Despite four decades of action by the international community, many racial and ethnic groups continue to face discrimination in housing, education, employment, and law, whether at the hands of public officials or the general public. Racial and ethnic discrimination, in fact—fed by a brand of isolationism that has evolved from the clash of old national identities with the increasing multiculturalization of traditionally homogenous societies—are on the upswing. Corrupt or poorly trained judicial and government officials in many countries enforce the law abusively or with conscious or unconscious bias against various racial and ethnic groups. Racism and xenophobia are among the root causes of violence in communities throughout the world, as can be witnessed by the genocide in Rwanda or “ethnic cleansing” in the former Yugoslavia. Given their virulence and destructive power, racial and ethnic discrimination must be opposed by all available and appropriate means.

Global Rights builds the capacity of partner organizations in Brazil and Colombia and individual activists throughout Latin America to address discrimination based on race and ethnicity. We provide them with the tools they need to participate in the political decision-making process and advocate for their rights by engaging regional and international human rights institutions, such as the Organization of American States and the United Nations. We also work with local partners to promote the approval and ratification of the Inter-American Convention against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance—an important regional human rights mechanism—through advocacy training, strategy sessions, and consensus building.