TAKE ACTION AGAINST RACISM
“Developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission with dedicated funding from the Australian Government, the National Anti-Racism Framework provides a roadmap for governments, business and community organisations to address all forms of racism in Australia.
The Framework contains 63 recommendations for a whole of society approach to eliminating racism, with proposed reforms across Australia’s legal, justice, health, education, media and arts sectors as well as workplaces and data collection.
The Framework was launched in late November 2024 in western Sydney at an event attended by hundreds of representatives of Australia’s diverse cultural communities.”
The national anti-racism framework is based on research that highlights the ongoing, serious racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.
“Drawing from extensive consultations with over 496 contributors from city, remote and rural backgrounds. These voices not only highlight the urgent need for action, but also serve as a clarion call for systemic solutions to eradicate racism.
The First Nations consultations unveiled a complex and pervasive landscape of challenges faced by First Nations communities.
This analysis highlights the depth of systemic racism and provides critical insights into the recurring themes, specific issues, and profound impacts on First Nations peoples across various sectors and regions.”
“Gari Yala, which means ‘speak the truth’ in the Wiradjuri language, is based on a survey 1,033 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers across Australia and reveals some shocking realities about experiences of racism, the lack of cultural safety and identity strain experienced by Indigenous people across Australian workplaces.
The report reveals that Indigenous employees continue to experience significant workplace racism and exclusion and that racism is impacting wellbeing and job satisfaction.
This racism manifested in a number of ways, including people being treated unfairly because of their Indigenous background, hearing racial slurs and receiving comments about the way they look or ‘should’ look as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
The report also provides ten truths for organisations to improve workplace inclusion for Indigenous staff based in evidence and designed for workplaces that are ready to listen to Indigenous staff, and willing to act on what they tell them.”
Reconciliation SA is proud to present Education, action, and change: an anti-racism resource for schools and preschools. The resource will assist preschools, primary and secondary schools in teaching and learning about racism and its impacts.
Divided into three parts, the anti-racism resource provides a blueprint for teachers and educators to understand and address racism.
Part one, education, outlines racism and its impacts.
Part two of the resource, action, addresses the actions someone can take to combat racism and have necessary conversations.
Part three of the resource, change, provides suggestions for changes teachers and educators can make to dismantle racism in education and outlines strategies for all levels of education.
Reconciliation Tasmania thanks Reconciliation South Australia for making this resource available to Tasmanians.
Racism
Our aspiration is that someday a section on racism won’t be required here, but as long as racist views persist in our society, we will call them out and continue our efforts to educate about the harm it does and why it is so devastating for victims.
Reconciliation action must be more than symbolic. We must all lean into the discomfort to tackle racism head on. The effects of racism and other forms of discrimination are directly linked to disadvantage, poverty and helplessness. Tasmania’s Aboriginal people have endured systematic and widespread racism since the early days of British settlement. It was once an (un)official tool justifying the dispossession of lands and the extinguishing of rights. We must move beyond this colonial legacy and champion Tasmania’s First Peoples rather than intentionally, or unknowingly, crush their spirit.
We ask all Tasmanians to stand up to racism, it has no place in Australia.
Ways to combat racism:
- Call out racism when you see it, if it is safe to do so.
- Contact police when it is unsafe or inappropriate to call it out.
- Don’t wait for racism to rear its ugly head. Hold a racism conversation in your home, community or workplace.