Newcastle Community Consultation Report
Racism and civil society: A community consultation held at the Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle NSW, on 27 July 2001
Speaker:
Dr William Jonas, Race Discrimination Commissioner and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, HREOC
Theme 2: Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
- Leadership
- Education campaigns
- The education system
- History
- Media
- Programs to challenge racism
- Acknowledgement and celebration
Theme 1: Sources, causes, forms and contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Participants agreed that racism in Australia is endemic, particularly racism against Aboriginal people. The victims of racism experience it every day, ranging from vilification and discrimination in services to the more subtle forms of institutional racism. Some participants believed that racist violence is in fact worsening in Australia.
The nature of racism is seen to be changing and becoming increasingly institutionalised. Participants gave examples including the invisibility of migrants in government policies and programs, "mainstreaming" of specialised services which does not provide services in culturally appropriate ways, and the equating of equal treatment with equity in the delivery of services.
Workshops discussed many of the ways in which people experience racism, and gave examples including the following:
- Racial vilification on public transport;
- Surveillance of people of colour in shops and workplaces. Aboriginal participants spoke of routinely being followed around supermarkets by security staff and having their bags searched without reason in front of other shoppers, even when they are known as a regular shopper at a particular shop.
- Inferior service given to Aboriginal people seeking housing;
- Differential treatment according to race given by teachers in schools, including Aboriginal students being blamed for racist attacks against them;
- Derogatory references to Aboriginal people and their culture, for example saying that if an Aboriginal person is absent they must have "gone walkabout";
- Denying a person's Aboriginal identity on the grounds that they are thought not to "look Aboriginal", in terms of their facial features, skin colour, etc.
- Racist attitudes between members of different migrant groups;
- Aboriginal people being served last in shops.
One Indigenous participant said the situation in the armed forces has started to change. Indigenous service men and women are beginning to be given better roles in the military, but it remains largely tokenistic.
Many participants also believed that Aboriginal people are subjected to regular racism in the media, particularly in the media's focus on negative stories about Aboriginal people and the use of media by others as a tactic to attack Aboriginal people and organisations. One participant who works in a community organisation said journalists who telephone her looking for stories about Aboriginal communities are only interested in alcohol or petrol sniffing stories and do not cover positive stories. One participant spoke of the fact that the media never run stories about public drunkenness involving white people. Another pointed to politically motivated attacks on ATSIC highlighting alleged instances of money being wasted, when ATSIC is one of the most closely monitored organisations in Australia.
Some participants also noted that the term "half-caste" is returning as a term of abuse among children.
It was agreed that racism in Australia began with the values and processes of colonialism, the legacy of which we are living with today. This includes the invisibility of Indigenous people in the telling of Australia's history and the absence of other stories such as the history of Chinese settlement in Australia. From its origins in colonialism, racism has been handed down and has evolved over generations, producing for example the exclusionist policies of the official White Australia Policy.
Racism has been encouraged by the invisibility for many people of Indigenous history or culture. There is a lack of positive exposure to the history of black Australia and in cultural terms a lack of positive "myth making" about Indigenous people. Racism has often constructed walls to prevent this sort of exposure. When they are not seen through stereotypes, it was believed Aboriginal people are non-existent in most areas of Australian life.
Racism has also been encouraged by institutional racism and the 'permission' that participants believe is given to racism by political leaders. They spoke of politicians using racism to gain political power and further political agendas, which provides a climate more conducive to the expression of racist attitudes in the community as a whole. They pointed to the reinforcement of racist attitudes by a current trend within government to deny that some people and some communities are disadvantaged. They also described the ways in which government funding can promote racism by encouraging a divisive sense of competition between groups or the sense that one group is 'losing out' due to the entitlements of another.
At the personal level it was agreed that fear is the basis of much racism. People can develop fear and even hatred of certain groups as a displacement of their own sense of guilt and responsibility concerning injuries done to those groups. Racism can also be caused by an individual's insecurity, when they feel personally threatened by another's culture or the perceived loss they may suffer as a result of recognising the other, for example, suffering economic losses as a result of native title.
Participants believed that the denial of racism in fact perpetuates it. If an individual acknowledges that racism exists, they must either accept it or confront that attitude and face the social and psychological consequences of challenging their own and others' prejudices. For many people racist attitudes are therefore seen as attitudes that 'other people' hold or that affect people in 'other countries'.
Racism is also seen to be reinforced by the education system. One participant said that teachers are required to take one Aboriginal subject in their training, and even then she hears trainee teachers offering racist views to their lecturers, asking: "Why do we have to do this [expletive] boring stuff."
The media were seen to be both causes of racism and a factor in the perpetuation of racism in the community. In addition to the generally negative approach to reporting on Aboriginal people, participants said that media use of language such as "boat people" and "queue jumping" for refugees and asylum seekers delegitimises the identity of the people concerned. This reporting has also turned some migrant people against other communities by encouraging them to believe they cannot obtain family reunion places for relatives because "queue jumping" boat people have taken the available places in the migration program.
It was agreed we need to learn from the consequences for Australia of a treaty never having been negotiated with Indigenous people and consequently a range of issues never being resolved.
Some participants were of the view that Australia had been settled by an insular white culture that perceived itself as besieged, under threat from Aboriginal people and invasion from outside, a perception that continues today in the fears of native title and 'boat people'.
