Ethnic hostilities are commonly defined by the acts and sentiments of prejudice and animosity towards an ethnic group to varying degrees. In recent decades, societies have seen many hostilities rooted in and fueled by ethnic identities and deep-seated tribalism. While these ethnic hostilities continue to take the shape of violent confrontations (e.g. such as those in Sri Lanka and Rwanda), violence has ceased to be a prerequisite in recent times, as acts of prejudice and hostility have emerged more prevalently in non-violent forms. These range from ethnic mobilisation like protests and demonstrations, to racial discrimination and acts of casual racism. While not immediately threatening, these non-violent forms of prejudice and tensions can have pernicious effects on a country’s social fabric.
In response to this growing concern, this full-day IPS-MHA Forum serves as a platform to discuss the spectrum of non-violent ethnic hostilities, specifically in the Asia Pacific region. It aims to examine the root causes and ramifications of these hostilities on societies, while evaluating the efficacy of governmental and community-based interventions in their mitigation of these.
This Forum will be graced by Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, and will bring together approximately 200 eminent scholars, policy-makers, community leaders, and other key stakeholders.
Click here to view the programme.