We have launched a new suite of factsheets, based on the original guide, breaking down five of the most persistent myths and misconceptions about racism:  

1. The misconception that racism is only about individual actions and beliefs   
2. The myth of meritocracy   
3. The misconception of not “seeing” race   
4. The myth that “racism is a thing of the past”   
5. Misconceptions about anti-racism   

These resources consist of individual factsheets that unpack each of these myths and misconceptions and expand on the Myths & Misconceptions self-reflection and education guide published last year. While the original guide was intended to deepen understandings of race, racism and anti-racism in Australia, the new factsheets build on this foundation. The factsheets explore how the myths came about, and how they continue to influence our everyday lives, presented in a concise and accessible format.  

These resources have been designed to strengthen our understanding of racism and how it operates on a systemic level. Importantly, they also provide practical ways to challenge racism and enact change.

You can download the fact sheets through the links below: 

• Fact Sheet 1 
• Fact Sheet 2 
• Fact Sheet 3 
• Fact Sheet 4 
• Fact Sheet 5 

You can also download A3 poster versions of the fact sheets as well! These posters are perfect for a wide range of settings, including workplaces, libraries, schools, doctors’ offices, community centres, and many more. Wherever you display them, they’ll help spark important conversations that help to promote anti-racism. 

• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 1
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 2
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 3
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 4
• A3 Poster Fact Sheet 5

Allies and Friends is an educational series designed to normalise cultural diversity and the concept of allyship in early childhood education. 

This series uses play-based learning to highlight children's voices, inviting viewers to explore new concepts with them and reflect on their own place in a diverse world.

In this series, a group of children come together to form friendships and collaborate on projects. Guided by Jenae Tien and other educators, they engage in cross-cultural communication and develop critical thinking skills. 

This toolkit for early education helps young children learn how to activate cultural allyship and encourages discussions around five key concepts:

• Allyship
• Diversity
• Love (relating to self, others, and skin tones)
• Communication
• Community

By learning about the experiences of others and recognising the importance of diversity, children can develop empathy and compassion for those around them.

The goal is for each episode to provide provocations for children to share their experiences and perspectives, learn from the unique insights of their peers, and for educators to consider practical ways to empower young children with a strong sense of belonging, while informing bigger picture social impact and change. 

INTERRUPTING STEREOTYPES

Bias and stereotypes begin to form at a very young age. Research indicates that "children as young as 3 months are aware of racial differences, and by preschool age, they make choices based on race about whom to play with and how" (Katz & Kofkin 1997; Van Ausdale & Feagin 2001; Hirschfeld 2008; Quintana & McKown 2008).

This highlights the need to educate children about diversity and inclusion from an early age to foster a more cohesive and anti racist society.

Allies and Friends is grounded in the belief that allyship is a powerful force for good that can transform communities and bring people closer together.

This toolkit encourages you to empower children in your care to engage in community storytelling, cross-cultural communication, and inclusive play with both new and old friends. By doing so, you promote empathy, understanding, and compassion.

You can access all five episodes of Allies and Friends and the toolkit through the ABC Kids website.

The fact sheets and lesson plan are designed to support individual and organisational conversations about the importance of keeping the focus of IDERD on ending all forms of racial discrimination and injustice.

The schools’ fact sheet and lesson plan have been written for students in Years 9 and 10. This content has been aligned to outcomes in the Australian Curriculum.

The general and translated factsheets have been written for an older audience and are suitable for workplaces, community centres and other institutions.

The fact sheets describe how ‘Harmony Week’ is an example of the way language can be used to sweep the harms of racism under the rug. This doesn’t help people experiencing racism. Instead, it reinforces inequality and maintains the status quo.

In contrast, having open discussions about racism demonstrates a commitment to tackling racism when it occurs and preventing it in the future. Discussing racism honestly and openly helps develop more advanced racial awareness and provides the space to plan and act for change.

The IDERD fact sheet has also been translated into a range of different languages.

