International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2021: History, significance, all you need to know

Image Courtesy: Twitter

New Delhi: The United Nations observe March 21 as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The day aims to raise awareness about equality amd marks as an initiative to end all forms of racism and racial discrimination and calls all sections of society to stand up against intolerant attitudes. 

We are living in the 21st century still there are countries that are facing the issue of racial discrimination. A recent example was the 2020 Black Lives Matter march, which gained support from million of demonstrators worldwide. 

Here is everything you need to know about this day:

Theme for 2021:

The theme for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2021 is "Youth standing up against racism".

The hashtag which is being used is #FightRacism, in order to reach out to a mass audience. 

On Sunday's #FightRacism Day, we celebrate the young human rights defenders who, through their global engagement for equality & inclusion, build solidarity, lead change and stand up against racism.

More from @UNHumanRights: https://t.co/rUmbZH7FDz pic.twitter.com/kDUw6USXfG — United Nations (@UN) March 20, 2021

History:

This day is observed annually to commemorate the lives of 69 people who were killed in 1960,  at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid “pass laws” in Sharpeville, South Africa. This event is known as the Sharpeville tragedy or the Sharpeville massacre, which captured worldwide attention.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was then established six years after the event in 1966. 

Significance: 

This annual observance aims to unite the world against racism and discrimination in order to build a more happy and peaceful society.