Afro-descendants in Costa Rica: A
Movement for Justice & Equity
By Allegra María del Pilar
Baiocchi
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Jan.
11, 2022 (IPS) — Jan André
is a cheerful and outgoing
young man, a superb dancer,
and aspiring schoolteacher.
Indeed, he wants to become
the best schoolteacher in
Costa Rica. Fortified by his
own will and the encouragement
of his family, he overcame
violence and adversity
to become an outstanding
university student.
Yet, in spite of his accomplishments,
some people
cross the street when they
see him coming their way.
They hide their belongings
when he approaches them on
the bus. Guards and staff single
him out for surveillance
when he enters a supermarket.
Police search him and
seize his belongings even
when he is in a crowd in a
public space.
Deeply affected by these
experiences, Jan André is
now fighting for the rights
of people of African descent
in Costa Rica.
Inspired by Jan’s work,
my colleagues and I decided
that the UN has a crucial
role in collecting and sharing
the life stories of Afro-
Costa Ricans. The resulting
stories are collected under an
initiative called “I am Afrodescendant
in Costa Rica and
this is my story.”
Published online and in
the form of a book, these
stories were also designed to
celebrate the first International
Day for People of African
Descent and the bicentenary
Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
Nelson King, Vinette K. Pryce, Bert Wilkinson
GENERAL INFORMATION (718) 260-2500
Caribbean L 10 ife, JANUARY 14-20, 2022
of Costa Rica’s independence.
With this initiative, we
wanted to stop talking about
Afro-descendants in the
abstract and instead introduce
our readers to a variety
of women and men, young
and old, rural and urban. All
of them as unique individuals
who help make Costa Rica
what it is today.
What have we learned from
these stories?
On the one hand, we were
able to reveal the incredible
diversity of the Afrodescendant
community in
Costa Rica, the life stories,
struggles and dreams true
to each one of our profiles.
On the other hand, however,
we identified a shared experience
of discrimination and
injustice, a common sense
of not being ‘seen’ in their
own country and a collective
strength that is borne out of
families and communities.
It is not for Afro-descendants
to “overcome” the discrimination
and exclusion to
which they are subjected. It
is up to all of us to eradicate
racism and the enduring legacy
of slavery.
That is why, in December
2020, the UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution that
Aug. 31 would henceforth
be the International Day for
People of African Descent.
The resolution was initiated
by the Government of Costa
Rica, led by its Vice-President,
Epsy Campbell, and
garnered the support of 52
member states.
With UNFPA as the leading
entity, we in Costa Rica
marked the first commemoration
of this international
day last year.
“The legacy of slavery echoes
down the centuries,” UN
Deputy Secretary-General
Amina Mohammed reminded
us as part of this commemoration.
“The world has not
yet overcome racism. Equality
and justice for all still
elude us. Millions of people
of African descent continue
to suffer systematic discrimination,
perpetuating
inequality, oppression and
marginalization.”
When we ensure equal
opportunities for all populations
to achieve their potential
and the fulfillment of
their rights, we are creating
a fairer and more prosperous
society for all of us.
The International Day for
People of African Descent
is a chance to promote the
diverse heritage and extraordinary
contributions of the
African Diaspora. It is also a
call to action, a call for all of
us to commit ourselves every
day throughout the year to
build a culture of ever-greater
freedom, inclusion, equity
and opportunity.
Source: UN Development
Programme (UNDP)
Allegra María del Pilar
Baiocchi is UN Coordinator
Costa Rica. Editorial support
was provided by Carolina
Lorenzo, Development Coordination
Office, and Paul Van
DeCarr, Development Coordination
Office. To learn more
about the United Nation’s
work in Costa Rica, please
visit CostaRica.UN.org.
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Jan Andre overcame violence and adversity to become an outstanding university student.
UN Costa Rica 2030 Agenda and the SDGs
The cover of the “I am Afrodescendant
in Costa Rica
and this is my story,” online
publication. UN Costa Rica
/CostaRica.UN.org
/schnepsmedia.com
