News from Berlin - In a public statement on March 21st the German governmental speaker for Human Rights affairs Christoph Straesser emphasized that discrimination due to ethnicity, color of skin, religion, culture, faith or gender is a violation of the basic rights of every individual. He admitted that in Germany as well there is the potential to improve the situation of discrimination. Germany has to increase its effort in fighting discrimination and racism, said Straesser.

Germany has faced recent criticism regarding murders of Turkish-Germans by the NSU, alongside racial profiling in Germany and the growing concern over the treatment of asylum seekers, admitted the speaker.

Annually, March 21st is marked to honour the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” The date is related to a demonstration that took place in the South African town of Sharpeville, where the population protested against the apartheid regime in 1960. The peaceful demonstration was ended by the authorities in a brutal manner: 69 were killed and 180 injured. Therefore the United Nations called for the International Day Against Racism in 1996 and since then, the massacre as well as the daily victims of racial discrimination should be thought of.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global