South African Ambassador to
Holy See: ‘The Struggle against racism continues'
 |
| A Black lives Matter activist in Johanesburg during a vigil for George Floyd (AFP) |
Ambassador George Johannes, South Africa’s representative to
the Holy See, reflects on the deep-rooted realities of racism and inequality
that are currently being so forcefully expressed by the Black Lives Matter
movement in the US and beyond.
By Linda Bordoni
The “Black Lives Matter” movement has gathered strength and
resonance since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on
25 May.
Demonstrations have been taking place in the United States
and across the world to demand justice and equality for minority communities.
Protests are also taking place in South Africa where,
notwithstanding the anti-apartheid struggle that led to democracy in 1994, a
legacy of division and injustice still undermines a society where millions of
mostly black people live in poverty.
South Africa’s Ambassador to the Holy See, George Johannes,
himself an anti-apartheid activist during the years of the regime and a member
of the African National Congress, spoke to Linda Bordoni about his thoughts
regarding the Black Lives Matter movement today:
Ambassador Johannes, who spent many years of his life in
forced exile while he continued to be part of The Struggle against apartheid in
South Africa, noted that the current social upheaval triggered by the killing
of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis is “disastrous for America at a time
when authorities should have been able to cope and focus mainly on Covid-19.”
But it is important, he said, because “it has also
highlighted the fact that the black population in the US has always been on the
receiving end” as demonstrated, not only by the long list of African Americans
who have been killed by police officers or who have died in police custody, but
have also been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Race and social inequality
“I found it very interesting to find out why,” he said, “and
certainly it’s to do with the social conditions in which people live” because
they are at the lowest rung of the ladder and are severely affected by health
issues because they can’t afford to pay for health care.
All of this, Ambassador Johannes continued, has channelled
the anger of people who are frustrated with the leadership they have.
And, he added, it’s significant not only for the United
States, noting that anger and demands for justice expressed by the Black Live
Matter movement have “escalated globally for the first time in years forcing
people to focus on the issue of race that’s always been skirted around, left
aside and ignored, and now all governments have been challenged to rectify the situation.”
Reconciliation process
Asked whether he thinks America has any lessons to learn
from South Africa, the Ambassador recalled the reconciliation process that took
place when the apartheid regime was dismantled allowing people to speak openly
about their pain and grievances.
“Maybe America also needs a reconciliation process where
people can speak about what has happened to their families,” he said.
The fact that issues of injustice and anger are coming to
the surface is very helpful, he reiterated, as the United States isn’t seen as
a racially divided country, but is dealing with deep-rooted questions that need
to be urgently addressed.
Global issue
It is helpful, he added, also because it is raising issues
connected to colonialism and the slave trade , in many other countries as well,
including the UK.
“It brings the deprived, the people on the peripheries to
centre stage, saying ‘we too have to be counted’, not just the privileged few,”
he said.
The fact that all this has come to the fore during the
lockdowns imposed by the pandemic, the Ambassador said, means that people have
the time to reflect on what is happening and perhaps take note that in their
own countries there may be injustices to address, because if not: “it's going
to be far more dangerous than the coronavirus.”
From his perspective as an anti-apartheid activist, as a
member of South Africa’s ruling ANC party and as a diplomat, Johannes voiced
his opinion that racism should be addressed by international organizations that
aim to safeguard fundamental rights.
“Maybe the UN and other multilateral bodies have to start
addressing the issue of racism:
during the ’80s apartheid was seen as a Crime Against
Humanity,” he said. So, he continued systemic racism and racial harassment
should perhaps also be considered crimes to be brought before the International
Criminal Court of Justice.
The Struggle continues
Finally, thinking back to the long years of the South
African Struggle for democracy and to the struggles of many other oppressed peoples
in the past century, Ambassador Johannes expressed his belief that “the Black
Lives Matter movement is going to be with us for much longer” because, he said,
it regards the lives of ‘One Human Family’ as Pope Francis describes humanity
in his encyclical Laudato si’.
“So, I think we must never lose sight of the fact that the
struggle continues.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét