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Address
by Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Secretary-General of the WCAR,
to the Voices Special Forum on Comparative Experiences of Racism, 1 September 2001 Listening is a form of empowerment. Listening to the testimony of
those who have suffered racism and discrimination is vital to our understanding of these
scourges and to the search for more effective ways to combat them. It is one thing to be
aware of how widespread racism is, quite another to place ourselves in the position of
those who suffer abuse and discrimination on a daily basis.
I am pleased that space has been found at this Conference to hear the personal stories
of a wide variety of individuals. I pay tribute to the International Human Rights Law
Group, the South African Human Rights Commission and all who have helped to arrange this
event.
These stories need to be heard. But it is not enough to listen and sympathise. The
voices of victims are calls to action – to greater effort on behalf of those on the
receiving end of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. That is the
only way we can prove that we are serious about shaping a world where such abuses of human
rights are eliminated forever
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