaming Pakistan when Pakistan would stop supporting the Taliban.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
The Delegate of Turkmenistan started by stating that Allah is the only God and that Turkmenistan is a predominantly Muslim country. The minorities present in this country are Protestants, Catholics, and Shi’a Muslims and the Delegate claimed that several amendments have been made to their constitution for these minorities. The Delegate made clear the fact that the state law is considered more relevant than the international law. The Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic raised a question to the Delegate of Turkmenistan. He spoke about recent events wherein the government of Turkmenistan burned Bibles and a church. To this, the Delegate of Turkmenistan replied by saying that all the steps taken by the government were only for the protection of the minorities. The Delegate stated that some sources had informed the government about forceful conversions taking place in the church and were later found to be counterfeit.
The Delegate of Turkmenistan was then questioned by the Delegate of the Republic of Suriname, who asked him about the steps taken by the government for the protection of cultural identities. The Delegate stated two plans that were implemented—the Children Protection Plan, and the National Plan of Action to Protect Women. According to the Children Protection Plan, children belonging to ethnic minorities in Turkmenistan will enjoy equal rights irrespective of their birth, sex, race, ethnical origin, language, or religion. It also regulates the protection of children from economic exploitation, dangers to their health, situations which may affect their education, or circumstances which in any way affect their overall development. The National Plan of Action to Protect Women ensures complete equality between men and women.
The last question posed at the delegate of Turkmenistan was by the delegate of the Republic of Korea. He pointed out that the Delegate had said Allah was the only God; but other religions exist as well. The Delegate of Turkmenistan defended his stance by stating that Turkmenistan was founded in the 1800s, when Islam was the religion of the majority. The Delegate concluded that the rules and state laws of the country were formed accordingly.
The Delegate of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan) then spoke about the measures taken by the government for the Afghani Hindus, such as the Asmai Temple in Kabul. He stated clearly that the extremist party, Taliban, was the contributing factor to the problems being faced by the minorities, as their orchestrated attacks caused conflict. The Delegate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan) then asked the Delegate of Afghanistan when Afghanistan would stop blaming Pakistan for the terror attacks. The Delegate of Afghanistan simply replied by saying they would stop blaming Pakistan when Pakistan would stop supporting the Taliban.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
The ‘Colour’ Guide
“We all bleed the same colour.” Aditi Das, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly–Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), provides a sneak-peek into the perspective of the council.
Could the Australian campaign, “Racism. It stops with me.”, be implemented by all the countries to reduce discrimination against minority groups? The reporter analyses the flux of opinions in the committee.
Upon deduction of the delegates’ response to the question, it was determined that a majority of the committee (69 percent) considered the campaign feasible and showed enthusiasm towards implementing it in their own countries. This displayed their acknowledgement of the fact that an individual’s approach towards the situation of minorities and their initiative to curb discrimination was just as important as any national or international outlook.
Contrary to this, 18 percent of the committee believed that other factors, such as providing education and financial aid to the minority communities worked more effectively than individualistic interaction. They were in favour of forming decision making bodies to tend to the specific needs of the stereotyped people.
A significant 13 percent of the committee, however, was unsure about the implications that a campaign such as this would have and thus, resorted to playing it safe. The reporter infers that the success of similar campaigns in more countries would change their belief.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
Not Your Fight
Samiksha, reporting from the United Nations General Assembly-Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee (UNGA-SOCHUM), presents an opinion poll on whether or not the ongoing Yemen crisis is a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The ongoing Yemen crisis is without a doubt one of the most bloody and heart-wrenching crises happening in the world. It is looked at from a variety of perspectives; one of them being a proxy war between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia). Yet another angle to look at this is that it is a conflict between the Shi’a and Sunni.
When the question of this conflict being a proxy war was posed to the delegates of the UNGA-SOCHUM, most delegates abstained from answering. These delegates included those of the United States of America (USA), the Republic of India, the State of Kuwait (Kuwait), the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It is worthy to note that Kuwait is a part of the coalition that is headed by Saudi Arabia. This is the very coalition that is fighting the Houthi rebels who started this war in the first place. Yet another notable vote is that of the USA, which supplied the Saudi-led coalition with weapons and intelligence.
The number of delegates that voted yes to this poll was only six. A notable vote in these six was that of Israel, considering that the Houthi rebels are known for their anti-Semitic beliefs.
The number of delegates that voted no to this poll was ten.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)
When the question of this conflict being a proxy war was posed to the delegates of the UNGA-SOCHUM, most delegates abstained from answering. These delegates included those of the United States of America (USA), the Republic of India, the State of Kuwait (Kuwait), the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It is worthy to note that Kuwait is a part of the coalition that is headed by Saudi Arabia. This is the very coalition that is fighting the Houthi rebels who started this war in the first place. Yet another notable vote is that of the USA, which supplied the Saudi-led coalition with weapons and intelligence.
The number of delegates that voted yes to this poll was only six. A notable vote in these six was that of Israel, considering that the Houthi rebels are known for their anti-Semitic beliefs.
The number of delegates that voted no to this poll was ten.
(Edited by Keerthisree Raghu.)