Today, tenth years ago the Zero Discrimination Day was celebrated for the very first time. The United Nations decided to dedicate the 1st of March to this initiative, promoted by UNAIDS, to remind us that being born free and equal is an universal right, and that everyone should have access to the same opportunities and, of course, to be treated with dignity. This day helps to raise awareness among majority populations about the challenges that millions of people face on a daily basis because of their gender, racial or ethnic origin, beliefs, disability, identity, sexual orientation or any other personal circumstance.
Despite all the progress and law modifications we have seen in recent years, homosexuality is illegal in 67 countries around the world, 888 women were murdered in 10 years across the UK by a current or former partner, and according to UNAIDS in 2021, 800,000 children living with HIV were still not receiving any treatment. One of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda is to leave no one behind and to ensure all people have equal opportunities to thrive.
At our publishing house Libros de las Malas Compañías we believe that one day is not enough when it comes to fight against discrimination. Our contribution is to dedicate our publishing project to being a loudspeaker for those voices that have been silenced. For example, in the book Prince's journey, written by the Spanish Refugee Aid Commission, Agustín Prince tells in first person how he was forced to leave his home in Cameroon to reach Spain, where he encountered unexpected hostilities. Thousands of people make a similar, and equally dangerous, journey every year in search of a better place to live.
Discrimination, institutional racism and the difficulty of finding employment as a migrant are examples of the obstacles they face on a daily basis. There is an urgent need to stop stigmatising and criminalising migrants, for as the Anglo-Somali poet Warsan Shire said: "No one puts his child in a boat unless the water is safer than the land". One of the possible factors that trigger migration crises is war, and the book Brothers in Syria offers a human perspective on what war entails.
In our commitment to fight against prejudice, Home tells the reality of marginalised people experiencing homelessness. The Race, helps us understand that things can be done in many, equally valid, ways and it is a book that talks about the importance, not only of respect, but also of inclusion of people with functional diversity. We understand that discrimination stems from misinformation and ignorance, and through books like these we try to reverse this situation.
Reality goes far beyond what we have around us and often we do not go beyond western culture. We want to contribute to the distribution of minority literatures, to avoid the danger of a single story that tends to emphasise our differences instead of everything we have in common. For this purpose, we have a range of books such as Yimulimuli and the Dragon and other Wonderful Tales from Senegal, The Zebu Man and the Little Sister and other Tales from Madagascar, or Five Hedgehogs and a Goat, Tales of Saharan Women.
We want to bring our audience closer to different cultures in order to broaden the vision of the world we have through our series of ancient tales, full of symbolism and popular wisdom. Oral tradition plays a fundamental role in the transmission of knowledge to the next generations. Although it is often receded into the background and its real importance is undermined. For example, The Beauty of the Earth and other Albanian Tales from the Living Voice of the People, Norwegian Forbidden Tales, Romanian Wonder Tales, or The Pea Giant and other Tales from Ukraine. Some of these tales may even be familiar, since in the end all human beings aspire to the same thing: a fulfilled life.
In addition, one of our next books is Transgressive Lifes, a book that shows the reality of 34 trans people from different times and cultures. It is a topic that is currently being discussed a lot, that is why we want to show our support to this community.
We still have a long way to go, but we want to emphasise that inclusion is everyone's responsibility.
Irene Moncayo Rodrigo
