In a compelling address at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), Queen Bisseng, representing the Stakeholder Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD), highlighted the urgent need for global attention to systemic discrimination based on work and descent. Queen Bisseng opened her speech by emphasising the pervasive nature of this form of discrimination, which…
Madam Chair, excellencies, Civil Society Friends, ladies and gentlemen I’m representing the Stakeholder Group of Communities discriminated on Work and Descent and the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism. The Agenda 2030 has been instrumental in moving towards a sustainable future through the principle of leaving no one behind, however, we see that we are nowhere near…
Distinguished delegates, my name is Simona Torotcoi, I am a Roma from Romania from ERGO Network, and I am part of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, experiencing similar forms of discrimination with the Quilambola and Palenque in Brazil and Colombia, the Roma in Europe, the Dalits in South Asia, the Haratins and others in…
Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) refers to a form of social stratification and exclusion prevalent in many societies worldwide. CDWD primarily manifests in societies where individuals are categorised into hierarchical groups based on their ancestry, occupation, or birth, often referred to as castes or descent-based groups. Affecting over 270 million people worldwide, which…
In the long-standing resistance against a socially stratified society in the West Africa region, and particularly in the Upper River Region (URR) of The Gambia, a legal case and the following High Court judgement brought to light the persistence of caste practices and associated discrimination based on work and descent in the region. Case Citation:…
