The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) has been following recent and still-evolving circumstances in the USA that were triggered by the death of George Floyd, and at this time sends a message of solidarity to FOR USA and to all involved in peaceful and creative protest, with our deepest condolences to George Floyd’s family, friends and local community.
We were appalled, and our hearts were broken, at yet another needless act of police violence against an unarmed, African-American citizen. We are aware that this event has triggered protests in countries other than the USA, emphasising the global dimension of present demands for change.
We also view the present moment as potentially transformative, and note the proceedings to hold the police officers involved to account, as well as fundamentally alter the nature of future policing in Minneapolis and elsewhere. We highlight the statement by our branch in the USA, recognising that the current protests are “rooted in a deep desire for justice and respect for the inherent human dignity of all persons”.
We commend the UN scrutiny triggered by the original action against George Floyd, as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, at the debate held at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 17th June on Racially Inspired Human Rights Violations. We note the contribution by the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, who remarked that Floyd’s death “has become emblematic of the excessive use of disproportionate force by law enforcement – against people of African descent, against people of colour, and against indigenous peoples, and racial and ethnic minorities, in many countries across the globe”.
Equally, the increase in violence against journalists in the USA over the last weeks should give us all occasion to reflect on the essential service they render. We call on UNESCO, as an international guarantor of freedom of expression, to make a statement in support of US journalists covering the protests in their country.
These themes find backing in Point 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (“Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development”), particularly 16.1, 16.a and 16.10 respectively.
Despite present calls to de-fund and reconceive policing, IFOR is conscious of the unfolding militarisation of local and regional US police departments, and views with concern the instinct in some quarters to place entire cities under the military establishment. We wholeheartedly endorse the calls for accountability and for urgent structural and attitudinal changes in society, including around militarisation, and remind ourselves and all participants of the immense power of nonviolence in the response. In this respect, a strong legacy dating back through the civil rights movement of Dr M.L. King Jr, Ella Baker, Dorothy Cotton and Vincent Harding, among others, is available to draw on, and has indeed characterised the majority of demonstrations.
Like the rest of the world, the USA will have choices to make as the current coronavirus pandemic gives way to the “new normal”. We urge those in a position to effect change, to recognise the equal dignity and value of each human life, in order to create a nonviolent, demilitarised society based on justice and respect for human rights.