2023-03-17
ACT Greens move to protect multiculturalism by fighting racism
Andrew Braddock, ACT Greens Spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, is introducing a motion to tackle racism in the territory.
This move follows the report on the 2022 Inquiry into Racial Vilification, the passage of the 2023 Multiculturalism Act, and the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March.
“Multiculturalism and anti-racism are inextricably linked, to promote multiculturalism we must be actively anti-racist.”
The Education and Community Inclusion Standing Committee’s Inquiry into Racial Vilification revealed that schools, sports clubs, and public transport are among the highest risk settings for racial abuse.
“We are far from eliminating racism in our community. Too many people feel the sear of racism everyday whether it’s in workplaces, schools, sports, or in public places.”
Anti-racism is defined as policies, behaviours, and beliefs that are opposed to or intended to prevent racism. It’s about going beyond cultural celebrations and looking at the systemic and institutional causes of inequality, as well as the social.
The ACT would not be the first jurisdiction to develop an anti-racism strategy. In 2021, the Victorian Government established an anti-racism task force and charged it with crafting a state-wide strategy for combatting racism.
“It’s time for an honest reckoning; to call out racism, hold it to account, and eradicate it.”
The University of Western Sydney’s Challenging Racism Project has extensively researched racism in Australia. The resulting report called upon Governments “to implement a program involving local councils, local consultations and local action plans to address racism locally.”
“Together, we can build an anti-racist community, because everyone has the right to live without fear of racism, abuse, and discrimination.”