Efforts to eliminate racism drew a noon-hour crowd of about 30 at the Elijah Smith Building Tuesday for a ceremony hosted by L'Association Franco-Yukonnaise (L'AFY) and other partners working on the initiative.

The ceremony was held in honour of the UN-declared International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The event marks the March 21, 1961 Sharpefill Massacre in South Africa, where police opened fire on hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. A total of 69 were killed and another 180 wounded.

Though South Africa might seem like a long way from the Yukon, racism is an issue in the territory, said Melissa Atkinson of the Yukon Human Rights Commission.

Racial discrimination can come in the form of threats, jokes or any action against a person based on another's race. It can mean anything from being refused service to being turned down for a job, she said.

Atkinson urged the City of Whitehorse and other Yukon communities to get involved with a movement across the country that's seeing a network of cities advocate a plan of action to deal with racism.

At Monday evening's council meeting, Bourassa proclaimed the International Day of Racial Discrimination.

While society has come a long way, there's still a lengthy journey ahead in ending racism, said Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber.

That was evident for Justice Minister John Edzerza, who recalled an incident last month when he was in a line-up at a bank.

Edzerza said when he told a man in front of him a teller was free to serve him, Edzerza was told to go ahead because the man didn't want to deal with that teller due to the colour of his skin.

Edzerza said he hopes that man can come to terms with himself.

'It starts with the individual,' Edzerza said after being given a framed poem performed at the ceremony that was adapted from the song The Call of the Yukon.

Representatives from the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, Ta'an Kwach'an Council and the Council of Yukon First Nations were also on hand to receive the gifts. The city will also receive a gift, but no one was on hand to receive it at the ceremony.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa said this morning that since he was already scheduled to be at a Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday, Coun. Jan Stick had been scheduled to attend the ceremony. However, the businesswoman was unable to go after one of her staff members called in sick.

At Monday's council meeting, Bourassa read out a proclamation to mark the day.

This marked the first year L'AFY has hosted an event to mark the day. In an interview prior to the ceremony, organizer Melodie Simard said the association had set the initiative as a priority for this year.

After she began working on it, she found other community groups eager to come on board and support the movement toward supporting cultural diversity and eliminating racism.

It's an opportunity to unite and focus on more positive ways of including people, she said.

'Inclusion is the heart of democracy,' Van Bibber said after she was introduced by Simard and co-host Yvonne Clarke, president of the local Filipino association.

Clarke was joined by numerous others in wearing traditional clothing from their country.

The Yukon is becoming more diverse every day, with many people who want to call the territory home, said Clarke.

'I love being here and I thank God every morning I'm in this country,' said one woman who came here from India.

Also on hand to entertain the crowd was a group of Filipina children who danced for the crowd.

People were also encouraged to get involved with L'AFY's Growing Together in Harmony initiative. Tuesday's event was the first one of the movement.

'Harmony is possible by the people who call the Yukon home,' said L'AFY president Jean-Marc Perrault.

A number of other events to mark the international day were also scheduled in Whitehorse and Haines Junction yesterday.