Racism. It Stops With Me acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and pays respect to Elders, past, present and future. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images, voices, or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report

Submitted by monique.duggan on

The Australian Human Rights Commission has published a new report that provides an evidence base and vital next steps for developing a coordinated, national approach to combatting racism in Australia. 

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said: “Urgent, collective action is needed to combat racism throughout this country. We need to treat racism as a scourge in much the same way we commit to addressing child abuse and family violence.” 

“This scoping report is the next step in developing a long-term framework to guide actions on anti-racism and equality by government, NGOs, business, communities, and others.  

“A national anti-racism framework will provide strategies and specific actions to tackle racism in its interpersonal, institutional, and systemic forms,” Commissioner Tan said. 

The scoping report is the outcome of more than 100 consultations in 48 locations with communities, sector organisations, service providers, human rights agencies, government, and experts between March 2021 and April 2022. The Commission also received 164 public submissions – a third of which came from individuals.  

As the culmination of these consultations and submissions, the scoping report identifies key considerations for the principles that should underpin a framework, three cross-cutting themes consistently raised by participants, and three sector-specific priority areas to guide this work moving forward.   

One overarching principle was widespread acknowledgement of the need to centre First Nations experiences, including the experience of colonisation and its ongoing impacts. 

The cross-cutting themes and sector-specific priority areas being: 

  1. Data 

  1. Education 

  1. Cultural safety 

  1. Media regulation and standards  

  1. Justice  

  1. Legal protections  

The report also outlines a process solution to progress existing anti-racism work in Australia. 

The Commission is pleased to announce that the Australian Government’s commitment of funding to a National Anti-Racism Strategy will allow for further comprehensive consultations and co-design processes in advancing a National Anti-Racism Framework. We would greatly appreciate and welcome your continued support during the next phase of development. 

The Commission is pleased to release the interim scoping report, available for pdf download directly from this webpage, or accessible word version from this webpage of the Australian Human Rights Commission

National Anti-Racism Framework Banner
National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 (PDF, 6.29 MB)

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Resources

Submitted by saranya.kundasamy on

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

Burmese

Dari

Simplified Chinese

 

Traditional Chinese

Vietnamese

National Anti-Racism Framework

Submitted by saranya.kundasamy on

Background

Phase I

In March 2021, the Commission called for a National Anti-Racism Framework and released a Concept Paper outlining guiding principles, outcomes, and strategies.

The Commission then undertook consultations with peak and community organisations, service providers, government departments and agencies, experts, and community members. 100 consultations were undertaken with approximately 300 organisations. The Commission partnered with community peaks and organisations as well as government departments to conduct 10 community consultations across the nation. The Commission also called for public submissions between October 2021 and February 2022 and received 164 submissions. The Commission released its National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. 

Phase II 

Since then, in addition to the below community consultations, the Commission has undertaken and commissioned additional research to progress the findings from the initial scoping phase including in the areas of data collection, anti-Asian racism and health. 

This year extensive community consultations about a National Anti-Racism Framework were undertaken. This included consultations with over 496 First Nations people across Australia, from diverse populations including those with metropolitan, rural and remote backgrounds, varying ages, genders and socio-economic backgrounds, and sectoral representation. These involved one-on-one interviews and focus groups, both in place and virtual, an online survey and group submissions, ensuring a wide range of voices were heard. 

Consultations with negatively racialised communities were also conducted, led by 18 organisations and comprised of 44 community consultations with over 860 participants. The consultations were conducted across all states and territories including remote, regional, and metropolitan areas, with a majority conducted face to face and others online. They included intersectional focus areas of LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; refugees and asylum seekers; older people; young people (18-25 years); people and communities of faith; new and emerging communities; and communities with prominent caste systems.  

Shift from Interpersonal Racism to Systemic Racism 

The findings from this initial scoping process were shared in the National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. The Scoping Report indicated strong support from participants across the board for a Framework as an overarching and coherent approach to anti-racism. Across the board, participants affirmed that First Nations self-determination, sovereignty and truth-telling should be central to the Framework. The following themes and sectors were also identified as areas of focus:

  • Data collection
  • Education and Public Awareness
  • Cultural Safety
  • Legal protections and Justice
  • Health
  • Media

 

Related reading

The following reports have contributed to the National Anti-Racism Framework:

Acknowledgments 

The Commission recognises the ongoing strength and leadership of Australia’s First Peoples in leading anti-racism efforts since colonisation.

The Commission acknowledges the vast emotional and intellectual labour of the community, particularly those with lived experiences of racism, who shared their vision for a National Anti-Racism Framework that takes a transformative approach to addressing racism in Australia.

Image design copyright Bree Buttenshaw for Saltwater People (2024).

NARF_Full_Report_FINAL_DIGITAL_ACCESSIBLE.pdf

"5 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Racism" Self-Reflection and Education Guide

Submitted by kate_riswm on

This self-reflection and education guide was developed by the Racism. It Stops WIth Me Campaign Team with advice and editorial input from IndigenousX. This guide was developed to support people to build their racial literacy and their confidence in identifying and thinking critically about things that arise when learning about race and racism in Australia. 

The way race and racism are talked about in Australia has largely been shaped by the ongoing impacts of British colonisation since it began in 1788. This has led to structural and systemic racism across the continent, which are deeply rooted in myths and misconceptions. These myths and misconceptions can often prevent us from having meaningful and productive conversations about race or addressing racism. 

