Countdown of 10 amazing moments from 2011: No. 3 Afro-descendants worldwide

Although it was mostly disregarded by mainstream media throughout 2011, the United Nations’ observance of the International Year for People of African Descent launched on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2010, just over a week before the event that would spark the Arab Spring occurred and months before the Occupy Movement got underway. It proceeded in different countries with a variety of programs, initiatives, and publications to commemorate the occasion over the months that followed, and has now been winding down to an official close since December 6, 2011.

The year was one, as stated in U.N. Resolution 64/169, dedicated to the following:

“…Strengthening national actions and regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent in relation to their full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture…”

As she spoke about the conclusion of the International Year for People of African Descent, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro acknowledged that progress has been made in the battle to defeat racism. However, she also noted that, “The road to a world free of racism is not an easy one. Anti-discrimination work is a long-term process. It requires commitment and persistence.”

Reconfirming Commitment to Human Rights

In many ways, the International Year for People of African Descent was largely a reminder of human rights initiatives that have been proclaimed for decades. Most notable possibly in this instance is the United Nations’ 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The convention : “Resolved to adopt all necessary measures for speedily eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and manifestations, and to prevent and combat racist doctrines and practices in order to promote understanding between races and to build an international community free from all forms of racial segregation and racial discrimination…”

The degree to which this resolution has been observed in different countries is debatable. However, more than one cultural critic has considered its potential impact on the clearly disproportionate statistics describing unemployment, imprisonment, the poverty level, insufficient healthcare, and inadequate education among African Americans.

Legacies of Afro-descendants

While the International Year for People of African Descent may not have received the kind of exposure granted such historic 2011 events as Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, it remains a profoundly significant milestone for Afro-descendants throughout the global village. As for this columnist, the year was observed by exploring and expanding awareness of what it meant in 2011 to be a person of African descent in different national settings. What follows are links to articles published with that in mind:

Thank you for reading this installment of the Countdown of 10 Amazing Moments from the Year 2011 special series. The countdown will continue with the exceptional individual at number two on December 26 and pick up again on December 28 with the number one amazing moment of the year.

NEXT: Countdown of 10 Amazing Moments from the Year 2011: No. 2 President Barack Obama

by Aberjhani, National African American Art Examiner
co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance
and co-author of ELEMENTAL the Power of Illuminated Love