In Honor of UN-Designated Zero Discrimination Day
Zero Discrimination Is the Cornerstone of World Peace
Promoting Global Solidarity and
Realizing Justice and Equality with Conscience
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
President of Federation of World Peace and Love
Vice-President of Association of World Citizens
Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men
Mar. 01, 2022
Today we gather online to celebrate the UN-designated Zero Discrimination Day. This day was declared as UNAIDS called for urgent action to end persistent inequalities around the world, including inequalities in income, gender, age, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, race, class, religion, belief, and other areas. With more than 70 percent of the world's population experiencing increasing inequality, the risk of social division and conflict is rising, and crises are lurking, severely hampering sound economic and social development. Therefore, Zero Discrimination Day serves as a global campaign calling on global citizens to unite and cooperate to eradicate all forms of discrimination and promote justice, equality, tolerance, empathy, and peace!
The just and peaceful climate of a society will be undermined if there are more discriminatory disputes. People are more likely to overlook structural discrimination, although class discrimination occurs intentionally or unintentionally in various social systems. Individuals and groups who are already treated unequally are put in an even more difficult situation when discrimination and inequality collide. The leading causes of discrimination are misunderstanding and prejudice. Therefore, to achieve zero discrimination, people need to be open-minded, willing to understand and accept differences, change their concepts, and adjust their practices. Only when everyone stops discriminating against others, can an inclusive, fair, and just society be achieved.
Today, the world is facing a variety of survival challenges, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, posing a threat to not only the health-care system, but also to the economy, education, and social security systems as a result of isolation, work suspension, and school closures to prevent the spread of the virus. Those social structures that were originally weak have become more fragile in the face of dramatic changes in the environment. Governments need to not only strengthen health care, but also to focus on the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized communities while striving to end extreme poverty and hunger and prevent discrimination from happening. Global inequality has an impact on everyone, and the imbalance in the minds of those who are discriminated against has an impact on their physical and mental health, creating a negative effect that can easily lead to tragedy and global security crises when triggered. All people in the world, regardless of who they are or where they come from, are in the same boat, and everyone has a responsibility to safeguard the dignity and rights of each individual.
In order to achieve the goal of sustainable development, nations must put aside their prejudices, unite, and cooperate to eliminate discrimination and inequality. To accomplish this, we must awaken the inner conscience of each person. Conscience is a bright light that guides people in the right direction and allows them to find their pure and genuine hearts in the midst of the chaotic and turbid world, replacing discrimination, prejudice, and fear with tolerance, understanding, respect, and trust, while expressing love and care to one another, so that the energy of kindness can change the world for the better and that everyone can be treated with equality, tolerance, and empathy, thus resolving disputes and quelling war and chaos. The only way for the world to develop toward freedom, justice, and peace is to defend each individual's dignity and equality, as well as to ensure that human rights are not violated.
Governments should be leaders in the fight against discrimination, implementing human rights protection as well as improving their legal and tax systems. Law enforcement officers must follow the principle of equality before the law and avoid social and structural discrimination, particularly discrimination based on gender, class, race, or religion. However, there are many cases of illegal use of governmental authority to discriminate against and stigmatize specific groups, exacerbating human rights violations and inequity against specific groups in society. Reform is required to eliminate inequity. Governments should uphold the human rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by repealing discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, ensuring that no individual or group is stigmatized in the future. People should also take constructive steps to show respect, acceptance, and tolerance for multiculturalism and diverse groups so that everyone can experience freedom of speech and belief, as well as freedom from fear and want. Only then will we be able to maintain justice and dignity, as well as create a safe and prosperous society.
Conscience is righteous and impartial, and it is the balancing force to achieve zero discrimination. People should follow their conscience, maintain positive attitudes, and maintain healthy bodies and minds in order to stabilize themselves, respect others, treat all things with kindness, caring, unity, and cooperate with one another in order to overcome difficulties and pass the trials of the greater environment together. Everyone is a leader of conscience and can lead the world by thinking kind thoughts and creating cycles of goodness. Human rights are natural endowments, and all people are born free and should enjoy dignity and equal rights. Only by achieving "zero discrimination" can we lay the foundation for world peace. I pray that justice will prevail, the truth will always be known, society will be peaceful, and the world will be sustainable.
*Presented at the ICDAY’s virtual event in support of
UN-designated Zero Discrimination Day