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UN rights official to address Internet audience ahead of world anti-racism conference

UN rights official to address Internet audience ahead of world anti-racism conference

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People from around the globe will get a chance on Thursday to discuss the upcoming world conference against racism in an Internet discussion with one of the event's main organizers, UN officials said today.

The Internet "chat," hosted by the news website MSNBC.com at 11 a.m. EST, will feature UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who is the Secretary-General of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that will open at the end of August in Durban, South Africa.

Ms. Robinson said it was very exciting to use the World Wide Web "to bring people together and communicate a message of respect for difference and of cherishing diversity. This is especially important as we need to counter the use of the Internet to spread hate."

"The World Conference has led to the emergence of a global alliance that will continue to fight racism after Durban," Mrs. Robinson said. "The use of technology in ever more imaginative ways will be one of the essential tools in this struggle."

The Conference, which will be held from 31 August to 7 September, will be broadcast live over the Internet.