Judge: 'End discrimination in this rainbow country'

JUSTICE Frank Seepersad has called for citizens to commit to ending discrimination and at the same time, blacklist organisations and individuals who practise inequity and inequality.

“Inequality and discrimination premised upon ethnicity, social status, religion, gender, education, geographical location and sexual orientation (are) very much a facet of life in this sovereign state," he said.

In an address to the NGO Rapid Fire Kidz Foundation for the UN’s Zero Discrimination Day, March 1, Seepersad said, “Many of us pretend that it is not so but the reality is that the beautiful rainbow nation which we have the capacity to forge has not been realised because we have failed to harness our diversity and understand that it is perhaps our most prized asset.”

He said invariably there have been moments when a sense of oneness and one love has prevailed, but these instances have been fleeting and few.

“As a people, we must stop the charade and reject the notion that 'all is well' as we validate and acknowledge the experience and feelings of so many of our fellow citizens who are treated differently because of their race, gender or social circumstance.

“The conversations, slurs, derogatory remarks and jokes which occur with frequency among those with whom we bond, in our living rooms and offices have to evolve and we must cease to engage in conduct which is discriminatory as we also call out those who do so in our presence.”

He noted that charitable foundations such as Rapid Fire Kidz Foundation continue to swim against the destructive tide of discrimination, as its willingness to help is not contingent upon the race, sex, religion or social status of recipients.

“Society has a lot to learn from organisations such as yours when it comes to selfless service,” he told its president, Kevin Ratiram.

He commended Rapid Fire, saying its vision of beauty focuses not on outward bodies but on the splendid souls contained within.

He urged individuals and businesses to use their finances to support charities such as Rapid Fire and withhold support from organisations and individuals who fail to display a sense of equity or equality in their endeavours.

Zero Discrimination is celebrated annually by the UN on March 1 to promote equality.

In a message for 2021, UNAIDS said it is highlighting the urgent need to take action to end the inequalities surrounding income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use, gender identity, race, class, ethnicity and religion that persist around the world.

“Inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the global population, exacerbating the risk of division and hampering economic and social development. And covid19 is hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest – even as new vaccines against covid19 are becoming available, there is great inequality in accessing them. Many have equated this to vaccine apartheid.”