Racism. It Stops With Me is a national campaign that provides tools and resources to help people and organisations learn about racism and take action to create change.
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, has urged communities to embrace compassion and reject division, following two stabbing attacks in Sydney this week.
Commissioner Sivaraman extended his condolences to all impacted by the attack at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, and the deadly stabbings at Westfield Bondi Junction.
“Like the rest of the country, I have been left numb and broken by the tragic events that have occurred,” Commissioner Sivaraman said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, delivered a powerful statement last week raising the urgency of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“The war in Gaza must end. Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties. It is time – well past time – for peace, investigation and accountability,” he said.
Australia’s new Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, said a united approach to anti-racism was essential if our society is to better address and ultimately dismantle systemic racial discrimination in all its forms.
Commissioner Sivaraman, who commenced in the role today, said his immediate priority will be to progress a National Anti-Racism Framework as a central reference point to help guide Australia’s collective efforts to comprehensively combat racism.
The Australian Human Rights Commission will undertake further anti-racism work to support communities in Australia affected by the war in Gaza and the Middle East, supported by a $2 million grant from the Commonwealth.
The grant responds to an increase in racism targeting Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Jewish communities within Australia since the outbreak of the conflict.
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Giridharan Sivaraman as the new Race Discrimination Commissioner.
“We are very excited by this appointment. On behalf of the Commission, I would like to warmly welcome Giridharan Sivaraman to the role of Race Discrimination Commissioner,” said Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM.
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Hundreds of people around the country gathered with experts to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: "Racism in Sport." The 2023 oration was delivered by Ellen Van Neerven, an award-winning writer of Mununjali (Yugambeh language group – South East Queensland) and Dutch heritage.
A panel discussion on racism in sport followed the oration, moderated by Laurie Lawira, a senior producer and reporter for SBS World News. Alongside Ellen Van-Neerven, the panel was comprised of several leading experts; Kyah Simon, Karen Farquharson and Molina Asthana.
