From: Dr. Barryl A. Biekman
Coordination & Monitoring Working Group UN International Decade People of African descent. (The Netherlands)
[email protected]
To: H.E. Donald John Trump
President of the United States of America
30 May 2020, The Netherlands:
Excellency,
Respectfully greetings,
I hereby respectfully ask your attention to the following:
During an election year for the Presidency of the United States of America and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, I am hopeful that you will receive this letter, read it and respond to it with an assurance that new policies will be enacted so that atrocities such as what recently happened to Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis will not be tolerated again.
I humbly approach you as the civil society speaker, elected by H.E. Sam K. Kutesa, President of the United Nations General assembly, to speak [1] on behalf of the global civil society People of African descent during the launching of the International Decade for People of African descent (2015-2024) on December 10th, 2014 at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.
This Decade is based on the UN Resolution 68/237 [2]. The mission [3] of the Decade is summarized in the title of the Decade namely: ‘Recognition, Justice, and Development’. A title that includes the themes on which the Decade is addressed. The main objective is that “People of African descent around the world, in all regions and countries, experience the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination as well as other relevant international and regional human rights instruments”.
Regarding the killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis, U.S., I would like to bring into memory my statement [4] during the launching of the Decade whereby I emphasized that: ”…When an African American man is strangled to death by the police on the streets of New York, we the people of African descent feel the same that we cannot breathe”.
And this time more than ever the killing of Mr. Floyd has shocked the world, it has shocked all People of Good Will in the Netherlands and across the globe. It has shocked members of the worldwide African (diaspora) family.
Excellency, we are shocked!
In my speech during the launching of the Decade, I also said: “…..We add our voices in solidarity with all those demonstrating to demand justice for the victims of racially based police brutality. This situation makes it clear that institutionalized racism is still alive and that the campaigns against all forms of multiple racism & racial profiling [1] as well as the symbolic & psychological violence situation in different countries must be intensified” (see page 6, 3rd Alinea).
In 2020, five years later into the International UN Decade, we are still experiencing the killing of defenseless ‘African American men’ by police. That means that the intention of my statement on the International UN Human Rights Day on December 10, 2014, and the request on behalf of the global civil society African family did not penetrate to the capillaries of the police system.
Let me reiterate the appeal that I have made towards the United Nations of which the United States of America is a member of:
”….On behalf of the worldwide African diaspora families, I invite all of you to join hands with us for the implementation of the Program of Activities in the spirit of “Recognition, Justice, and Development.” Because this Decade requires the committed support and involvement of all international, regional, national, sectors of society, stakeholders and people of Good Will in the world”.
The invitation to make this “Reparation Decade” a great success was also addressed to the United States of America.
Excellency, President Trump,
I’m certain that you will do everything in your power to effect immediate policies that discourage such inhumane actions against African Americans and other minorities. In concrete terms, I urge you to implement (city diplomacy) policies that will overhaul the police force to act as protectors of all citizens.
Thank you for your swift action to this urgent matter. I am certain we all want peace, stability, and harmony. So George Floyd and his family too.
Respectfully,
Dr. Barryl A. Biekman
https://www.globaldiasporanews.com/barrylbiekman
Coordination & Monitoring Working Group UN International Decade People of African descent. (The Netherlands)
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with the request to take note of the request to the President of the United States of America, H.E. Donald John Trump, and join hands to urge the President to do everything in his power to effect immediate policies that discourage such inhumane actions against African Americans and other minorities.
To:
The Embassy of the United States of America to the Netherlands
H.E. Peter Hoekstra
The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Via the Prime Minister, H.E. Mark Rutte
African Union Head of States
Via African Union Commission
Vice-Chair H.E. Kwesi Quartey
The Head of States and Governments of Caricom
Via the Chair
Honorable Ms. Mia Amor Mottley
U.S. Congressional Black Caucus
Rep. John Lewis
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Honorable Ms. Michelle Bachelet
Rainbow Push Coalition
Rev. Jesse Jackson
PDF of the letter: Dr-Barryl-Biekman-Urgent-Letter-To-The-President-of-USA
Useful links
[1] https://app.box.com/s/8bg9s1t0ez9sgmmiar61k7wix97jv1h5
[2]https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Racism/IWG/session12/A.RES.68.237.pdf
[3] https://www.un.org/en/observances/decade-people-african-descent/programme-activities
[4] https://app.box.com/s/4sgg9vpjvd95capjmribd36gxc4m6boy
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Dr Charles Senessie at a Mobile Clinics in Kenya 2012
