Verene Shepherd to address UN General Assembly to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

From IWF News ,  Washington DC.

March 20, 2015 – Professor Verene A. Shepherd of IWF Jamaica addressed the UN General Assembly in New York as a Keynote Speaker for a commemorative plenary meeting to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Shepherd is a member of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. She is University Director of the Institute for Gender & Development Studies and Professor of Social History at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.

The meeting is focused on the state of racial discrimination worldwide, and the theme from this year's event is: "Learning from historical tragedies to combat racial discrimination today." Shepherd's work seeks to identify root causes of societal problems and attempt to fix them.

"The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is an opportunity to renew our commitment to building a world of justice and equality where xenophobia and bigotry do not exist. We must learn the lessons of history and acknowledge the profound damage caused by racial discrimination." – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the 21st of March to commemorate a tragedy which occurred in 1960, when police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful anti-apartheid demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa.

Shepherd is a sought-after speaker and advocate worldwide on topics ranging from social justice to gender empowerment.