UN ADOPTS INTERNATIONAL ALBINISM AWARNESS DAY, JUNE 13.

 UN announces International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD)  - June 13. The Ambassador for  the Federal Republic of Somalia ,  Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari Bari (r) led the resolution to mark IAAe which was also supported by Italy (l) . At centre is  Somalia's deputy permanent  representative minister- counselor, Awale Ali Kullane

 Jamaica's Multi Media Artist, Yrneh Gabon Brown (R) with the Federal Republic of Somalia  Ambassador,  Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari Bari. Ambassador Bari Bari led the UN resolution which led to the adoption of June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day.

Jamaican multi-media artist Yrneh Gabon sharing with a young person with albino at the United Nations special session following the adoption of a resolution announcing the International Albinism awareness Day for June 13.  

UN ADOPTS INTERNATIONAL ALBINISM AWARNESS  DAY, JUNE 13..… much education needed says Jamaican artist, Yrneh ‘Gabon’ Brown.

The United Nations General assembly on Tuesday  (Nov 18)  adopted a  Resolution  titled “International Albinism Awareness Day”, to be observed June 13 each year.

The Resolution expresses concern at the attacks against persons with albinism, including women and children. It also calls for enhanced protection and promotion of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, as a matter of priority of the international community.

Jamaica’s  multi-media artist, Yrneh Gabon, whose research and work on albinism is on display in  a six month exhibition under the theme, ‘Visibly Invisible’  at the Californian African-American Museum,  in Los Angeles, was invited to make a presentation at a special side sitting of the  UN committee. The UN resolution was led by the Federal Republic of Somalia  Ambassador,  Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari Bari.

 In his  presentation, Yrneh noted that although no one in his family was an albino, he was exposed to the suffering of  people with albinism  in Jamaica  from he was a child, as they would call them names like ‘Dundus’ and Vampires, not understanding the effects of the sun on their eyes and skin.  He made reference to Jamaica’s most known albino, entertainer King Yellowman, who is still scared from the abuse  with  which he was  treated  because he looked different . He said this inspired him to do a research on albinism which took him to Tanzania where albinos are being killed daily for their body parts used in the practice of witchcraft in that east African state .

Yrneh’s  support for research in the western world and in particular, the US, came from his mentor,  actress, and humanitarian – Dr C.C. Pounder,  who assisted him in raising funds to do a  two month  ethnographic study in Tanzania.

In undertaking his research,  Yrneh visited Jamaica  in 2013 to gather support for sponsorship and took  his proposal to CHASE funds,  an organization set up to fund the arts, sports, health and education projects in the island . He wanted to include a segment on  educating the Caribbean region on the need for change of attitude towards albinos.

‘ We were actually chased out of the room after even being told  at first that  only one of the two of us could be accommodated in the  meeting. When we managed to impress upon them that we both needed to be in the meeting, we were told to hasten the presentation as the head person there had other assignments. This just confirmed to me that there is a serious need for education at all levels’, he noted. ‘ Even though Yellowman has helped through music to change the way people treat albinos, we still have a far way to go because even at that high level, the CHASE CEO , did not see the importance of this research’.

Not deterred, Yrneh returned to the US with the information  he could gather with his limited resources and through support from his mentor, was successful in putting together a  body of work that includes paintings, sculptures and sound bites  for the exhibition that runs until March 2015. He plans to take it on tour throughout the USA and Africa.

‘There is still a problem with how people with albinism are seen so we need to re-educate. For me as an artist I have to use my work to educate people. I am so thrilled that a day has been  declared to include people with albinism ,  to see them as our brother, our sister,   and not  as  outsiders to  be excluded but treated with respect like any other human being’, Yrneh concluded.

See the UN site.