Paul Divakar Namala on Durban's Legacy for Caste

Twenty-five years after a landmark UN conference, a leading Dalit activist says the global fight against inherited discrimination remains urgent. Paul Divakar Namala, Executive Director of The Inclusivity Project, argues that the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban was a watershed for communities facing caste and analogous hierarchies.

The third UN Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance was held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001. According to Amnesty International, which published the interview, people from 170 countries gathered, leading to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, foundational documents for anti-racism work globally.

Inherited Stigma Across Continents

Namala's work focuses on Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD). This term encompasses groups like Dalits in South Asia, Roma in Europe, Burakumin in Japan, and Haratine in the Sahel. While their histories are distinct, they share patterns of inherited stigma, segregation, and confinement to degrading work.

For Dalits, caste shapes every part of life. "This can shape every part of life: access to a common water source, where a child sits at school, where a family may live," Namala said. Constitutional guarantees coexist with persistent discrimination and violence when rights are asserted.

A Personal Journey to Activism

Namala's activism is rooted in personal tragedy and a conscious rejection of vengeance. Growing up in India, his family faced attacks for asserting their rights. When he was 21, a petrol-bomb attack killed his mother.

Only later did he fully connect this violence to caste. His father taught him to dismantle the structures allowing abuse, not only seek personal justice. This guided him toward challenging the social norms that treat some people as inferior. In his twenties, over four decades ago, he began building communities of human rights defenders.

The Durban Breakthrough

When the UN announced the Durban Conference, Namala and other Dalit leaders knew they had to participate. They were new to international processes but secured a place at a key preparatory meeting in Bellagio. There, with support from figures like then-Amnesty International Secretary General Pierre Sané, they succeeded in making caste a major issue.

Several Asian governments resisted explicit inclusion in the final documents. The Durban Declaration did not contain the explicit recognition activists sought. Yet the conference achieved something extraordinary. "Durban gave unprecedented international visibility to caste discrimination," Namala stated. Dalit activists were present in large numbers, carrying documentation and protests.

People approached them, saying, "You are untouchable? Let me hug you." Those encounters, Namala recalls, showed both international unfamiliarity with the issue and how human connection could challenge stigma.

The Unfinished Agenda for Solidarity

Since Durban, Namala's network has expanded to include advocates across Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Working together makes discriminatory structures visible and prevents excuses in the name of culture. A key lesson from Durban is that affected communities must speak for themselves, as defenders and leaders, not only victims.

Namala calls on Amnesty International to adopt a clear global approach to work and descent discrimination. He urges comparative research and integrating CDWD issues into work on racial justice, gender, and climate justice.

The fight continues for stronger international recognition, including comprehensive guidance from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The real test, however, is on the ground. International declarations only matter when they change the life of a woman confronting untouchability or a sanitation worker demanding dignified work.