Durban II: Boycotts and Politics Take over Conference against Racism

Related Post: Extract from Ahmadinejad Speech, Delegate Walkout at Durban Conference

The Second United Nations World Conference against Racism opened on Monday. Even before the first session was called to order, it was the politics surrounding the conference, rather than the proceedings, that were generating headlines.

United Nations General Secretary Ban-Ki moon opened the conference with a general statement of objectives:

The document before us is carefully balanced. It addresses key issues. It sets the stage for concrete action in a global campaign for justice for victims of racism worldwide.

However, the Secretary-General immediately shifted to the issue of the boycott declared by the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Israel on the eve of the conference: "I deeply regret that some have chosen to stand aside. I hope they will not do so for long.”

Ban Ki-Moon's message was clearly for Washington. The previous day, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay was even more explicit, "I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States decision not to attend a conference that aims to combat racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and other forms of intolerance worldwide."

Amnesty International also expressed its regrets :

The withdrawal of Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Poland and the refusal of Italy and the USA to join the Conference is very disappointing in light of the long and difficult negotiations and the acceptance of the revised Outcome Document on Friday. True conviction in combating racism requires governments to be there to stand up for what is right and to reject forcefully what is objectionable. While Amnesty International appreciates these countries’ reaffirmation of their commitment to continue to combat racism and other forms of discrimination, their continuing engagement on the side of the victims of racism and related forms of discrimination at the Review Conference would have made that reaffirmation much more convincing.

And thousands of miles away, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum added his criticism: "Those countries were quick to respond to the Zionist and American pressure and extortion against their leaders.”

By this afternoon, all of the political fuss over the boycott had been complemented, possibly superseded by the furour over the speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Geneva. As he started to speak, coincidentally on Holocaust Memorial Day, two men in multi-coloured clown wigs tried to reach the podium. One of the men threw a soft red object at Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad began his speech (see the video extract in a separate blog) by accusing Western powers of building a "unilateral and unequal" United Nations after the end of World War II, contributing to a violence of "racist Zionism" which continues to this day:

Following the World War II, they resorted to military aggressions to make an entire nation homeless under pretext of Jewish sufferings and they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and from other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine. And, in fact, in convincation, for the dual consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine. The Security Council helped to stabilize this occupying regime and supported it in the past 60 years, given them the free hand to continue their crimes. It is all the more regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States have committed themselves to defend those racist perpetrators of genocide, whilst the awakened conscience and free-minded people of the world condemn aggressions, brutalities and bombardments of civilians in Gaza.

In the middle of the speech, many delegates including those from France and Britain left the hall while others supported Ahmadinejad with their applause.

Israelis arefurious because of the language of the draft resolution before the conference and Ahmadinejad’s speech, and they have also been disappointed with the offer of leaders like Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz to meet his Iranian counterpart. After Israel recalled its ambassador to Switzerland in protest, Merz defended the meeting with the assertion that Switzerland was a neutral country which was not a part of any alliance.

Amidst all this diplomatic posturing, the foundation of the conference has been lost. The latest draft on World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance is still the one being circulated around tables in Geneva. There has been no change yet. There is no language accusing Israel of racism. There is no reference to the recent Gaza War. There is still the attempt at neutrality in the treatment of the State of Israel and the Arab world.

Which raises the question: is any of the politics surrounding this conference connected in any way with a meaningful discussion of the draft text and racism?

Video: Obama Speech to CIA Employees (20 April)

Days after his Administration released memoranda documenting torture during the Bush Administration, President Obama visited CIA headquarters and addressed employees:

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Winning the Culture Wars: How the "Gathering Storm" over Same-Sex Marriage was Defeated

Related Post: Winning the Culture Wars (Part 2) - Stephen Colbert Parts the Gathering Storm

A couple of weeks ago, British newspapers engaged in some silliness over Obama's America. The Daily Telegraph declared, "America's religious Right has conceded that the election of US President Barack Obama has sealed its defeat in the cultural war with permissiveness and secularism." The Observer announced two days later, "Barack Obama brings truce in culture war".

This false truce was exposed last week during the Tea Parties which, beneath their surface complaints over taxes and Government spending, were founded upon social, cultural, and even racial positions. The coding of "American values" signalled the confrontation of decadent "liberal" enemies.

Yet, even as the demonstrations were taking place, a significant episode was being played out on the Internet. In that battle lay not consensus but a victory for the dangerous "liberals", one that would have been hard to conceive even 20 years ago.

The story begins with this video, "A Gathering Storm", from the National Organization for Marriage:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI[/youtube]

The "clouds are dark" warning, with the prospect of gay couples invading the living room, is all too familiar to me from 1980s America and, after I left the US, in the 1990s phony crusade against "political correctness". Even last year, the passage of California's Proposition 8, declaring the only acceptable union was between a man and a woman, indicated that Obama's America would not relinquish long-held prejudices.

This time, however, the unexpected (at least to me) occurred. Within hours, there was a Web-based counter-attack. The "Gathering Storm" video was pilloried in comments (most of them calmly and civilly put) and in a series of YouTube rebuttals and parodies:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJGR8YDd_lU&feature=related[/youtube]

On Twitter, the political columnist Anamarie Cox and other mischievous folk began circulating the message, "Suck it @nomtweets!". The National Organization for Marriage's latest scheme, "2M4M" (Two Million For Marriage) was taken over by the "real" 2M4M (Two Men For Marriage).

By the time Stephen Colbert anointed the satirical dissection of the NOM campaign (see separate blog and video), the political signs had been posted: the doors to same-sex marriage are no longer bolted. Following the lead set by Massachusetts in 2004 and then by Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont had begun the process of legalisation, and in New York, Governor David Paterson announed that he would be introducing the measure. Even in Utah --- Utah, perhaps the most socially-conservative state in the US --- the governor said he would support same-sex unions. Prominent Republicans like John McCain's campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, are publicly asking the GOP to abandon its opposition.

None of this is being written with the complacency that the Storms  are gone forever. Cultural fears and invocations of "tradition" can always be summoned to hold the line against advances in civil rights. But, even at a time of economic crisis, there is cause for celebration of a new American politics --- in tone and technique --- that is bringing not dark clouds but a bit of tolerant sunshine.

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"Over the past few days we've seen potential positive signs in the nature of the relationship between the United States and Cuba and Venezuela, but as I've said before, the test for all of us is not simply words but also deeds."

VIDEO (Part 1 of 4)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILcNOM94QI4[/youtube]

VIDEO (Part 2 of 4)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obqsF6xBbsk[/youtube]

VIDEO (Part 3 of 4)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp1wamQsvyI[/youtube]

VIDEO (Part 3 of 4)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rV6vSEjFM[/youtube]