Editorial

Few people would set out to discriminate against other people without 'justification' of some sort. It may seem natural, in the first instance, for a community to consider the 'other' with some kind of misgiving, especially if the 'other' looks different, speaks in a different way, comes from afar, or belongs to a community that has harmed us in any way in the past.

That is how prejudice is born, as well as the outright condemnation of all individuals, irrespective of whether the individual is at fault or not. Social life, and human relating, in a world context, are enhanced when such prejudices are overcome and every person is given a chance to be equal and thoroughly human.

The Council of Europe seeks to foster full respect and dignity for the variety of cultures that exist within its confines. This is, after all, a world concern, especially seeing that world peace hangs so much on full acceptance of diversity of culture, and on a refusal to shift responsibility for the sins of past generations on the present one.

The Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, has recently released four new reports examining racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in Finland, Latvia, Malta and the Ukraine.

While noting that positive progress has been made in all four Council of Europe member countries, the commission recognises that continuing grounds for concern persist.

Malta fares best of the four countries. It does not have some of the problems of the others, but it does not seem, for all that, that we are free of discriminatory attitudes of some form.

In Malta's case, the commission stressed the importance of combating stereotypes and prejudices since "such latent phenomena" may lead to more overt forms of racism and discrimination.

In other words, we may not suffer much from racist sentiments but, in the report's view, we tend to stereotype people and to harbour prejudices. The report suggests that further steps have to be taken, both to combat concrete manifestations of discrimination and to raise awareness and combat prejudices among the public.

Finland is pulled up in the report for a certain level of prejudice and intolerance towards those who are different from the majority, which is expressed as discrimination in a number of fields, including employment, housing and access to public places, as well as in instances of harassment and sometimes racial violence.

Latvia has historical problems with regard to the Russian-speaking population, many members of whom are still non-citizens. These people risk exclusion and marginalisation from social structures and the decision-making processes.

In the Ukraine, the report finds problems of racism and direct and indirect discrimination particularly affecting formerly deported people, immigrants with or without legal status, asylum-seekers and refugees.

Fortunately for us, with our common language and religion, our problems are minimal, but greater care should be taken against discriminating across the board against a particular race or colour, and precisely in those areas that have been pinpointed with deadly accuracy - discotheques and bars. Much greater sensitiveness has to be shown here than that displayed in some places.