Who We Are

Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) is a platform to voice the rights and entitlements of the communities across all the continents especially in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America discriminated on work and descent. GFoD aims for full realization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent and to ensure access to sustainable development goals(SDGs). GFoD was founded in 2019 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 270 million people.

Understanding Discrimination Based on Work & Descent

Discrimination based on work and descent is any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on inherited status such as caste, including present or ancestral occupation, family, community or social origin, name, birth place, place of residence, dialect and accent that 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. This type of discrimination is typically associated with the notion of purity and pollution and practices of untouchability and is deeply rooted in societies and cultures where this discrimination is practiced.