The University of Fiji is calling for stronger commitment on the part of the State to eliminate racial discrimination, especially against minority cultural and linguistic communities, to promote inclusion in Fiji as it marks the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination tomorrow.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem emphasizes the critical role of young people in shaping a more inclusive and equitable future.
She says we need to set an example for the young people so that they do not repeat or re-hash the prejudices of the past.
Professor Shameem says the upcoming Education Bill is focused on the need to promote harmony in the educational curriculum in Fiji, and this is a good illustration of how the law can play its part in fostering the right of everyone to be free from racial discrimination.
She says racial discrimination was an objectionable prejudice, appearing in law and policy, and quite often masqueraded as an attitude that was natural or inevitable in the human condition.
However, she says prejudice, which may well be a human flaw, when translated by the State into policy or law, is racial discrimination and prohibited under international human rights conventions which Fiji has ratified.
The University says Fiji’s constitutional protections, past and present, prohibit racial discrimination; and it is also a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Highlighting Fiji’s unique multicultural identity, the University noted that the nation’s strength lies in its diversity, with people of different cultures, faiths and ethnic backgrounds living and working together.
It says this diversity continues to shape Fiji’s social fabric and national identity and is upheld by the University in its policy framework.
The University of Fiji reaffirms its commitment to fostering inclusive campuses and communities grounded in equality, respect and mutual understanding.
