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March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a tragedy that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many years this day was known as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, once and for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty to combat it.
每年的3月21日为国际消除种族歧视日。1960年的这一天，在南非的沙佩维尔发生了惨剧，而该节日就是为了纪念这一事件而设立的。警方开枪杀害了69名参加反对种族隔离的和平示威者。这起屠杀事件震惊了世界。许多年来，这一天也被看成是南非的“沙佩维尔”日。1966年，联合国大会设立了该节日，呼吁各个国家为消除种族歧视而加倍努力，永远消除种族歧视。每年的3月21日，在日内瓦的联合国难民事务高级专员公署以及总部纽约都会举办许多打击种族歧视的活动。
This day perhaps played a role in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting equality at all levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.
该节日的设立或许为结束南非的种族隔离做出了贡献。如今的南非是一个多种族国家，南非政府也一直在宣传社会各阶层的民族平等。种族隔离和种族歧视的终结也让南非迎来了更加繁荣的经济发展。联合国秘书长潘基文就种族歧视对人权发展的影响，以及国家的进步阻碍一事进行了评论：“种族歧视会伤害受害者，不仅如此，它还会影响社会包容性的发展。种族歧视阻碍个人发展，阻碍国家进步。”如今，种族歧视仍然会让全球遭受重创。3月21日，让我们在这一天做出改变吧。
译文属可可英语原创，未经允许，不得转载。
