Geneva — Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation LWF says the recent United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) was a unique opportunity and in several respects "a historic success," and expresses "little surprise" that such a meeting had provoked controversy.

But Noko notes in a statement that the real success of the August 31 - September 8 conference in Durban, South Africa, would best be determined by the follow-up on commitments made.

He urged governments, non-governmental organisations and civil society to recommit themselves to the ongoing daily struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Referring to the churches' outspokenness in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the past, Noko challenged them to raise again a loud prophetic voice against racism, including rooting out the "racism that still exists" within and among churches themselves.

The LWF general secretary, who participated in the Durban conference, said he regrets that the actions of a "few extremists inevitably coloured" the international community's reaction to the legitimate concerns of the Palestinian people.

He observed that critical issues such as the situation of refugees and asylum seekers were not accorded the attention expected from such a conference. Dr Noko's statement said in part:

"The World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, August 31 - September 8 2001, was a unique opportunity for the over 160 states and many civil society organisations whose representatives gathered there to examine and address contemporary manifestations of racism and its related forms of discrimination and intolerance.

"The conference challenged all its participants, including many church representatives, to listen to victims and search out the roots of racism in our own communities and our attitudes. Some were ready to rise to the challenge; some were not.

"During the days of the struggle against apartheid, many of us-nations, communities, churches and individuals-were able to externalise the problem in opposing institutionalised racism and discriminatory practices of South Africa's apartheid regime.

"In Durban, we were asked to examine the dark corners of our own "houses" where racism lurks. It is in part due to guilty resistance to this challenge of self-examination that the World Conference generated so much controversy.

"Some have lamented over the level of confrontation that took place in Durban. But when addressing the gross, continuing, entrenched attitudes and practices of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, confrontation is both inevitable and necessary. Such attitudes and practices must be confronted.

"In confronting and redressing racism, however, "hate speech" and "reverse racism" sometimes emerge claiming anti-racist credentials. The World Conference was, unfortunately, not immune to this phenomenon.

"In Durban, one or two groups were responsible for the spreading of anti-Semitic images and messages of the most objectionable and distressing kind.

"The Lutheran World Federation categorically denounces the propagation and promotion of such attitudes, and deeply regrets that the actions of a few extremists inevitably coloured the international community's reaction to the legitimate concerns of the Palestinian people.

"The recent developments in my own country Zimbabwe, made public as the World Conference was drawing to a close, demonstrate that it is possible to address the present consequences of a racist past and counter trends towards reverse racism.

"The agreement on the land question in Zimbabwe provided a positive counterpoint to the polarised discussion in Durban on reparations for past injustices. The injustices of slavery and colonialism must be redeemed in a way that is meaningful to those who continue to live in their shadow.

"A practical response to the issue of landlessness in many countries around the world is one of the keys to resolving these so-called "issues of the past" still prevalent to millions of people..." u