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Why Does Racism Affect Us All?
Racism is rooted in a natural process of categorizing and classifying reality. Without necessarily realizing it, we constantly sort what we see into categories. This is a way of simplifying reality so that our brains can better grasp and understand it. We thus assign labels to objects, plants, animals, and also to human beings. Racism begins when we rank individuals by order of importance or value based on labels derived from their geographic origin, skin color, or religion. This is known as ranking. From this process arise racist prejudices, which are negative feelings toward a group of people who share a common characteristic (skin color, origin, religion, etc.). These negative judgments can then be used to justify the exclusion of the people concerned (discrimination) or even the use of violence against them.
© BLI
What is the Week of Action Against Racism?
The Week of Action Against Racism is an event that originated in Quebec in 2000 and has since been organized in several cities around the world, including Lausanne. It takes place every year around March 21, the date designated by the UN as the “International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.”
Since 2007, Lausanne Action Week has been organized by the City of Lausanne’s Office for Immigrants (BLI) in partnership with associations and institutions active in the fight against racism. Depending on the year, the event features shows, performances, conferences, film screenings, and more. A different theme is explored each year—ranging from sports to youth, the world of work, and neighborhood life—with the goal of raising awareness among a broad audience.
© Marino Trotta – City of Lausanne
For more detailed definitions regarding issues related to racism, please visit the following pages:
The glossary published by RTS: https://www.rts.ch/decouverte/monde-et-societe/economie-et-politique/le-racisme/8977938-les-termes-qui-parlent-de-discrimination.html
Articles from ciao.ch: https://www.ciao.ch/themes/racismes/
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