91�鶹������Ʒ����

As part of the "Jornadas contra el Racismo" (Days Against Racism), held on March 19 and 20 at Casa Cemefi to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21), UNESCO and the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (Cemefi) presented the study Transforming Practices: Diagnostic Report and Roadmap to Advance Anti-Racism in Mexican Philanthropy, . The roadmap seeks to encourage foundations to help change the conditions and root causes of persistent structural racism.

Globally, one in five people has experienced racial or ethnic discrimination. In Mexico, at least 10.9 million people aged 18 and over have reported facing acts of racial discrimination—a trend (13.1%) that has remained steady over five years, according to the  in 2017 and 2022. Afro-descendant and Indigenous peoples are typically the most affected.

Cemefi and UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector in Mexico developed the study with the understanding that anti-racist action is urgent and must encompass not only public policies and legislation but also everyday practices and mindsets—areas where philanthropy can be a powerful catalyst for change.

The proposal acknowledges the role of philanthropic organizations in Mexico and calls for greater anti-racist commitment. While 31% of foundations participating in the study reported working on human rights, and 27% said they work with Indigenous populations, the study becomes a key tool, particularly since 18% of Indigenous people have experienced discrimination based on their skin tone, according to the 2022 National Survey on Discrimination (ENADIS).

Moreover, at least 23% of Afro-descendant people in Mexico have suffered discrimination according to ENADIS, yet the diagnostic report revealed that only 4% of philanthropic organizations in Mexico prioritize support for Afro-Mexican communities, and just 3% explicitly focus on racism.

A call to mainstream anti-racism efforts is urgent. Racism and racial discrimination are often based on physical appearance, clothing, speech patterns, and skin tone. In Mexico, 70.8% of the population identifies with darker and medium skin tones, according to ENADIS methodology.

Among the key recommendations, the UNESCO and Cemefi analysis proposes promoting a "trust-based philanthropy" model, ensuring consultation and informed consent in all interventions involving racialized groups.

It also emphasizes the need to raise awareness and build the philanthropic sector’s capacity to identify and eliminate racist biases, thereby fostering an intercultural and human rights-based perspective—especially in areas such as childhood and education, which were among the most frequently mentioned areas of work by philanthropic organizations.

Additionally, the study recommends increased, flexible, and long-term funding for organizations tackling racism and discrimination; the creation and dissemination of educational materials; and the development of evaluation and monitoring criteria in collaboration with community-based organizations, among other proposals.

The roadmap was unveiled during the “Jornadas contra el Racismo (Days Against Racism): Weaving Networks Through Philanthropy”, an event organized by UNESCO and Cemefi in collaboration with the Mexico City Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (COPRED), Racismo MX, Fondo Semillas, and the organization Hispanics in Philanthropy. The event brought together philanthropic and anti-racist civil society organizations.

The study, carried out by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (Cemefi) and UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector in Mexico, included surveys and in-depth interviews. It aims to raise awareness among organizations about the need to address racism as a structural issue and to implement more inclusive and equitable philanthropic practices.