Solidarity for racial equality and social justice - EDITORIAL

Many independent international political analysts say they are hopeful that the new United States administration headed by President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will play a key role in restoring and strengthening a new world order. The key issue will be an end to white racist supremacy, which for centuries has led colonial powers to plunder the wealth and resources of poor Third World countries including Sri Lanka and they did it by wearing a mask of civilization. Judging by the nominations to the Cabinet of the Biden-Harris administration most analysts believe it will restore racial equality and bring about social justice beginning in the US and then in other countries.

The Biden-Harris administration is also likely to restore world unity by cooperating more with its European allies, rejoining the Paris Climate Change Accord and taking other effective measures to restore conflict-resolution through peaceful dialogue bringing about a win-win situation instead of war and violence, which appear to be more effective but ultimately lead to mass killings with no winners other than to enable the arms industry and other mafias to turn their millions into billions. The Biden-Harris Cabinet nominees include a majority of coloured American men and women and for the first time a woman Janet Yellen has been nominated to the top post of Treasury Secretary. From 2014 to 2018 she was the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Thus we are likely to see a major move towards gender equality especially in the western corporate sector where today we see a crisis with, few if any, women heading Fortune 500 companies. 
Despite the COVID pandemic which is still raging in many countries with a new strain threatening a greater disaster, one of the main hopeful signs is that of the Biden-Harris administration taking the lead in bringing about free world cooperation to combat the virus starting with a more equitable distribution of the new vaccines that have been discovered. 

It is in this context that earlier this month, the United Nations marked the International Human Solidarity Day. In a statement, the UN says the theme and basic purpose are to eradicate poverty, promote the culture of cooperation, equality and social justice, which leads to human and social development particularly in developing countries. Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wherein those, who either suffer or benefit the least, deserve help from those who benefit the most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable.

Therefore, the UN General Assembly, convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing are important for combating poverty, proclaimed December 20 as International Human Solidarity Day.
Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty and the proclamation of International Human Solidarity Day, the concept of solidarity was promoted as crucial in the fight against poverty and in the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, the UN says. 

International Human Solidarity Day is a day to celebrate our unity in diversity; a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements; a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity; a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication and a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.

In Sri Lanka, we have multi religious and multi ethnic communities. Unfortunately extremism led to a 30-year war, where tens of thousands of people were killed or injured while the material damage is incalculable. Solidarity will bring about the vision outlined in the theme of the UN Day and we hope that in all religions and races the people while practicing their religious teachings and cultural traditions need to respect the teachings and traditions of others. One golden rule is – do unto others what you wish they would do unto you. Our care for others is the measure of our greatness. Our political leaders need to remember they were elected by the people to serve the people and thereby servant leadership is essential because any domineering or dictatorial governance system will end up in the garbage dumps of history.