As stated in the “Trayvon Martin is All of US” statement (see http://mxgm.org/trayvon-martin-is-all-of-us/), “the murder of Trayvon Martin is no isolated tragedy”. New Afrikan and/or Black people have been fighting police brutality and vigilante terrorism in one form or another for centuries. Two of the long standing demands of the Black community have been community control over the police and the end to the police occupations of our communities. Attempts to placate these demands have been made in numerous cities throughout the United States in the form of civilian review boards and the hiring of Black police. After 40 years of experimentation with these methods, it is clear that they have failed to stop police brutality and white supremacist vigilante violence against Black people. It is time that we demand more. It is time that we demand structural change and that is where the National Plan of Action comes in.
The Malcolm
X Grassroots Movement is demanding a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice
to ensure that the US government is held accountable for its policies and
practices that threaten or undermine the human rights of Afrikan and other
oppressed peoples in the United States, including Indigenous Nations, Xicanos,
Puerto Ricans, Hawaiians, Arabs, immigrants, Muslims and other targeted
communities. The National Plan of Action for Racial Justice is a comprehensive
plan that will address the totality of structural and institutional racism and
how they violate the human rights of oppressed peoples.
What is a National Plan of Action?
In
essence a National Plan of Action is a plan created and implemented by a
National or Federal government to improve its human rights practice to ensure
that the rights of all persons under its jurisdiction are respected, protected,
and fulfilled. Such a plan acknowledges that improvements in all facets of
governance are needed in order for human rights to be fully realized. In order
to make these improvements, National Plans call on governments to:
1.
Develop
a comprehensive work plan, with a concrete timeline, goals, and measurable benchmarks,
to resolve social issues where a government is not in full compliance with
international law and standards in the application of human rights.
2.
Ratify
additional human rights treaties and standards where needed to ensure maximum
protections and the realization of rights.
3.
Align
domestic law with international law to ensure more effective incorporation of
international standards into domestic practice.
4.
Establish
national human rights institutions to facilitate, administer, and monitor the
implementation of the plan.
5.
Institute
a comprehensive human rights education program to ensure that all government
officials, on all levels of government (local, county, and state level) are
aware of their human rights obligations and insure that all persons and
institutions of civil society are aware of their rights.
6.
Create
social policies and programs that address core areas of concern regarding the
protection and fulfillment of human rights and seek to improve the quality of
life overall, particularly for vulnerable groups and social sectors.
Historical Background
The
National Plan of Action concept is a product of the 1993 World Conference on
Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria. It was promoted by the Vienna Declaration
and Programme of Action (VDPA) and was put forward as a means for all
national-states to take deliberate action to improve their human rights record
and practices. The development of National Plans of Action to combat racism and
racial discrimination is a product of the Third World Conference Against Racism
held in Durban, South Africa in 2001. These “racial justice” plans were
promoted by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) and have been
adopted and utilized by a number of countries including Australia, Canada,
Ireland, and South Africa.
Where
these Racial Justice Plans have perhaps been used most effectively is in South
America, specifically by Afro-descendent organizations and social movements. Afro-descendent
organizations in Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela have used the DDPA and National
Plans of Action to win constitutional recognition for ancestral lands, regional
autonomy and special programs for cultural preservation, educational advancement,
and community development. These examples and the organizing strategies
employed to win these gains are the inspiration the Malcolm X Grassroots
Movement draws from in our campaign to attain a National Plan of Action for
Racial Justice in the United States.
Join Us. Build the No More
Trayvons Campaign for a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice
The
demands articulated in the “Trayvon Martin is All of US” statement are only a
portion of the demands that would be included in the National Plan.
Comprehensively the National Plan would address the right of
self-determination; economic, social, and cultural rights; civil and political
rights; racial profiling, stop and frisk, mass incarceration, state
surveillance, and political repression; political prisoners and prisoners of
war; environmental racism; and much
more.
To win
this demand, we are going to have to secure millions of signatures, organize
individuals and communities in support of the demand on a mass level, build a
broad coalition, and apply maximum pressure on the administration of President
Obama to yield to the demand and implement a National Plan of Action for Racial
Justice. Join the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM), Black Left Unity
Network (BLUN), National Alliance for Racial Justice (NARJHR), and the CERD
Implementation Task Force of the US Human Rights Network (USHRN) in raising
these demands and building this movement.
You can
start by officially endorsing the campaign and committing to working on the
strategies and tasks outlined in our Appeal Letter (see http://mxgm.org/no-more-trayvon-martins-campaign-appeal/ for more details). To endorse
the campaign email kaliakuno@mxgm.org. To sign the Petition visit
http://www.ushrnetwork.org/content/webform/trayvon-martin-petition.
For more
details visit www.mxgm.org or visit us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/MXGMnational.
Kali
Akuno , Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Tuesday,
May 1, 2012
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