• Racist attitudes become activated as racial vilification under circumstances that can be identified and analysed. What are the conditions that increase the likelihood of vilification becoming widespread, and what strategies might be feasible to respond to and minimise the harm created by vilification? What role does formal and informal leadership play in group communication processes? Examples to be discussed include the mid-1980s national land rights legislation debacle, the Auburn diversity mural confrontation in the mid 1990s, and the Lebanese rape gang moral panic of 2001.

• Sociological: idea of race as a bio-social group connected by cultural beliefs about common blood lines and history, allowing for cultural diversity at the micro-level, thus facilitating group adaptation and survival
• Psychological: pyscho-social emotion operating as a survival device, evolved to ensure protection of gene pool beyond the family, thus guaranteeing limited genetic diversity and co-operative behaviour

• Racial values - sociological belief in the value of the racial/ethnic group as a locus for social interaction; pride in common heritage and descent; desire to maintain culture/bloodline of group through constraints on 'marrying out'
• Racist - sociological belief that one's own group is superior to others, and should thereby have greater power, control and rights to satisfaction of needs; prohibition on intermarriage; desire to subordinate, incorporate or eradicate other "races"

Conditions for Racial Vilification to Extend

• Racial markers highlighted as basis of points of conflict
• Racial basis for control of resources
• Assertion of racial difference through symbolic acts by the state
• External threats to security of state deemed to be racial
• Economic competition and structural inequalities growing
• Collaboration between political elites and organic intellectuals to use racial fears as a basis for social bonding

Leadership and racial vilification

• Vilification is element of continuing process of control and resistance
• Vilification is necessary component of legitimising subordination of minorities
• Vilification is part of process of de-humanisation and demonisation
• In times of crisis around racialised emotions, there is tendency for people in groups to gravitate to leaders who espouse world views that most distinguish "our" group from "others", who most emblify and amplify our myths of our own racial homogeneity and superiority
• Vilification most likely when no alternate centre for solidarity, and where cross-racial links prohibited or delegtimised

Models of racism and leadership

• Racism has certain functions for group solidarity, but these depend on an enforceable and sustainable racial hierarchy
• Range of values/ personalities in community, from tolerant, cosmopolitan and inclusive, to intolerant, racist and exclusive
• Which values that are activated and acted on depend on leadership and its manipulation of fears and desires
• Individual beliefs may be subordinated to a desire to be part of group, or not ostracised for holding unpopular views

Leadership and Land Rights

• Mid 1980s ALP government sought to deliver national land rights legislation, overwhelming the states
• ANOP study of Australian values and land rights showed Australia at critical point between two moral codes - that of recognition and reconciliation building on the 1967 referendum, and that of white superiority emerging after the end of Fraserism and bi-partisan morality
• ANOP identified national, state and local leadership as critical point in dynamics, especially informal groups
• ALP chose to go with states' rights, renouncing national leadership; widely understood as vindication of white lobbies in WA and Qld

The Auburn Mural story

• Auburn is an inner western area of Sydney, heavily immigrant and the Olympic City
• Mid 1990s community arts project planned to portray diversity of community from Dreamtime to Olympics
• Antipathy from white Council - too many immigrant faces, trying to assert "Australian-ness" of the city
• Community arts secure state government backing for mural
• Mural painted on panels then mounted on state railways wall facing street

• Mural is attacked for the first time
• Mural is attacked for the second time
• Council falls at next election, many councillors replaced by immigrant representative
• But mural never replaced…

• Development of cultural image of Lebanese young men from the civil war immigrants, as violent, uncontrollable, and racialist (ie proud of ethnic heritage and demonstrably territorial)
• Part of rising demonisation of Muslims (though many Lebanese are Christians) and Arabs
• Concern about the development of civil war scenarios in Australia
• Premier Carr's critique of Lebanese after 1997 drive by shooting of Campsie Police Station feeds cultural stereotypes
• Reaction from Lebanese community heightens tensions already boiling inside local ALP factions

• Carr agrees with Lebanese Christian leaders to expunge idea of 'ethnic' from the state
• Develops proposal for Community Relations Commission that depends on demonisation of 'ethnic'
• Widespread antagonism to proposal subdued by strong-arming of communities
• Final trade-off creates impotent bureaucracy with little legitimacy for government or community
• Lebanese rape gang case 2001 draws premier again into demonisation of community; 'their' problem, he says.

• Organic intellectuals (talk back radio, tabloid press) join attack on Muslim community, pointing to claims of race crime by Lebanese
• Alternative voices are silenced
• Situation compounded by Tampa, 911 and terrorism hysteria

• Attempts to resurrect situation following US lead - Carr visits Auburn mosque at end of Ramadan stressing unity of all communities in their differences, appears on TV, orders inter-faith forum on Islam
• PM Howard meets mullah of Melbourne
• Commonwealth continues demonisation of asylum seekers, claiming parents throw children into sea, and parents sew children's lips together (both untrue)

• Damage done to Australian mutual tolerance and respect by years of poor leadership, and re-assertion of white hegemony in public culture (eg appointment of Peter Hollingworth as GG)
• Requires a self-reflective and aware community, informed and contemplative rather than cynical, able to feel pride in their own histories without needing to lash out in racist hostility at others
• Requires leadership that can balance re-assurance with values of respect and recognition
• Other narratives needed and wider strategies of healing

• Online strategies for building recognition and reconciliation
• Alternative stories - the Chinese history of Australia
• Hotwords - exploring why we burn when exposed to some words and ideas
• Lesson Plans - strategies for the classroom and community on a wide range of issues
• Access to Southern Poverty Law Centre project <tolerance.org> where you can explore your own prejudices and understand them more deeply