“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” states the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Although this is a fundamental, recognized truth, and rightly considered non-negotiable, history has shown that it is constantly questioned.

“In fact, the most recent data show that almost one in six people in the world suffers discrimination, and racial discrimination, based on factors such as ethnicity, color or language, is among the most common reasons,” said Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, yesterday in New York.

«As Pope Francis has clearly stated: ‘We cannot tolerate or close our eyes to any kind of racism or exclusion and claim to defend the sacredness of every human life’».

«Racism – continued the archbishop – is an affront to the inherent dignity that God has given to every human being, and any theory or form of racism and racial discrimination is unacceptable».

«The equal dignity of every human being demands that we never close our eyes to racism or exclusion, but that we welcome the ‘other’ with openness, recognizing the richness of gifts and the uniqueness of each person and each people».

For Archbishop Caccia, this «requires a fundamental change of attitude, starting with the will to engage in dialogue in a spirit of solidarity and fraternity to overcome indifference and fear».