Racial Equality - Article written by Ivan Gacina

RACIAL EQUALITY

Racial equality occurs when institutions give equal opportunities to people of all races, when they provide legal, moral and political equality to individuals regardless of skin color, religion, etc. Achieving racial equality is difficult for people from Africa, and some Asian and South American countries. However, the countries of the world are making more and more efforts to ensure that every individual has equal opportunities for education and employment, regardless of race.

USA is making a lot of effort into achieving racial equality, and it is recommended that groups work directly with community members to solve problems in their communities.

Equality is also one of the EU's core values, and EU rules on non-discrimination are among the most comprehensive in the world. The first directives on gender equality were agreed in the 1970s.

The Treaty of Rome of 1957 required men and women to be paid equally for equal work or work of equal value. The 1997 Amsterdam Treaty relates to six areas: discrimination, racial and ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and age.

A number of laws prohibit discrimination based on sex, age, religion or belief, racial or ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation.

The Racial Equality Directive, adopted in 2000, brought important changes in the fight against racial discrimination in the European Union. Prior to the adoption of the directive, only some EU Member States already had detailed laws and mechanisms prohibiting racial discrimination; most of them had to make significant changes to meet the requirements of the directive.

Croatia, as one of the members of the European Union, also deals with discrimination and achieving racial equality. The Croatian Association of Professional Athletes emphasizes the fight against all forms of discrimination as one of its basic goals. However, despite the formal existence of various anti-discrimination regulations and various anti-discrimination campaigns, various forms of discrimination still exist. The most common problem in sports is the inequality of women who have significantly lower incomes.

It is easy to conclude that the lack of statistics makes it impossible for governments to fully understand the problems faced by minorities, how these problems can be solved, and whether the situation has improved. EU Member States should take into account the collection of ethnically disaggregated statistics, while taking precautions to comply with data protection and privacy laws. Adequate resources should be allocated to equality bodies to disseminate information on the law.

It is important to be vigilant and aware, and bearers of peace in our environment. It takes a little to get some things started, and a lot of work that will result in world peace, including racial equality. It is important to spread positive energy, to be aware that we are all brothers and sisters and that we are all of flesh and blood.

The situation in the world of the twenty-first century seems quite complex, with wars, riots, fires, famines, pandemics, but nonetheless, we have the strength and wisdom to shape the human world, to allow the planet's lungs to turn green again, and to get closer to each other through love because no living individual could survive on its own.

The world is beautiful; there is enough space and resources for everyone, so we need to fight for racial equality, because when our neighbors are well, we will be well also.

© Ivan Gaćina

Croatia