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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250213T173000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250213T190000
DTSTAMP:20260625T214401
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SUMMARY:Turning Up the Heat: Moulding Hardened 'Cast(e)-in-Iron' Social Norms into Inclusive Shapes through Social Inclusion and Cohesion as We Look Towards the Achievement of the Copenhagen Declaration and Towards the World Social Summit 
DESCRIPTION:Proposed side event during Commission for Social Development (CSocD63)\, 10-14 February 2025 (exact time and date will be announced by CSoCD63 secretariat) \nThis event is co-organized by UN United Nations Population Fund (TBC)\, Permanent Mission of Germany (TBC)\, the Permanent Mission of Nepal (TBC)\, the Permanent Mission of North Macedonia to the UN as well as The Inclusivity Project (TIP)\, the NGO Committee on Social Development\, and key organizations advocating for marginalized communities\, including the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network)\, the National Coordination of Rural Black Quilombola Communities (CONAQ – Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas)\, the African Network on Discrimination based on Work and Descent and Contemporary Forms of Slavery (ANDS)\, and the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). \nDescent Communities\, representing approximately 270 million people worldwide\, span diverse cultural and geographic contexts yet face systemic exclusion from fundamental human rights and freedoms. These communities\, shaped by inherited status and entrenched stratification\, include groups such as the Haratin\, Jongo\, Mbororos\, and Komo in Africa; Quilombolas and Palenques in Latin America; Dalits and Burakumin in Asia; and the Roma community in Europe and beyond. Despite their unique identities\, they share a common struggle against deep-rooted social norms and practices that perpetuate inequality and deny them full societal participation. \nThis side event aims to uncover actionable solutions to dismantle these barriers and advance the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration while preparing for the Second World Social Summit in 2025. By addressing the challenges faced by Descent Communities\, the event will showcase good practices developed by civil society organizations\, UN agencies\, and Member States. These include targeted budgetary provisions\, dedicated census categories\, and employment frameworks already championed by some governments and UN bodies. It will also explore how regional and global mechanisms can align with the growing recognition of Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent (CDWD) as central to achieving global social justice. \nRecent milestones illustrate this momentum. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)—an organ of the African Union—adopted its first-ever resolution addressing the rights of CDWD in Africa (ACHPR/Res.619 (LXXXI) 2024) during its 81st Ordinary Session in Banjul in November 2024. Another significant development was the recognition of CDWD as a UN Major Group and Other Stakeholders under General Assembly Resolution 67/290 in 2021. These achievements reflect a growing international commitment to addressing systemic exclusion and ensuring dignity and equity for CDWD communities. \nThe exclusion of Descent Communities is deeply tied to their characterization as “low caste” or “outcasts\,” perpetuated by notions of “purity and pollution\,” enforced endogamy\, and physical segregation. These unwritten cultural norms form a complex web that obstructs progress toward the Copenhagen Declaration’s goals. Women and girls within these communities are particularly vulnerable\, facing compounded challenges such as limited access to education\, healthcare\, and economic opportunities. Practices like “Wahaya” in Niger\, where women from “low caste” communities are acquired as unofficial or “fifth wives\,” exemplify the gender-based violence and systemic discrimination that deny their humanity and perpetuate cycles of inequality. \nAddressing these inequities requires urgent interventions\, including prioritizing sexual and reproductive health services\, investing in data collection and research to amplify initiatives\, and making these realities visible. Documenting and disseminating successful interventions\, such as education campaigns to combat stigma\, community-led development projects\, and targeted economic inclusion programs\, can inform scalable strategies and inspire systemic change. \nTo achieve the Copenhagen Declaration’s commitments and prepare for the Second World Social Summit\, governments\, in collaboration with civil society\, must design inclusive policies informed by evidence and good practices. Comprehensive anti-discrimination laws\, strengthened social protection systems\, and representation of CDWD in governance are critical components of this effort. Recognition and action must extend across all human rights mechanisms\, ensuring that CDWD communities are not left behind in efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. \nThis side event will foster dialogue\, explore innovative approaches\, and emphasize the urgency of solidarity and inclusion as tools to dismantle hardened “cast(e)-in-iron” norms. As we look toward the Second World Social Summit\, these efforts are essential to forging a future where all communities can fully and equally participate in society’s progress. \n  \nDate and Time: 13 February 2025 (TBC)-1.15 – 2.30 pm \n 
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/csocd63-caste-in-iron/
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250219T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250219T170000
DTSTAMP:20260625T214401
CREATED:20250214T110306Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250214T111108Z
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SUMMARY:Addressing Caste-Based Hierarchies in Africa and Asia
DESCRIPTION:As we continue striving toward caste-free societies\, a landmark moment in 2024 was the adoption of a groundbreaking resolution by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This historic resolution on  PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF THE RIGHTS OF COMMUNITIES DISCRIMINATED BY\, WORK AND DESCENT (CDWD) IN AFRICA – ACHPR/Res.619 (LXXXI) 2024 \, was passed during the Commission’s 81st Ordinary Session in Banjul from October 17 to November 6\, 2024\, marks a significant step forward in the global fight against caste-based discrimination.  \nThe Commission while passing the resolution acknowledged the existence of caste based discrimination across Africa . The resolution reads that the commission is “….Alarmed by the persistence of discrimination based on work and descent nearly 40 years after the operationalization of the African Charter“…… “commits to conduct a continental study on the situation of communities discriminated against based on work and descent including underlying causes\, manifestations\, and impacts of discriminatory practices)\,…… to thoroughly examine discriminatory practices across the African region\, and share the findings with States Party and relevant African Union organs and agencies…” \nTaking the discussions forward\, GFoD is inviting you to be part of the dialogue: Addressing Caste-Based Hierarchies in Africa and Asia. This dialogue aims to critically examine the ACHPR resolution and the presence of caste-based hierarchies across Asia\, Africa\, and globally. It will further explore diverse manifestations of descent-based historic and continuing discrimination\, in wealth and asset ownership\, formal and informal jobs\, access to quality education and skill enhancement among other such means of social mobility and assess how this resolution can serve as a model for other regions—particularly in Asia\, Africa\, and globally—and identify strategies for advancing a UN Declaration to eradicate the present effects of historic and continuing discrimination. Additionally\, the session will emphasize effective policy intervention by the state for redressing historic harm\, combating contemporary discrimination\, including reparations\, compensation\, budget allocations\, affirmative action\, and other policy mechanisms. \nPanelist: Ms. Queen Bisseng\,  Regional Coordinator\, Africa\,  GFoD\, is a leading advocate for the rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) in Africa and played a vital role in the adoption of the African Commission’s resolution. Joining her as the second speaker is Mr. Paul Divakar Namala\, Convener\, GFoD\, who has been at the forefront of the global CDWD movement. The session will be moderated by Prof. Amit Thorat\, a distinguished scholar from the Center for Study on Regional Development\, JNU\, whose extensive research on caste-based discrimination across Asia has had a profound impact \nDate:19th Feb 2025 \nMode: Hybrid  \nOffline: Location: Board Room\, National Foundation of India\, Indian Habitat Centre\, New Delhi \nFor Online\, please register here. \nTimings: 3:00 PM to 5 PM
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/addressing-caste-based-hierarchies-in-africa-and-asia/
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