Stop dreaming; start acting; stop racism!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." These words are taken from the American Declaration of Independence, proclaimed on July 4, 1776.

Yet today, 230 years later, discrimination on grounds of race and other characteristics is pervasive and persists in many forms in all countries. Additionally, many other violations of social, cultural, economic, civil and political rights take place because of racial and ethnic discrimination.

Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination defines racial discrimination as "any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life".

The experiences of millions of people worldwide testify to a simple fact - racism undermines all human rights.

It is an attack on the very notion of universal human rights which bases itself on the fact that everyone is equal in dignity and worth. It systematically denies certain people their full human rights just because of their colour, race, ethnicity, descent or national origin.

Racism infects, to varying degrees, and in various forms, every country in the world.

The worst violations of human rights based on racism, such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, catch the headlines. Less publicised, however, are abuses that take place every day in the context of the administration of justice partly or solely because of racism.

All too often justice systems perpetuate racism by mirroring the prejudices of their society. Moreover, in many states officials guilty of racist abuses are rarely prosecuted - and in the few cases that do come to court there is often a failure to convict.

The concept of race has no biological or scientific basis. It is a socio-political construction based on supposed physical characteristics of groups.

The categories are often arbitrary and are mostly used for political ends.

The meaning of race and the ideological expressions of racism have changed over time and across continents. It has often been used by dominant racial groups to justify their domination and create alienation and despair among the powerless... racism comprising various manifestations which are invariably linked to broad economic and social issues.

The right to freedom from racial discrimination is a fundamental principle of international human rights law.

The principle appears in virtually every major human rights instrument as well as in the United Nations charter.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". Yet, racial discrimination persists in virtually every society, despite unceasing efforts by the UN and other organisations, and the fine sounding commitments in so many constitutions and laws.

Furthermore, in 1965 the UN adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. This obliges state parties to ensure the right to equality before the law and protection from harm to all people.

It also establishes a monitoring committee on its implementation. States must, under the convention, take measures to prevent any discrimination, not only by their own officials, but also by private individuals.

Amnesty International (AI) opposes racism through its work to promote observance of the UDHR around the world.

It calls on states to ratify and implement international and regional human rights instruments that prohibit all forms of discrimination and works worldwide on cases of grave violations of the right to be free from racial discrimination.

Specifically, AI opposes racism by working for the release of prisoners' of conscience imprisoned by reason of race, descent, or national or ethnic origin.

It also works on cases where racism is a factor in abuses including torture, ill treatment, the death penalty, disappearances, unfair trials of political prisoners, unlawful killings, excessive use of force, forcible exile, mass expulsion and house destruction.

AI opposes discriminatory legislation that facilitates these violations. In addition, it intervenes when racial discrimination prevents redress for victims and perpetuates impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations, or hinders the right to those fleeing persecution to seek asylum.

The dream expressed by Martin Luther King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 still holds true today. We still have a dream today, a dream that justice will be served and that justice will be done to everyone, regardless of colour, race, ethnicity, descent or national origin.

The responsibility to combat racism extends to everyone. We must face racism with a positive will to overcome it. It is time to say no - no to racism, no to discrimination and no to intolerance.

For more information contact AI (Malta Group) at info@aimalta.org or PO Box 12, Valletta.

Mr Gauci is co-ordinator of Amnesty International (Malta Group)