Building awareness and understanding of these concepts equips us in conversations about race and racism and supports us to develop our personal anti-racism practice and skillset. 

Who is this guide for?

This resource aims to support you to develop your anti-racism skillset. 

The myths and misconceptions explored in this guide are common barriers to challenging our pre-existing ideas and learning more about racism. This resource will equip you with the tools to break down this barrier, learn more about race and racism and have productive conversations about combatting racism in our communities. 

What does this guide cover?

This guide explores the following common myths and misconceptions:

  1. The misconception that racism is 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.

 

Download the PDF

Download the Digital Print File

Download the Accessible Word version 

 

If you would like to let us know about how you have used this resource for a project or initiative to support anti-racism in your workplace, community, or school, simply email antiracismsecretariat@humanrights.gov.au. We are keen to hear about it and share it with our wider supporter network.

 

5 common myths and misconceptions about racism
three, the misconception of not "seeing" race
One, the misconception that racism is about individual actions
Four, the myth that "racism is a thing of the past"
two, the myth of meritocracy
five, misconceptions about anti-racism
Myths and Misconceptions Guide PDF Download

Voice Referendum: Understanding the referendum from a human rights perspective

Submitted by monique.duggan on

Conversations about the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament have the potential to be harmful for First Nations peoples. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Voice referendum resources seek to minimise harm by encouraging cultural humility and focusing the conversation on human rights principles as they relate to the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament.

There are nine documents in the resource kit – available to download in full on the Commission's website.

The stand-alone resources are available for individual download on the webpages linked below:

Acknowledgements

The Commission thanks IndigenousX, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated media, consultancy and training organisation, for their generous guidance and expertise on this project until mid-June 2023. The Commission was grateful for the opportunity to partner with IndigenousX due to their impartial and non-partisan position on the upcoming referendum and demonstrated understanding of the Commission’s independent and statutory role. Further, IndigenousX's insights into the nature of race and racism in Australia along with their dedication to ensuring careful consideration of and respect for Indigenous rights, knowledges, and experiences, proved invaluable to the development of these resources. 

The Commission also thanks Saltwater People, an Indigenous-owned, full-service creative agency that delivers strategic design communications and cross-cultural engagement. Throughout the development of this resource kit, they generously provided expertise in best practice cross-cultural engagement, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and visual communication.

Please note, the artwork accompanying this kit is © Paul Bong.

Fact Sheet - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Submitted by monique.duggan on

The fact sheet is designed to support individual and organisational conversations about the importance of keeping the focus of IDERD on mobilising against all forms and manifestations of racial discrimination and injustice. The fact sheet describes how ‘Harmony Week’ is an example of the way language can be used to reframe anti-racism, and operates to reinforce inequality and maintain the status quo.

In contrast, having proactive, open discussions about racism demonstrates a commitment to tackling racism when it occurs and preventing it in the future. A nuanced approach to discussing racism in the context of IDERD enables the development of more advanced racial awareness, and provides the space to strategise for change.

We hope this fact sheet assists you in taking the opportunity IDERD presents to meaningfully acknowledge Australia’s deep-seated issues with race and racism, question the various ways racism shapes our society, and redouble our commitment to anti-racism.

A PDF version of the fact sheet is available to download below.

Download an accessible Word version of the fact sheet here (opens in new window). 

The Fact Sheet is also available in Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese via this page (opens in new window) of the Australian Human Rights Commission's website.

Fact Sheet - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (PDF, 139KB)

Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Toolkit

Submitted by jennifer_riswm on

Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Toolkit

From the AITSL website:

 

The tool will provide a guided process of critical reflection on assumptions, attitudes, beliefs and biases in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, languages and cultures. It will develop your awareness and understanding of how these may impact on your teaching practice and learner outcomes.

The tool will pose a series of conceptual questions, prompts, or stimuli for you to consider and respond to. The purpose of these items is to help you actively engage in deep reflection and, by responding honestly, perhaps discover things you ‘didn’t know you didn’t know’.

You will receive a report that indicates a relevant starting point for your further development on a continuum of intercultural learning. From there, you will be guided to the relevant area of a capability framework to learn more about your current stage of intercultural development and find recommended actions to support your ongoing learning.

The self-reflection tool will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Your results will remain private and should be used to guide your own learning or, should you choose, may be discussed with others to inform your learning plans.

Towards Truth Project

Submitted by kate_riswm on

Visit the Towards Truth online platform. 

Towards Truth is a partnership between the Indigenous Law Centre and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. The project researches the vast body of laws and policies that have impacted people since 1788, broken down into four main themes - Country, Kinship, Law and Culture, and People. 

The project compiles:

  • laws and policies that have impacted First Nations people since 1788
  • parliamentary debates that show what the Parliament intended when those laws were passed
  • articles and reports that discuss and analyse how these laws and policies operated in practice, and 
  • case studies that show their practical effects. 

The project currently focuses on NSW, with plans to expand to other jurisdictions. 

Visit the Towards Truth online platform 

Let's Talk About Racism

Submitted by monique.duggan on

This resource is tailored to young people who are starting to think about important human rights-related matters, like race discrimination.

We know that many First Nations children and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities can identify personal experiences of racism from a very young age. Instead of denying racism, or claiming that we don’t see race, we need to acknowledge that for many First Nations people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, race is not something that can or should be forgotten or ignored. 

We need to talk to children – early and often – about the role of race and racism in society.

You can read more about the research on this in our Questions and Context pages linked below:

 

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