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CNN Sunday Morning

U.N. Conference on Racism Ends

Aired September 09, 2001 - 07:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: After more than a week of sometimes bitter arguments, delegates at the U.N. conference on racism are heading home today. As CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports, there are mixed opinions about whether that conference has really been effective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As you could expect with so many different voices, conflict over a range of issues. Some South Africans complain that the conference was detracting from bread and butter issues at home, poverty and despair arising from the discrimination against blacks from South Africa's recent apartheid past.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't mind that the racism conference here in South Africa because, the racism is still (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HUNTER-GAULT: But despite the noise that threatened to drown out any rational debate on the issues, delegates say this was a conference whose time had come.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It can help because we want to form a network of indigenous people so that we can see how we can see how we can fight for our rights.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time that the transatlantic slave trade and reparations has been put on the international agenda. Post-Durban for us is the organizing of what we're calling millions for reparation.

HUNTER-GAULT (on-camera): But what are people feeling and experiencing outside the tightly secured forums of controversy and debate at the U.N. conference against racism? We came here to the University of Natal to get a sample.

(voice-over): It's a campus mirroring South African realities. It's colonial and apartheid past. It's current divisions. It's still unsteady steps towards transformation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affirmative action and stuff, I think, it's probably more causing a problem rather than solving it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like affirmative action is a good thing because in order to balance the playing field for all and to bring about a situation whereby there is equality for all and there - and fear and hatred is put away.

HUNTER-GAULT: And can hatred, anger and discrimination be overcome?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there's always going to be racism on one people or another, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get used to each other's differences maybe. In fact, maybe we just got joined together too soon and it's too different.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People like us can be overcome. And by virtue of the fact that Africa has overcome apartheid, anything is possible in there. We just have to be positive.

HUNTER-GAULT: Does the racism conference matter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are they going to like tell somebody, you know, you can't call someone a certain name or you can't do this or this is against the law because you're going to have a document written up and then take no action on it.

HUNTER-GAULT: This 20-year-old law student agrees but says attending the conference was life changing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So if we start from the small level at the university in the community, which we know, then it'll be easier for us to move onto the further levels.

HUNTER-GAULT (on-camera): And you feel re-energized by the...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been very wise. I - it just gives me this - it gives me a positive outlook.

HUNTER-GAULT (voice-over): An answer heard over and over again at this conference is delegates packed their bags to come to homes in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent and beyond. Their spirit reminding of the days of the civil rights movement in America when the students protesting in the streets used to sing an old spiritual, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round."

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, CNN, Durban, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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