Politics, diversity and exclusion – sound bites from the UN Forum on Minority Issues
The second UN Forum on Minority Issues took place in Geneva in November 2009. This year’s Forum brought hundreds of minority representatives from the four corners of the globe together, with a special focus on political participation.
Download the Forum’s Recommendations in English, Spanish or French
MRG’s Media Officer, Emma Eastwood, was there to record this impressive and crucial gathering, and here provides excerpts from delegates’ speeches describing the barriers and challenges they face in participating in public life.
Jayshree Mangubhai, India
Although Dalits represent almost 20% of the population in India they face enormous challenges to break into mainstream debates and discussions, despite the system of reservations at both national and state levels, and have only a 2% representation in Parliament. The main reason for this has been the co-option of the Dalit agenda into that of the mainstream political parties, which are usually led by upper-caste men, with a consequent neglect of the primary demands of Dalits.
“Dalit women face innumerable obstacles to political participation. To counteract this there must be a new focus on political empowerment for Dalit women, particularly in terms of their access to local government positions. The authorities must monitor discrimination, take action on complaints and provide training for government officers. The UN should request specific information from States on the political participation of Dalit women.”
Simon Wooley, Operation Black Vote
In the UK, 2% of people placed themselves in the categories of black Caribbean, black African and other black people. There are highly placed politicians from the black community, but generally it is under-represented in politics. In the inner cities, many of African descent are trapped in a cycle of poverty with lower than average levels of educational achievement, which lower employment prospects and ability to escape poverty. Discrimination in employment and housing remains a problem.
“Obama’s victory has taught us to truly believe in our own self-worth. So what should be our focus? Many within our communities are not able to fully engage in the politics of power or governance, simply because they are involved in the politics of survival: finding shelter, a job, and putting food on the table. So those of us who can be active must be supremely active. It’s not enough that you are good or even brilliant. You must be smart.”
Alice Ratyis, National Democratic Institute, Romania
Unofficial estimates put Roma at almost 10% of the population in Romania, yet they remain under-represented at national and local levels and strive to make their voices heard in decision making. Social inclusion of Roma is a problem; overall living conditions are inadequate; unemployment of Roma remains high; police abuse against Roma is a persistent problem; many Roma children face de facto segregation at school, and forced evictions continue.
“Social attitudes towards and amongst Roma are the greatest barriers to effective political participation in Romania.”
Queen Quet, Cheiftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, USA
The Gullah/Geechee are African Americans who live on the coastal plain and Sea Islands of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The Gullah/Geechee are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the United States. They speak an English-based creole language containing many African words and influences. Gullah/Geechee storytelling, cuisine, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions all exhibit strong influences from West and Central African cultures.
“Minorities are asked to be experts on public committees and boards but often do so voluntarily. They are rarely remunerated as experts yet are being asked to be experts on themselves. To give one’s time freely may be difficult for minorities who are often the poorest in society, this can lessen the participation of minorities on committees that take decisions affecting their lives.”
Alicia Ocles Padilla, Ecuador
Afro-Ecuadorian organizations estimate Ecuador's black population at ten per cent, or nearly double the official statistics. About two-thirds of Afro-Ecuadorians now live in urban zones. Although they have distinct cultural traditions, there is little recognition of their contribution to Ecuadorian society. While Afro-Ecuadorians fair considerably better than indigenous people on nearly every socio-economic indicator, they still lag behind their white/mestizo counterparts. Moreover, there is evidence that this group still faces regional inequalities and racial discrimination, particularly in urban areas. However, key umbrella organizations such as the National Afro-Ecuadorian Confederation and the National Coordinator of Black Women have had a presence in domestic politics as well as international policy circles.
“It is fundamental to develop a dialogue between political leaders and minorities and there is a need to develop more inclusive processes. The political agendas of minorities must be included in the mainstream agenda and affirmative action processes must be strengthened. Statistics are needed about the political participation of Afro-descendants in Latin America.”
Reem Mazzawi, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and the Arab Association for Human Rights, Israel
Approximately 1.3 million Palestinians or Israeli Arabs form about 20 per cent of Israel's population; however they are under represented by only 10 parliamentarians, an equivalent of 8% of the parliamentary seats.
“[...] obstacles to effective political participation faced by the Palestinian minority in Israel, include bills tabled by the newly elected government in 2009. [...] a proposed amendment to The Basic Law: The Government, stipulates that ministers must take an oath to the state of Israel as a ‘Jewish, Zionist and democratic state’. The bill clearly discriminates against the Palestinian citizens, and seeks to prevent them from serving in high public office.”
