The National Plan of Action for Racial Justice: Short Explanation

As stated in the Trayvon Martin is All of US statement, the murder of Trayvon Martin is no isolated
tragedy. New Afrikan and/or Black people have been fighting police brutality in one form or another for
centuries. Two of the long standing demands of the Black community have been community control over
the police and the end to the police occupations of our communities. Attempts to placate these demands
have been made in numerous cities throughout the United States in the form of civilian review boards and
the hiring of Black police. After 40 years of experimentation with these methods, it is clear that they have
failed to stop police brutality and white supremacist vigilante violence against Black people. It is time
that we demand more. It is time that we demand structural change and that is where the National Plan of
Action comes in.
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is demanding a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice to
ensure that the US government is held accountable for its policies and practices that threaten or
undermine the human rights of Afrikan and other oppressed peoples in the United States, including
Indigenous Nations, Xicanos, Puerto Ricans, Hawaiians, Arabs, immigrants, Muslims and other targeted
communities.
What is a National Plan of Action?
In essence a National Plan of Action is a plan created and implemented by a National or Federal
government to improve its human rights practice to ensure that the rights of all persons under its
jurisdiction are respected, protected, and fulfilled. Such a plan acknowledges that improvements in all
facets of governance are needed in order for human rights to be fully realized. In order to make these
improvements, National Plans call on governments to:
1. Develop a comprehensive work plan, with a concrete timeline, goals, and measurable
benchmarks, to resolve social issues where a government is not in full compliance with
international law and standards in the application of human rights.
2. Ratify additional human rights treaties and standards where needed to ensure maximum
protections and the realization of rights.
3. Align domestic law with international law to ensure more effective incorporation of international
standards into domestic practice.
4. Establish national human rights institutions to facilitate, administer, and monitor the
implementation of the plan.
5. Institute a comprehensive human rights education program to ensure that all government officials,
on all levels of government (local, county, and state level) are aware of their human rights
obligations and insure that all persons and institutions of civil society are aware of their rights.
6. Create social policies and programs that address core areas of concern regarding the protection
and fulfillment of human rights and seek to improve the quality of life overall, particularly for
vulnerable groups and social sectors.
Historical Background
The National Plan of Action concept is a product of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights held in
Vienna, Austria. It was promoted by the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) and was
put forward as a means for all national-states to take deliberate action to improve their human rights
record and practices. The development of National Plans of Action to combat racism and racial
discrimination is a product of the Third World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa
in 2001. These racial justice plans were promoted by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
(DDPA) and have been adopted and utilized by a number of countries including Australia, Canada,
Ireland, and South Africa.
Where these Racial Justice Plans have perhaps been used most effectively is in South America,
specifically by Afro-descendent organizations and social movements. Afro-descendent organizations in
Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela have used the DDPA and National Plans of Action to win constitutional
recognition for ancestral lands, regional autonomy and special programs for cultural preservation,
educational advancement, and community development. These examples and the organizing strategies
employed to win these gains are the inspiration the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement draws from in our
campaign to attain a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice in the United States.
Join Us. Build the No More Trayvons Campaign for a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice
The National Plan of Action for Racial Justice being demanded by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement,
Black Left Unity Network, National Alliance for Racial Justice, and the CERD Implementation Task
Force of the US Human Rights Network is a comprehensive plan that will address the totality of structural
and institutional racism and how they violate the human rights of oppressed peoples. The demands
articulated in the We are All Trayvon Martin statement are only a portion of the demands that would be
included in the National Plan. Comprehensively the National Plan would address the right of self-
determination; economic, social, and cultural rights; civil and political rights; racial profiling, stop and
frisk, mass incarceration, state surveillance, and political repression; political prisoners and prisoners of
war; environmental racism; and much more.
To win this demand, we are going to have to secure millions of signatures, organize individuals and
communities in support of the demand on mass level, build a broad coalition, and apply maximum
pressure on the administration of President Obama to yield to the demand and implement a National Plan
of Action for Racial Justice.
You can start by officially endorsing the campaign and committing to working on the strategies and tasks
outlined in our Appeal Letter (see http://mxgm.org/no-more-trayvon-martins-campaign-appeal/ for more
details). To endorse the campaign email kaliakuno@mxgm.org.
For more details visit www.mxgm.org or visit us on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/#!/MXGMnational.