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CNN SATURDAY

U.N. Holds Anti-Racism Conference

Aired September 1, 2001 - 13:14 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: About a dozen heads of state are speaking in South Africa at the United Nations anti-racism conference. Nearly all are from Africa. And topping the agenda: A battle over an apology for slavery and efforts to condemn Israel. Cuba's Fidel Castro called on the United States to pay reparations for slavery. The U.S. threatens to leave if the delegates refuse to delete anti- Semitic comments about Israel.

Joining us now from the conference site in Durban, South Africa, is Gay McDougall, a human rights advocate, who is now chairing a special forum on racism. The forum is hearing first-hand accounts from people who say that they are victims of racism. Ms. McDougall, glad to have you join us. Tell us about your special forum, the Voices.

GAY MCDOUGALL, U.N. COMMITTEE AGAINST RACISM: Well, we have chosen through a massive outreach operation, 24 individuals from every region of the world to talk about their personal experiences of racial discrimination. They are articulate people who are here to give voice to some very compelling and inspiring as well stories.

KELLEY: Tell us a couple of those stories.

MCDOUGALL: Taken at -- well, for example, there is a woman from Columbia, an Afro-Columbian who has been displaced by the drug war there. There is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from China that has faced discrimination there, occurred as well. A woman who has just been released -- or escaped, I should say -- from slavery in Niger. A farm worker, a black farm worker from South Africa. It's quite a range of stories.

But taken as a whole, I think it tells the picture of what racism is in this new 21st century.

KELLEY: And how do you think it is in the 21st century? Is it better or worse? Is any progress being made?

MCDOUGALL: I don't think you can be here in Durbin, South Africa, and think about what it was like here 10 years ago and conclude that there has not been substantial, very important concrete gains in the fight against racism worldwide. South Africa gives us all hope.

KELLEY: Where are some of the worst places still? MCDOUGALL: Well, there are worst places all over the world. I think it's very hard to compare, you know, misery, pain, racial discrimination. That's not the important thing. The important thing is to find ways that we can all sort of join together and build strategies that are going to beat this thing worldwide.

KELLEY: And you're the only American to serve on the committee, so what do you think the United States and the United Nations can do to help make some progress?

MCDOUGALL: I think first of all, we have got to focus in on the issues and we've got to make a commitment to this struggle, and to doing everything possible. And I think that we have all got to realize that it's in our best interest. Whether you're in the racially oppressed group or not, it is important to release the human spirit all around the world and productivity, that we end discrimination. It's in all of our best interest.

KELLEY: Tell us a little bit more where it stands now. The United States and Canada and Israel did not send high-level delegations because of the language that was in from the Palestinians condemning Israel, and Jesse Jackson had gone and said that Mr. Arafat had agreed to a statement but didn't sign it, but then at the opening day conference Mr. Arafat had gone on with language that might not be considered what the United States was objecting to. Can you update us on that and where that stands right now and the language in the draft statement?

MCDOUGALL: Well, first of all, the language in the text that has been agreed upon, that has been debated and agreed upon, simply does not contain any offensive language. It's, you know, the draft, it's the part that has not been discussed yet, the part that's not been agreed upon. And at the very least to me, that shows, demonstrates that the process is working.

But I would just say in terms of Reverend Jackson's breakthrough, I think he did make a breakthrough with Yasser Arafat. I was not there, but I've seen the statement that was written, but my understanding is that as has bedeviled this conference for the last 11 months, the next morning we all got up and we turned on our television sets to CNN and we saw that there was another tragedy and disaster in the Middle East. And that has kept passions inflamed through this whole conference process. It has diverted attention, and it has really sort of knocked us off of our main objective and focus here.

KELLEY: Well, we wish you the best there, we hope that you can make some progress and get some good information to work ahead and to try and make a difference. Gay McDougall, who is with the U.N. Committee for Elimination of Racism, thank you for talking with us. Appreciate it.

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