The UN has proclaimed every June 13th as International Albinism Awareness Day - to bring attention to the rare genetic condition and to the discrimination & voilence that often accompany it.

People with albinism - albinos - tend to have little or no pigment in the skin , hair or eyes. We are legally blind and light sensitive and rare. Only one in 20 000 has the condition in North America and Europe; one in 2,000 in Africa.

In some parts of the world having albinism can put you in danger of being attacked.

In East Africa there is a trade in the body parts of people with albinism— our fingers and toes, and bones and blood, and hair and skin have become commodities on a black market.

There is a superstition among the wealthy elites in some parts of the world, that potions made from albino body parts will give them lucky powers.

The UN passing this resolution on November 18, 2014 is a shout out to all the people around the world who are by themselves with this condition, and suffering in isolation because its such a rare condition.

Thanks to Lois Grant for the audio of my speech and to Carol Off & jeff Douglas at CBC Radio One's As It Happens for the interview