Education serves as an essential tool in eradicating racial conflicts. Comment.

Stand: True, but there are other means to eradicate racial conflicts

Points:

Education is sine qua non in eradicating racial conflicts. This is because it is only through education that people can learn to be more understanding and show love to people of different skin color as them. They would also be aware that it is most vital for people of different races to live harmoniously together, given they learn more about histories of racial conflicts. Furthermore, through education, they would know how to appreciate the cultures of other races and thus learn to pardon their behaviors. In Europe, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) worked in hand with churches of 14 other countries to educate the followers the importance of racial harmony, and this includes teaching them that all people are equal, or that anti racist work is a work of love. In Singapore, students are also required to take on compulsory subjects like Social Studies which allow them to see how racial disharmony in the country has stirred up chaos in the past. Thus, it is no doubt why people claim that education serves as an essential tool in eradicating racial conflicts.

Racial conflicts can be obliterated through political means. This is because racial violence often arise because stigma and discriminations of different races are not attended with severity by authorities and being see a trivial issue. As a result, the manifestation of intolerance and hatred leads to the eruption of violence, which turns uncontrollable in many cases. Therefore, the government would have to implement anti-discrimination legal framework and let it made known to the public. The government would also have to increase the policy influence of excluded groups in the country so as to promote social cohesion and solidarity. The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) is one example in Europe which fights against racism and lobbies for anti-discrimination and anti-racism. In UK, the government has also set up the Focus Institute on Rights and Social Transformation (FIRST), which aims to help ensure racial and religious harmony in the society. In addition, in effort to increase policy influence of excluded groups, the Australian government has also came up with the Aboriginal Education Operational Plan, and this seeks to help the poorer and less academically inclined aboriginals of Australia to have equal opportunity in receiving education. Therefore, it is no doubt that the government policies serves as an important tool in eradicating racial conflicts.

Racial conflicts can also be eradicated by economic means. This normally includes disincentives like trade embargoes and sanctions of goods ranging from food and resources to even oil and arms to discourage the country from involving themselves in racial conflicts. Usually, in fear of the detrimental repercussions that the disincentives can bring about to their economy, the authorities would feel coerced to carry out evasive actions to bring to halt the conflicts in the country. One very successful example is the oil and arms embargo of the USA on South Africa, in lieu of South Africa's apartheid system which has led to severe racial segregation. The USA also appealed to the world to stop trading and investing in South Africa as part of its anti-apartheid plans. This had proved that using economic disincentive is in fact effective in eradicating racial conflicts. However, some might claim that the use of economic incentives and disincentives can only be a short run temporary measure. The authorities should instead focus on solving the root causes of racial conflicts, which are inequality, discrimination and hatred among different races. Nevertheless, we cannot deny the fact that the economic means can indeed be an effective way to obliterate racial conflicts.

Language is also an effective mean of eradicating racial conflicts. This is because it is a mean of communication between people. By introducing a universal language, such as English, it can remove the barrier between different races and bring people of different racial groups together. Thus, language is said to provide an opportunity for closer relationships among people. Language can also be a tool for diplomacy. This is because it is through many peace talks and negotiation that at many instances drew the world out of severe racial conflicts and violence which could turned uncontrollable. Nevertheless, some might disapprove of the power of language to obliterate racial conflicts, because they feel that at many occasions, it is the use of language that causes unhappiness between racial groups. The use of derogatory remarks and ethnic slurs is most pervasive in many countries. In the United States, the Afro-Americans are used to be called Niggers, which to many Afro-Americans was a term which is insulting and condescending. In New Zealand, Indians are even called "curry-munchers", and in Australia, aboriginals are termed as "Abbo", which is an offensive term. Nevertheless, in spite of the pervasive use of ethnic slurs, it is incontrovertible that language can be an effective mean to eradicate racial conflicts