Feb 22, Kathmandu- Sahayatra-Canada, a non-governmental organization registered in Canada, is organizing the 'World Conference for a World Free of Racial Discrimination 2025' in collaboration with various organizations in South Asia and North America.

The conference will be held in Toronto, Canada from May 25 to May 27, with the main theme being ‘Building Solidarity towards Equality, Social Justice, and the Elimination of Casteism’, according to the organizers.

‘Around 260 million people worldwide are victims of inhumane treatment and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and descent. Although casteism originated in South Asia, it has now become a global problem,’ said Dr. Dron Rasali, chairman of the conference organizing committee.

He said that the conference aims to advance international dialogue on best practices and solutions to end racial discrimination and to focus the attention of national and international governments, communities, stakeholder bodies, and target groups on the formulation and implementation of effective policies to end racial discrimination.

The conference will bring together government agencies, policymakers, civil society representatives, businesspeople, academic researchers, scholars, students, and activists on a common platform to discuss how collective efforts can be taken forward on the basis of justice and equality to eliminate caste discrimination and other oppressive practices, according to the organizing organization.

“So far, 15 eminent scholars, professors and researchers have been confirmed to participate as speakers. We are hopeful that this conference will provide a common platform for participants to present their experiences, ideas and initiatives on caste discrimination,” said Santosh Bishwakarma, coordinator of the conference organizing committee. He also expressed his belief that the conference will have a special discussion on caste discrimination in Nepal and that the conference will help strengthen international solidarity in the fight against discrimination.

The Toronto conference will discuss the impact of caste discrimination, personal experiences of victims, case studies, review of international laws and their implementation, global efforts to end discrimination, knowledge transfer, research on Dalits, best practices and solutions to end caste discrimination, as well as institutional development, future strategies, and measures to promote equality and social justice, according to the organizers.

The organizing organization has stated that around 300 participants from all over the world, including international and national level activists, policy makers, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, businessmen, academicians, researchers, students, journalists, professionals and social activists, can register to participate in the conference by visiting the Sahayatra website sahayatraintl.com.