Sophia Abdi Noor, Womankind Kenya and Member of Parliament, Kenya
Competition for power, and exclusion from it, on an ethnic basis has been a major source of tension in Kenya. Particularly vulnerable minorities include nomadic pastoralists such as Somalis. Somali pastoralists in the north-east have long been viewed with suspicion, if not outright hostility, by the authorities due to long-standing disputes between Kenya and Somalia. Violence is a way of life for many women in this community; almost 99 percent of all Somali women in north-eastern Kenya undergo female genital mutilation, causing life-long ill health and suffering. One of the primary obstacles women face in participating in politics is that their opinions are rarely accepted in the public arena. Somali culture does not allow men to sit with women, or women to address political issues.
“I was the first Somali woman in Kenya to contest a seat in Parliament, despite the negative religious and cultural practices used against me during my campaign – for instance my community was told that it would be cursed if I was elected and our animals would die. Remember I am from a pastoralist community; our livestock are of great importance. When I eventually won my seat I was disqualified by the President himself by petition of my opponents, who included religious leaders and male members of my community who compare a woman’s intellect to that of a newborn baby. However I would not be defeated and decided to try again. I joined the ODM party and have been elected to high office as a member of the National Executive Committee. Minority women should come together as a united force, we should stand firm.”
Manjula Pradeep, Navsarjan Trust, India
“Women Dalit local politicians are often either forced to sit on the floor in council sessions or wash off their chairs at the end of the meeting. [...] Caste makes you powerful, but your caste can also make you powerless. The time has come for Dalit women to occupy leadership roles, to create a just and equal society.”
Andrew Msami, Pastoralist Indigenous Non Governmental Organizations Forum, Tanzania
In the southern part of Tanzania there is an estimated population of 1,000,000 pastoralists who have neither representation in the local government or in the Tanzanian parliament. Northern Tanzania, although considered a stronghold of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers with a population of about 2,000,000, has only 6 members of parliament representing these minority communities. Given their small number out of a total of 300 parliamentarians, pastoralists wield little political clout in Tanzania. In December 2005, the President of Tanzania stated while addressing parliament, “Mr. Speaker, we must abandon altogether nomadic pastoralism which makes the whole country pastureland...The cattle are bony and the pastoralists are sacks of skeletons. We cannot move forward with this type of pastoralism in the twenty first century.”
"Being a minority community, pastoralists have very little influence over the election of the president and members of parliament. Therefore, pastoralists do not influence decisions on policies and law […]. For example the recently formulated Wildlife Act was designed purposefully to change current land use under pastoralism into Game reserves. The effects of this are already seen in Loliondo even before the law is scheduled for implementation."
Jean-Claude Beaujour, Attorney and former Paris candidate for parliamentary elections, France
On a visit to France in September 2007, UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall, observed, “Currently, there is a widespread feeling within the communities of new minorities that to become a citizen of France is not sufficient for full acceptance; that acceptance will be granted only with total assimilation that forces them to reject major facets of their identities. Only when a way is found to shed the colour of their skins, hide the manifestations of their religion or the traditions of their ancestors, only then will they be accepted as truly French.”
“France has only one minority Member of Parliament, yet our constitution guarantees equality. It’s not enough to write about equality, it has to be applicable in practice.”
Adolphine Muley Byayuwa, RAPY, Democratic Republic of Congo and Vital Bambanze, UNIPROBA, Burundi
Batwa live in the Great Lakes region of Africa, and, in particular, in Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. In these four states all Batwa communities suffer from loss of traditional forest territories and other natural resources, personal insecurity and violence, displacement by war and as a result of tourism and logging, political and social exclusion, inadequate educational opportunities, poverty, ill-health, and negative stereotyping. Lack of education and illiteracy are major barriers to political participation for Batwa.
“Being a minority, illiterate and poor, it is not feasible that indigenous leaders can win elections in a pluralistic system. Even if one or two minority-based political parties are set up, the probabilities of minority members being represented in institutions is very limited. The use of ballot boxes and bulletins during the electoral process are major obstacles to voting for thousands of illiterate Batwa.”
Idaver Memedov, European Roma Rights Centre, Hungary
Roma remain to date the most deprived ethnic minority of Europe. Discrimination against Roma in employment, education, health care, housing, administrative and other services is common in many countries where Roma live. Political participation of Roma in almost all the countries in Europe still falls severely short of levels representative of the total size of the population. This is especially noticeable in the composition of national parliaments in European countries with large Roma communities such as Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Serbia.
“Roma are rarely represented among the candidates of the mainstream parties and even when they are, they are overwhelmingly considered only for lower level positions. Thus, there have been only a few cases of Roma being elected as representatives of the mainstream political parties. [...] Governments must encourage effective political participation of Roma in the national parliament, through the guarantee of a number of places representative of the size of the Roma minority.”
