How has Australia’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic affected diverse communities? What lessons can be learned? And how can we ensure diverse communities are included in the road to recovery?
Covid-19 has demonstrated the enduring importance of the Racial Discrimination Act and highlighted the right of all Australians to be able to live free from discrimination
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected Australia’s diverse communities.
From the racial targeting of Asian Australians to the hard lockdown imposed on residents in Melbourne’s public housing towers, the pandemic has also raised questions about the place of diverse communities in Australian society.
In an ongoing effort to ensure that basketball is a truly inclusive sport, Basketball Australia has engaged the Australian Human Rights Commission to undertake a Racial Equality Review.
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan and Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow have commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attack.
In a joint statement, they said: “The Christchurch massacre was deeply traumatic for New Zealand’s Muslim community. That trauma has echoed throughout the Muslim community in Australia and internationally.”
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Chin Tan has urged all Australians to remain calm, show consideration and unite as a community in response to the Coronavirus crisis:
“Reports of racial discrimination against Chinese people in our community are disappointing. They hurt both the Chinese community and our collective community wellbeing at a time when we should be united and supportive in confronting this crisis.
The Australian Human Rights Commission supports reform to improve protections against religious discrimination for all people in Australia.
While supporting much of the draft Religious Discrimination Bill, the Commission urges that the Bill be amended to avoid limiting other human rights and overriding existing anti-discrimination laws.
“The Commission has advocated for more than 20 years for a Bill to protect against religious discrimination,” said Commission President Rosalind Croucher.
The Race Discrimination Commissioner is undertaking a project to listen to and share the stories of Australian Muslims. Specifically, the project aims to build robust intelligence about the experience of Australian Muslims to inform the Australian Human Rights Commission’s work in promoting social cohesion and providing evidence for change.
The project is an opportunity to identify community strengths, concerns and priorities and hear from the community about ideas for change.
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The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed this guide to assist Australian organisations in conducting meaningful and productive conversations about racism. It can be used in conventional workplaces, community groups, faith organisations, sporting clubs as well as other organisations.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has launched a conversation guide about racism, to coincide with the world premiere of The Final Quarter documentary about AFL legend and former Australian of the Year Adam Goodes.
Let’s talk race: A guide on how to conduct conversations about racism has been designed to complement the powerful documentary about the treatment of Adam Goodes in the final three years of his playing career.
