World Must Confront Ethnocentrism, Xenophobia and Racism with a Single Voice – Panel of Experts

A three-member panel of experts from Academia have made a strong appeal to world leaders to join hands with one another to fight the phenomenon of Ethnocentrism, Xenophobia and Racism, describing the three social challenges as having the same impact wherever practiced.

The experts, Professor ‘Dejo Oluwu, Professor of Law at the Walter Sisulu University in South Africa, Prefessor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, Emerita Professor of African Studies at the University of Ghana and Professor Anthony E. Cook, Professor of Law at the Georgetown Law School in the United States, made the call when they participated in a Zoom seminar organized by the African Centre on Law and Ethics at the GIMPA Law Faculty, on the 30th of June 2020. The seminar was moderated by Nana Yaa Mensah, Supervising Editor of Asaase Radio and Co-host of the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS).

During the discussions which was themed – “Ethnocentrism, Xenophobia and Racism: Same Difference?”, a lot of issues spanning hundred years ago to date were brought out, from the days of slavery, to colonization, to apartheid, to systemic racism, to xenophobia and ethnocentrism.

According to Prof Olowu, “It is racist thinking that feeds ethnocentrism, and racism feeds xenophobia as well”. A concerted effort, he noted, was needed to deal with the phenomenon of racism both among blacks and among white people.

Professor Anthony E. Cook, Professor of Law, at the Georgetown Law School in the United States, on his part observed that there is a need for a complete relook at the approach being used to tackle racism particularly in the United States, where the focus is mainly on the criminal justice system. He noted that the approach should be a holistic look at all areas such as economic, political, social and cultural, among other factors. He further indicated that there was also the need to look at how the West can consider paying reparations to black people for the history of subordination and slavery, a process that has led to the transfer of wealth from black communities systematically to white communities.

Professor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, Professor of African Studies at the University of Ghana, in her submissions stated that Racism, Xenophobia and Ethnocentrism were three separate unfortunate circumstances that are interrelated. She noted that blacks across the nations of the world have suffered most when it comes to the impact of the three issues of Racism, Xenophobia and Ethnocentrism.

Leaders of the world, Professor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh noted, have a duty to accept responsibility for leading the fight to arrest all forms of Racism, Xenophobia and Ethnocentrism in their respective jurisdictions.

Source: Asaase Radio/Wilberforce Asare

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