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UNESCO calls for combating racism on Anti-Discimination Day

PARIS, March 20 (KUNA) -- In a growing climate of mistrust, intolerance and hatred, fueled my "etno-nationalism", the UNESCO body on Tuesday urged more efforts to comabt racism across the board and to promote more inclusive societies free of discimination.
In a statement ahead of the March 21 International Day for the Eliminatiaon of Racial Discrimination, the UN body said that current conditions across the globe need to be addressed by new approaches that will promote more understanding and a climate that will encourage people to live together in greater harmony.
UNESCO, to commerorate the international day against racism and discrimination, is organising a number of events and meetings to identify new challenges and outline a response to these.
"Fighting discrimination has been a priority of UNESCO for decades, but the current societal context compels us to explore new ways of enhancing 'living together' and creating inclusive societies free of discrimination," the statement affirmed.
UNESCO warned that the present problems of migration and refugee flows were creating a climate that promoted dischord, exclusion and racism and it said there is a need to take this new phenomenon into account.
"The rise in ethno-nationalism in many parts of the world and increased controls over population movements across national borders have fed mistrust, intolerance and hatred of 'the other' (and) nationalist narratives undermine the international community's acceptance of multiculturalism, global citizenship and intercultural dialogue, reminding us of the enduring relevance of the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, adopted by Member States at UNESCO in 1978," UNESCO added.
The Paris-based UN body called for combating "racist ideology" through "weapons of the mind" as these are the most effective tools to do so. (end) jk.sd