Global Coalition Against Systemic Racism and for Reparations
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The Global Coalition Against Systemic Racism and for Reparations is an international platform whose purpose is to promote actions that confront and eliminate systemic racism and advocate for reparations through collaboration among public, private, political, social, business, cultural, and productive entities, as well as international organizations.[1][2][3]
It was launched during the first celebration of the International Day for People of African Descent on August 31, 2021, officially commemorated with the support of the Costa Rican government through the office of the Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr, and in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations System.[1][4][5]
Systemic racism is a theoretical concept proposed by the sociologist Joe Feagin, asserting that racism is embedded within the structures and social relationships within society:[6][7][8]
It is a system of domination and subjugation of one group over another based on the racialization of differences, encompassing interpersonal, institutional, and cultural dimensions. It is manifested through a set of ideas, discourses, and practices involving invisibility, stigmatization, discrimination, exclusion, exploitation, aggression, and dispossession.[9]
Systemic racism can be defined as an infrastructure of decisions, ordinances, or statutes enacted by a sovereign government or authoritative entity. In this context, such ordinances and statutes grant specific rights and privileges to an ethnic group in a society, while denying other groups in that society the same rights and privileges due to ingrained cultural biases, religious prejudices, fears, myths, and xenophobia upheld by the privileged group.[10]
Systemic racism elevates individuals of white race above other groups. This phenomenon impacts how the judicial system treats people belonging to the global majority and indigenous communities. Furthermore, it has repercussions in areas such as housing, education, healthcare, hiring processes, and various aspects of daily life. Although systemic racism is not always overt, in some cases, such as Jim Crow laws, it manifests clearly. It can even be unconscious, inadvertently contributing to the creation of inequalities.[11]
In July 2021, the Vice President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell, announced to the United Nations General Assembly that the country would launch a Global Coalition Against Systemic Racism later that year. The initiative would receive support from various governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Its purpose would be to outline the path for reparations requested by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.[12][13]