The Russian Red Cross (RRC), Russia's oldest humanitarian organization, explained the principle of equality and other basic concepts related to combating racial discrimination, and advised on how to prevent discrimination and respond to it.
March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, set by the UN General Assembly in 1966. This day recognizes a simple fact: injustice and prejudice, fueled by racial discrimination, happen every day. Racism has no limits - it is a common threat that relates to human perception. In Russia, as in most countries, there are many mixed marriages; members of national minorities and natives of other countries live in the RF. Therefore, the issue of inequality is urgent.
All organizations in the humanitarian sector are guided by the principle of equality. The Russian Red Cross, for its part, helps to reduce consequences of racial discrimination and promotes integration of refugees and migrants into society.
“The basis of our Fundamental Principles and values is rejection of all forms of discrimination and inequality”, says Anastasia Teneta, Director of the RRC International Cooperation Department. “Our principle of impartiality rejects discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, class or politics. Only that way we can duly respect human beings and adhere to the principle of humanity.”
Tens of thousands of ethnic minorities live in Russia today, including those born in Russia and foreigners who work or study in the country.
“It is important to understand at all levels that racial discrimination systematically deprives certain people of their rights because of race, ethnicity or national origin. Freedom fr om racial discrimination is a fundamental human principle. That is why every day should be a day against racial discrimination. It is crucial to bear it in mind, if we want to alleviate people's suffering. We must promote our common values - equality, non-discrimination, mutual respect - everything that is linked to human rights,” says Anastasia Teneta.
Anastasia Zvyagina, a RRC psychosocial support expert, emphasizes that “being part of a group and community is a natural psychosocial need of any person, but when this need cannot be met, a person experiences significant stress, leading to physical and mental instability.”
“Presently numerous studies support this point of view. Discrimination also leads to stigma, marginalization of certain strata of the population and social exclusion of individuals. This is especially in case of racial discrimination. We were born of a particular race. We cannot change it. And interestingly enough, severity of discrimination does not depend directly on gender or ethnicity,” she specifies.
It is a RRC key priority to assist victims of racial discrimination and work actively with stakeholders and partners at all levels to ensure safety of all individuals or communities affected by race-based discrimination.
“It is very important to provide migrants and stateless people in our country with free access to humanitarian assistance, legal support, social, practical and psychological aid indiscriminately. That's why we opened the RRC Migration Center, wh ere migrants and stateless persons from any country can get help,” says the RRC Director of International Cooperation.
You can get advice and support at: 1 Fersman St., bld. 1, korpus 1, entrance 4, Moscow, Russia.
According to Anastasia Teneta, “the RRC and the International Movement humanitarian values embrace respect, non-discrimination, mutual understanding, and friendship for everyone.”
“We promote equality, pluralism and diversity, and bring together people with different views and attitudes. The discrimination issue proves to be one of the biggest current problems in our society. Prejudice, ignorance and even fear create discrimination. We believe that racism hurts all members of society, not just those who face racial attacks. The Russian Red Cross wants to systematically fight discrimination to provide equal opportunities for all ethnic groups in Russia and build our common well-being,” she notes.
According to a UNICEF report published in 2022, discrimination against children based on their ethnicity, language, and religion is widespread around the world. The report shows that children from marginalized ethnic, language, and religious groups from 22 low- and middle-income countries significantly lag behind their peers in reading skills.
“Children are a vulnerable group because of age, physical and legal limitations, so racial discrimination affects them very strongly. Increased risks of depression, self-harming behavior, suicide, dysmorphic disorders, anxiety and fear can be particularly dangerous. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to a potential problem at an early stage and prevent its consequences,” says Anastasia Zvyagina.
The RRC Director of International Cooperation notes, that “exclusion and discrimination in childhood cause harm that can last for life.”
At present, the Russian Red Cross is implementing several programs in different regions, which help children from refugee families to get education equal to that of their peers. For example, the Russian Red Cross Training Center for refugee and migrant children has been functioning in Moscow for more than a year. Children from the Middle East, Africa, the CIS and Afghanistan study the Russian language and basic school and preschool subjects. Children from displaced families from other countries also study there. Coordinators and volunteers from the Center for Support and Adaptation of Refugee and Migrant Children - “Kids like others,” - teach them. The Center has been doing this work for over 25 years. Its employees teach students Russian as a foreign language, mathematics, and literature, they also help kids to integrate into the cultural environment.
In February this year, the RRC St. Petersburg local branch together with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a course of free Russian language classes. Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen attend the course. More than half of them are children and adolescents, the course gives them a chance to go to school or college next year, continue their education, integrate into society, and find friends among their peers.
According to the UNICEF report mentioned above, for two-thirds of children and young people discrimination is common in their environment, while almost half believe that discrimination has had a significant impact on their lives or the lives of someone they know. Psychologists from the Russian Red Cross offer recommendations on how to cope with racial discrimination consequences and reduce their impact on mental health.
Psychologists also gave recommendations to parents to reduce psychological effects of racial discrimination on their children.