Monireh Sulemani, Balochistan Peoples Party, Iran
Article 5 of the constitution defines Iran as a Shi'a Republic. Article 115 debars non-Shi'as from presidential office. However, discrimination on the basis of religion and ethnicity is rife in Iran. Minority languages are suppressed and many minorities are disadvantaged politically, socially and economically. Ethnic Baluchis, who mostly practise Sunni Islam disfavoured by the regime, comprise around 2 per cent of the Iranian population. Baluchistan is the country's poorest region and in recent years has been plagued by severe drought.
“The Baluch language is forbidden, which inhibits our political participation in Iran. The Baluch nation must be recognised as a distinct nation within Iran’s boundaries. This space at the United Nations is very important for the Baluch people to be able to speak out, when normally our voices are unheard.”
Pervin Chairoula, Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association and Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe
Ethnic Turks are descendants of the Muslim population of Western Thrace who were allowed to remain in Greece after the forced population exchanges with Turkey following the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. Since the Second World War the Greek government has denied the existence of any non-Greek minority within its borders apart from the Muslim Greeks recognized by the Treaty of Lausanne. In its 2001 population census the state did not collect information on ethnicity. All those who use Greek in everyday language are considered Greek, even if Greek is not their mother tongue. This non-recognition of minorities is bolstered by a rigid notion of Greek national identity, closely identified with membership of the Greek Orthodox Church.
“Under the current electoral law of “reinforced proportionality”, political parties and independent candidates cannot enter the Parliament unless they obtain at least 3 % of the votes throughout the country, although they may have enough votes to get electoral seats in specific electoral districts. This makes it impossible for candidates to be elected independently because the total number of the Turks living in Western Thrace is about 150, 000. […] Western Thracian Turks have never had the opportunity to be represented by independent MPs in the Greek parliament.”
Shanmuga KANESALINGAM, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism, Malaysia
Malaysia is a federal state with a parliamentary system of government. While it holds relatively free multi-party election, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has led a coalition of political parties and been in power since 1957. It has a well-developed judiciary and a constitution which protects a number of basic human rights, at the same time entrenching the ‘special’ position and rights of the Malay population and Islam as the country’s official religion. Non-Islamic faiths, who make up about 40 per cent of the population, continue to report problems in Malaysia, where Islam is the official state religion.
“What we have seen is that with more dialogue with civil society actors from the majority community or when we are able to persuade respected religious leaders from the majority religion as to the merits of our complaints, many problems are resolved. Thus, effective political action and effective participation seem to me to require engagement with the majority community.”
Angie Cruickshank, Caribbean Project Association of Costa Rica, Central American Black Organisation, Circle of Afro descendant Youth of the Americas, Costa Rica
Despite only constituting 4% of the population Afro Costa Ricans have managed to make some advances on the political front. Beginning in 1996 Afro Costa Ricans have increasingly become elected representatives in congress, and gained cabinet level appointments. The nomination by one of the national parties of a female Afro Costa Rican deputy, Epsy Barr-Campbell, for the vice presidency of the nation in 2005 was noteworthy, although she did not win the primary for the May 2010 presidential elections.
“We recommend April 3rd as the Afro descendant Youth of the Americas Day; acknowledging the contribution of young male and female Afro descendants in the construction and development of nations, highlighting their efforts to overcome day by day their state of vulnerability due to constant violations of their human rights and the consequent lack of opportunities for adequate development.”
Oubeid Ould Imijine, Association Solidarité entre Nous, Mauritania
The Arab Berbers or Maures (Moors) who make up perhaps 60 per cent of the population in Mauritania are divided into a dominant group, Beydan (Bithan) or White Maure, and their former slaves, Haratine, who are black, but of the same Arab-Berber culture as their former masters. New legislation criminalizing slavery in Mauritania was passed in 2007. Although slavery had previously been banned for over 20 years, there were no criminal penalties for those flouting the ban. SOS Slavery estimates that there could be as many as 600,000 slaves in Mauritania. It is a deeply engrained practice, dating back hundreds of years, to when Arab and Berber tribes launched slave raids against the African population. Those enslaved were converted to Islam, and have been treated as inheritable property.
“Although we represent 44% of the population we have no political power. We have one Governor out of 52 and 5 Senators out of 56 – these are all obstacles to our political participation. We are not even allowed to own land since we used to be slaves. We do not have the necessary documentation to stand for election and are forced to vote as our masters voted. We recommend that the law on the prohibition of slavery is implemented.”