Who We Are

Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) is the global coordination and engagement mechanism for the network of Civil Society Groups of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent. GFoD was founded in 2021 and formally recognize the core motto of ‘Leave No One Behind’ propounded by “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which ensures Planet, Peace, and Prosperity for all, especially those who are marginalized through generations and suffered social prejudices while aspiring for the life of dignity and peace.

Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent are some of the most excluded, segregated, and marginalized groups at the global, regional and local levels within their social, economic, political, and cultural systems. The consequences of this marginalization are the unjust deprivation and systematic exclusion from social relationships and communication, education, health, access to water and sanitation, employment, voting rights, equal access to land and housing, and access to religious institutions in the public sphere. The types of social structures that have evolved and functioning for centuries have inflicted systemic violence on the DWD communities such as the Haratine in the Sahel; Forgeron in West Africa; Bantu in Sudan; Roma in Europe; Burakumin in Japan; Dalits (formerly known as ‘untouchables’) in South Asia; and Quilombo and Palenque in South America. The global coverage of DWD communities includes Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America regions with around 260 million people.

Our Vision

We envision a society wherein all women and men consider themselves equal and free human beings, practice justice and equity in the sharing of resources, live a democratic and inclusive life that is devoid of all forms of discrimination, and enjoy fellowship, peace and harmony among themselves and with nature.

Our Mission

To work towards the integration and inclusion of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) with the larger society at the national, regional, and global levels by ensuring gender parity, access to wholistic development, fair justice delivery, sustainable environment protection and equitable disaster mitigation measures on the basis of the foundational values of self-respect and self-identity, equality and freedom, justice and equity.