Advocacy and Campaigns

Advocacy seeks to ensure that all people in society are able to:

• Have their voice heard on issues that are important to them.

• Protect and promote their rights.

• Have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.

What is Racism? 

According to the Australian Human Rights Commision:

''Racism is the process by which systems and policies, actions and attitudes create inequitable opportunities and outcomes for people based on race. Racism is more than just prejudice in thought or action. It occurs when this prejudice – whether individual or institutional – is accompanied by the power to discriminate against, oppress or limit the rights of others.''

''To put it simply: racism is an embrace of the idea of racial hierarchy, produced by an ideology of white supremacy, which can be expressed both by individuals and through the practices of institutions.'' Robert W. Jensen Article  

Who experiences racism?

Anyone can experience racist behaviour, such as being abused because of the colour of your skin. 

Groups that regularly experience racism include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. They also often have to deal with systemic discrimination, which limits their access to the same opportunities and resources as many people from Anglo-Australian backgrounds. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are also still dealing with the effects of past laws and government policies which resulted in them being removed to missions and reserves or taken away from their families. 

Many migrants and refugees also regularly experience racism, but not all in the same way. Their experiences are often shaped by when they came to Australia and where they have come from. Migrants and refugees who have recently arrived in Australia — especially those whose skin colour, speech or dress is different than we’re used to — are more likely to be targets of racism. For example, research has found that we are more accepting of migrants from countries with a long history of migration to Australia, such as Italy and Greece, and that we tend to feel more negative towards “newer” groups of migrants from the Middle East and African countries Source Australian Human Rights Commission whoexperiencesracism.pdf

What are the different forms of racism people experience?

According to the newly released Call It Out Annual Report, which covers reports of racism toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the period 21 March 2022 to 20 March 2023, more than half the incidents were witnessed or experienced in person (51%), more than one in five incidents (23%) were witnessed or experienced in traditional media or social media and a further 18% were witnessed or experienced as institutional racism. The report also revealed that the most common types of racism were negative attitudes or stereotyping and discrimination. Source Racism in Australia — ANTAR     

Source and for further reading:  What is Racism? - All Together Now    

What is Anti-Racism?

Anti-racism is a proactive approach that seeks to eliminate racism in all its forms. It involves actively working to challenge and address discriminatory practices, policies and systems that perpetuate racial inequalities. 

Anti-racism recognises that racism goes beyond individual acts of prejudice and encompasses structural and systemic factors that disadvantage racial minorities. The primary goal of anti-racism is to promote racial equity and justice by addressing and eradicating racial discrimination and bias at all levels of society.     

What’s the difference between non-racist and anti-racist? 

Being non-racist is defined as a statement and stance of neutrality. Being anti-racist is a positive term that describes people who are actively [working] to understand, explain, and solve racial inequity and injustice. Anti-racism challenges us to look deeper at the attitudes we hold. We all have bias, often unconscious, that impacts how we view and interact with others who might be different from us. The systems we work in can reinforce these views and create an unequal playing field.

Examples of non-racist and anti-racist 

Source: Anti-Racism-Guide_Office-of-the-Public-Service-Commissioner_2024-v3.pdf

Resources to help you on your Anti-Racist journey 

Steps to become Anti-Racist

The #RacismNotWelcome campaign is a community-led, grassroots initiative intended to acknowledge the existence of racism, validate people’s lived experiences with racism and normalise conversations about racism whilst igniting change.

The Inner West Multicultural Network decided that more needed to be done to provide a safe platform for people to speak out, to normalise discussion about racism at a community level and to help communities fight racism together.

An important element is the erection of #RacismNotWelcome street signs in every Local Council across the country as a public demonstration that it is no longer hidden, taboo and left to fester, but is acknowledged, called out, and not welcome.

These signs are the physical manifestation of the underlying principle that racism exists, it is real, damaging and deeply harmful to many Australians and that we all have a responsibility to confront it, every day.

Why Does It Have To Be A Street Sign?
The permanency of the street signs shows that this campaign is here to stay until we see real change and ensures that this issue cannot be swept under the rug anymore.

This has resonated with a large number of people from the community, especially kids and young adults, because it gives a voice to those with lived experience and gives confidence to people to speak up and call it out.