If you’ve been reading my blog regularly, you know that I wrote a number of entries about the appearance of Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Donald Eick and Ronald Moore (all of Battlestar Galactica) at the United Nations. I was impressed by the fact that an influential and important body as the UN would invite actors and writers/producers of a sci-fi show to speak about current political topics and human rights issues.

Edward James Olmos gives an emotional speech about the shortcomings of the distinction of “race”

Article about the (possible) influence of popular media like TV on politics and current issues

It seems I can answer the question I posted in my article: yes, TV can educate/change things in the real world. Edward James Olmos just announced that the United Nations had actually changed their charter during the Durban Review Conference and now rejects the use of “race” as a cultural determinant.

6. Reaffirms that all peoples and individuals constitute one human family, rich in diversity, and that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights; and strongly rejects any doctrine of racial superiority along with theories which attempt to determine the existence of so-called distinct human races;
- Source: Outcome document of the Durban Review Conference

Of course, no one said it had anything to do with the speech Olmos gave, but sheesh, the wording seems pretty similar.

News coverage including a video of Olmos talking about this can be found here and here.

“There’s only one race, and that’s what the show brought out, and that’s the human race. SO SAY WE ALL!”
- Edward James Olmos @ the United Nations