Downloads

Fact sheet – General

How 'harmony' hides structural and systemic racism in PDF

(159.14 KB) 

How 'harmony' hides structural and systemic racism in Word

 (152.02 KB)

Fact sheet – For schools

How ‘harmony’ hides systemic racism in PDF

(166.36 KB) 

How ‘harmony’ hides systemic racism in Word

 (152.58 KB)

Lesson Plan – For Years 9 and 10

Lesson Plan for IDERD: Years 9 - 10 in PDF

(177.25 KB) 

Lesson Plan for IDERD: Years 9 - 10 in Word

 (155.38 KB)

Translations

While information on the Australian Human Rights Commission's website is mainly presented in English, the IDERD Fact sheet resource has been translated into a range of different languages:

Arabic

• Arabic in PDF (311.57 KB)
• Arabic in Word (129.8 KB)

Burmese

• Burmese in PDF (290.11 KB)

• Burmese in Word (181.5 KB)

   

Dari

• Dari in PDF (322.32 KB)

• Dari in Word (161 KB)

   

Simplified Chinese

• Simplified Chinese in PDF (300.93 KB)
• Simplified Chinese in Word (159.28 KB)

Traditional Chinese

• Traditional Chinese in PDF (313.15 KB)

• Traditional Chinese in Word (150.75 KB)

   

Vietnamese

• Vietnamese in PDF (160.85 KB)
• Vietnamese in Word (110.43 KB)

Truth-telling and anti-Asian racism:

To better understand Australia’s migration history and its continuing effects, including the rise in anti-Asian racism since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission commissioned research by Griffith University in June 2023. The research looked at the history and changes of anti-Asian racism in Australia, and highlighted community-led research, advocacy, and education efforts in overcome it. 

About these resources:

The Commission has created eight resources about anti-Asian racism based on the research by Griffith University. These include an introduction to key concepts and terms for understanding anti-Asian racism in Australia. Other resources cover historical events, contemporary examples of anti-Asian racism in media, politics, and workplaces, and solutions through anti-racist support services and education. These materials aim to improve understanding of Australia’s settler colonial and migration history and how systemic racism works. 

These resources focus on the experiences and views of Asian and Asian Australian communities. The Commission hopes they provide a framework for understanding these experiences and exploring solutions to anti-Asian racism within the context of settler colonialism. For policymakers, service providers, and others working with these communities, these resources should help understand how racism appears in various systems and institutions and highlight the need for and ways to address anti-Asian racism in a systemic, strengths-based, and community-focused manner. 

Downloads

• Introduction: Key concepts, frameworks, and contexts for understanding anti-Asian racism in Australia [PDF 1.82 MB]
• A historical timeline. Mapping the emergence and transitions of anti-Asian racism in Australia [PDF 606 KB]
• Addressing anti-Asian racism in screen representation [PDF 1.64 MB]
• Addressing anti-Asian racism in news reporting [PDF 1.61 MB]
• Addressing anti-Asian racism in the political sphere [PDF 1.29 MB]
• Addressing anti-Asian racism in the workplace [PDF 2.1 MB]
• Addressing the impacts of anti-Asian racism through culturally safe mental health service provision [PDF 1.61 MB]
• Addressing racism through education: examples from Asian and Asian Australian communities [PDF 1.79 MB]

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.
 

You can learn more about the resource and download it on Reconciliation South Australia's website. 

The 'Building Belonging' materials are made for various places like preschools, kindergartens, day-cares, and primary schools. They are intended to help Australian early childhood educators teach kids about respecting different cultures and diversity. The resources are designed to help kids reach learning goals set by the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum.  

These resources satisfy requirements of the National Quality Standard and are linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Additionally, these resources support the fulfillment of children’s rights principles outlined in Early Childhood Australia’s Statement of Intent ‘Supporting young children’s rights’. 

You can download the full toolkit in either PDF or Word documents as a ZIP file by accessing the "Building Belonging Toolkit PDF" and "Building Belonging Toolkit Word" links below. Alternatively, you will find the download links for each individual resource on the Commission website. 

2016 

• Building Belonging Toolkit PDF (23 MB) 

• Building Belonging Toolkit Word (38 MB) 

The curriculum resources available on this website form a vital educational platform focusing on Australia's history, particularly Indigenous perspectives, and the impact of colonization. Tailored for educators and individuals, it provides diverse resources, including videos and articles, fostering reconciliation, and improving racial literacy. With a user-friendly interface and a commitment to truth-telling, it encourages community engagement and regular updates.

You can access and read more about the Anti-Colonial Research Library on their website.

Race is a social construct, which means that racial difference is given different meaning in different contexts in order to perform specific functions. For that reason, there is no ‘one-size fits-all’ approach to anti-racism. Instead, anti-racism should respond to the ways in which race and racism are deployed in particular contexts.

There have been many forms of anti-racist action and advocacy over the long history of anti-racism. It is likely that no single approach may be effective on its own.

This guide provides some insights gained through the process of developing the 2022 Racism. It Stops With Me campaign. The Australian Human Rights Commission is indebted to those who provided their expertise through consultations, scholarship and expert advice, much of which has informed this guide.