Venezuela reaffirms UNESCO's commitment to combat all forms of discrimination

Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of the General History of Africa, the recognition of Afro-Venezuelanism and the strengthening of transformative education, during the International Conference Series on Education, Culture and Reparatory Justice: Innovation, Experiences and Challenges from Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean, organized in Caracas by the Ministries of Popular Power for Education and Culture, the Council National for the Development of Afro-descendant Communities of Venezuela (Conadecafro) and the Samuel Robinson National Experimental Teaching University, with the support of the UNESCO regional office in Havana.

Among those invited to this cycle was the permanent delegate of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ambassador Ernesto Villegas Poljak, who highlighted the validity of the efforts made by the multilateral agency to promote educational initiatives related to the General History of Africa, as a fundamental instrument for promoting a broader, more balanced understanding and plural form of human history and recognize the contributions of African peoples to the development of contemporary societies.

The permanent delegate of Venezuela maintained -via videoconference- that this UNESCO agenda constitutes a strategic priority and a historic commitment of the Venezuelan State, due to its capacity to strengthen the recognition of Afro-Venezuelanism as an inseparable part of national identity, collective memory and Venezuelan cultural heritage.

In turn, the ambassador expressed his appreciation to the speakers, researchers, teachers, students and institutional representatives who contributed to the development of this space for academic exchange and collective reflection on the legacies of Mother Africa and its diasporas, as well as on the challenges that persist in the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination.

At the end of his speech, the permanent delegate of Venezuela to UNESCO reiterated his willingness to continue promoting cooperation, research and training initiatives that contribute to the recognition of cultural diversity, historical justice and the dignity of peoples, in line with the provisions of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DPAD), the UN plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance around the world.