Global Racism: a Violation of Human Rights
"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church affirm that all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God. "The rights and privileges a society bestows upon or withholds from those who comprise it indicate the relative esteem in which that society holds particular persons and groups of persons" (from the Social Principles, ¶ 72, The Book of Discipline).
At the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995, nations of the world agreed that:
...an inclusive society must be based on respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, cultural and religious diversity, social justice and the special needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, democratic participation and the rule of law. The pluralistic nature of most societies has at times resulted in problems for the different groups to achieve and maintain harmony and cooperation, and to have equal access to all resources in society.
"Racism is the combination of the power to dominate by one race over other races and a value system which assumes that the dominant race is innately superior to the others. Racism includes both personal and institutional racism. Personal racism is manifested through the individual expressions, attitudes, and/or behaviors which accept the assumptions of a racist value system and which maintain the benefits of this system. Institutional racism is the established social pattern which supports implicitly or explicitly the racist value system." (from the Social Principles, ¶ 72, The Book of Discipline).
The plague of racism is manifested all over the world, intensifying discrimination and marginalization of people based on their race, ethnicity, nationality, language or caste and of indigenous peoples. It creates environments where the marginalized internalize that culture, are dehumanized, and are denied their own identities, values and perspectives. Polarization between dominant groups and marginalized groups and intolerance of "outsiders"--migrants, immigrants, refugees, and the internally displaced--is increasing in many societies. Civil unrest is not uncommon, often leading to violence, xenophobia, organization of hate groups and private militia, and ethnic conflict.
The media and educational systems have often served to validate, rather than dispel, negative racial stereotypes. If unchallenged, exposure to these images and concepts from early childhood can contribute to racist attitudes and behaviors or self-hatred in adulthood.
The resurgence of questionable scientific practices based on theories that postulate that racial ethnic persons are inherently inferior to those of the dominant race has global implications. Such scientific research and tests which predict behavior and rationalize the lack of educational and social achievement have been used to establish policies and procedures that further institutionalize racism.
Racism and racial discrimination continually assume new forms, intensified by conflict over economic resources in developed as well as in developing countries. The commitment and investment of societies in the health and welfare of individuals and groups is increasingly disparate. This can be seen in, among other things, the decreasing incomes, scarcity of meaningful work, lack of proper nutrition and access to physical and mental health care, poor education, increasing illiteracy, disproportionate incarceration rates and death sentences, dislocation of families, unemployment, homelessness, landlessness, denial of effective participation in the political process, and social exclusion and isolation of minority and indigenous groups in society.
Environmental racism has endangered the quality of life in communities where large minority and low income populations live. In industrialized countries and in developing countries, companies often use the lack of government controls to pollute these communities, exposing the people to poisonous chemicals. Health and safety of peoples are also jeopardized by toxic contamination due to the disposal process and placement of facilities for the production, storage, and treatment of hazardous materials and wastes in their communities.
The impact of militarism continues to affect developing nations and minority communities in many ways. Lands of developing nations, lands sacred to indigenous peoples and colonized lands are often used as testing grounds for nuclear weapons and emerging technologies. The world-wide dependence on armaments for security has sustained the expanding arms industry and intensified conflicts and wars, many involving one ethnic or national group against another.
The colonial and imperial subjugation of peoples throughout the world represses, sometimes violently, movements for self-determination of peoples as seen in East Timor, Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific, Western Sahara, Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland and countries in eastern and central Europe.
Women of color in many nations suffer the compounding effects of discrimination, oppression, marginalization and exclusion. Women of color are all too often confronted with hostility and subjugated by race, gender, class/status and caste. They are particularly victimized and relegated to lower paying jobs, inadequate social resources, unjust laws, sexual abuse and prostitution because of historical patterns of racism, sexism and classism.
The "Charter for Racial Justice Policies" calls United Methodists to recognize racism as a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Racism used as a justification for social, economic, cultural, legal and political exploitation robs all human beings of their wholeness. The Charter also reminds United Methodists that racial and cultural diversity strengthen the church's work toward a world in which each person's value is respected and nurtured. The struggle for justice is based on the belief that new attitudes, new understandings and new relationships must be reflected in the laws, policies, structures and practices of both church and state.
The United Methodist Church confesses that it has not accepted the struggle against racism as central to the church's mission in the world. The church has failed to proclaim and live out the gospel message of love toward all God's people no matter their race, nationality, ethnicity or caste. Within the United Methodist community, institutional racism continues to deny the full involvement and leadership of members throughout the life of the church. In society, the church has not been a strong prophetic voice calling people to right relationships and to protect the human rights of all.
Therefore, United Methodists will:
1. Continue to work toward the elimination of personal racism and all forms of institutional racism within the total ministry of the church; empower the General Commission on Religion and Race to carefully monitor local churches, annual conferences and the general boards and agencies; and urge all boards, agencies, commissions and institutions to continue to include an internal mechanism for monitoring within their respective structures.
2. Urge their governments to implement the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which guarantees the right to equal treatment before the law, security of person (protection from violence), right to participate in the political process, and equal access to public service, as well as protection and remedy from racial discrimination; urge the United Methodist Office for the United Nations to monitor reports from nations on their progress in implementing the Convention and to publicize the findings; and support agencies and human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in their efforts to identify and address issues of global racism.
3. Urge that the General Board of Global Ministries, the General Board of Discipleship, seminaries and denomination-related institutions develop and disseminate resources, educational opportunities and programs that encourage and support anti-racist learnings and behaviors; examine the contributions of multicultural and bi-lingual skills and experience in eradicating global racism; and train church leadership, including all mission volunteers and personnel, in anti-racism strategies.
4. Support the United Nations Decade for Indigenous Peoples (1995-2005) which includes, among other things, the protection of land rights, the elimination of environmental racism, and respect for their cultural identities and their self-determination; and urge the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society to develop programs of advocacy in solidarity with indigenous peoples.
5. Advocate for a moratorium on the dumping of toxic and hazardous materials and wastes and the siting of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities in large minority and low-income communities in industrialized countries and in developing countries.
6. Oppose and ameliorate xenophobic and racist reactions against migrants, immigrants, refugees and the internally displaced and work toward developing hospitable communities and humane policies that are non-exclusionary; and urge the United Methodist Committee on Relief to provide resources and ministries to enable local churches and annual conferences to become involved in the development of such communities.
7. Facilitate the full participation of groups marginalized because of their race in all aspects of the political, economic, social, religious and cultural life of our societies and in the economic progress and social development of our countries; recognize and respect people of different racial, ethnic, linguistic, national, and caste backgrounds and protect the rights of those persons and groups; and urge general boards, agencies, commissions and the Council of Bishops to continue to engage United Methodists in ministries which promote the above.
8. Support the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism and consider financial support for its "Special Fund to Combat Racism"; and urge all general boards and agencies to support the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism and its "Special Fund to Combat Racism."
9. Advocate for the elimination of stereotyping of racial, ethnic and indigenous groups in print and mass media; affirm the right of all peoples to originate information about themselves, their own cultures and their own perceptions; affirm the right of all peoples to access to the means of communications; and urge United Methodist Communications to monitor their own productions and engage producers of mass media in dialogue to encourage the elimination of stereotypes and the inclusion of multicultural perspectives in their products.
10. Use the full resources of United Methodist structures to support public and corporate policies designed to eliminate racism and redress its past and present effects.
11. Work in coalition with secular groups to monitor and actively combat the activities of hate groups, extremist groups and militias in the United States and other parts of the world.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21351-IC-R248-U
1996 United Methodist General Conference