It was agreed we need to learn that the conditions that have prevented Aboriginal people from learning their own culture and expressing their Aboriginal identity have been highly destructive and had many negative consequences.
Education in Australia has failed to deal satisfactorily with these historical circumstances. The increasing dominance of specialisation in education and narrow conceptions of education as workplace training have made it more difficult to ensure students have adequate exposure to the issues.
There was agreement that we need a place in Australian history for Aboriginal histories.
It was noted that acceptance for other cultures is increasing in Australia. Government support for multiculturalism has also encouraged cultural diversity. In such an environment we have seen greater ability of people to comfortably negotiate identity across a number of cultural contexts. There is still a need for greater exposure of students to diversity in the school system.
Some participants felt we need to pay attention to questions of leadership burnout in movements that are seeking to challenge racism and to take steps to safeguard against it in those people who are working for positive outcomes.
In terms of achievements we need to build on, participants pointed to the number of people who crossed bridges in Reconciliation walks, a process that created a great deal of discussion, challenged white people's complacency and helped to build links between individuals and the issues. Follow-up though is crucial. We need to develop and broaden people's understanding of the full implications of Reconciliation and what else needs doing to secure recognition of Aboriginal rights. Exposure to and engagement with the issues also need to be maintained.
However there needs to be greater engagement and dialogue between different cultures, promoting exchange and interaction and not simply coexistence. This needs to be supplemented by long-term planning and funding for programs to address the causes of racism as well as the symptoms.
We need to learn from the past and present versions of Australian history that have been inadequate and inaccurate in their representation of Aboriginal history. Participants believed that black history should be integrated into general Australian history. Aboriginal history is not a topic to one side of 'Australian history', but rather the history of Indigenous peoples is central to the history of the country.
Some participants believed that there is a need for greater education about the nature of Indigenous identity. They were of the view that many people believe that to be "Indigenous" a person must live an overtly "traditional life". People need to be educated about the bases of Aboriginal identity and what it means to be Indigenous.
One of the participants noted that we need to learn from a current trend whereby when a social issue is identified, the response is to put more police on the street and not to explore other options such as putting more community workers in place to work with people to overcome problems before they become a matter for the criminal justice system.
Theme 2: Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
As noted above, participants were of the view that racism against Indigenous people is endemic in Australia. While there have been major demographic changes in Australian society in recent decades, and shifts in overall attitudes to diversity, there is still a major block in acceptance of Aboriginal culture and people.
In general, racist attitudes towards migrants have improved, although there is still racism towards people from Asian backgrounds and refugees.
Racism was described as having a deeply damaging effect on its victims and a deleterious effect on the broader community. Even repeated exposure to racist treatment still inflicts hurt. One participant who had suffered from racism said to experience discrimination "tears at your soul". It attacks the basis of an individual's identity and disempowers from challenging the racism they are subjected to and from taking active control of their lives.
Some participants said racism creates fear in its victims, who often group together for solidarity and support. One participant said some groups of Aboriginal people live without having much interaction with the wider community because it is so difficult to withstand the treatment they receive. The participant said that in some communities this could be described as a form of 'apartheid'.
It also divides different communities against each other, something that is exploited by those who seek political power by exploiting the politics of division.
In practical terms, the workshops agreed that racism denies people opportunities to reach their full potential in many areas of life. They described the personal and economic costs to some people as a result of the denial of opportunity in the workplace. This includes the consequences of not having their qualifications and experience recognised or valued, being forced to leave jobs because of racist environments or having to work twice as hard in order to prove their worth.
Participants also pointed to the high proportion of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system as an effect of racism.
There was agreement that racism damages oppressors as well as those who are victimised by it, in moral terms and in terms of the environment of mistrust it creates.
It was agreed that in terms of being powerful or powerless, there are commonalities between different forms of discrimination and disadvantage. However where a person suffers from multiple forms of discrimination there is a cumulative disadvantage, with each adding to the other. Many participants believed that governments do not currently acknowledge the existence of cumulative disadvantage, another form of institutional racism.
Victims of racism from these groups often have to choose which identity they 'come out' as and in what contexts, including decisions for such reasons as where they will receive an adequate level of service and where will they be safe.
Participants said it was often difficult for young people to live between two different cultures, where they may feel the need to give up one part of their identity in order to be accepted by people from the other. It was noted that the negotiation of different dimensions of identity is complex and difficult. In these situations the levels of discrimination they experience are bound up together and are cumulative.
Theme 3: Measures of prevention, education and protection aimed at the eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance at the national, regional and international levels.
Workshop participants discussed a range of measures they believed need to be taken to address racism in Australia. They stressed that the key to the success of any measure lies in its implementation. They also stressed the importance of local solutions to local manifestations of racism, and for the leadership and support of those with decision-making power and others in positions of influence.
Specific measures to address racism need to be accompanied by greater discussion of identity by 'Anglo' Australians. White people need to question the nature of "our" identity and the assumptions behind it, the nature of the privilege they enjoy in Australia and the unquestioned assumption that white identity equals Australian identity. Some participants noted that for some people there is considerable unease about the nature of Australian identity, in part because of the problematic assumptions on which it is currently based. There is currently much complexity and contradiction as to what it means to be white in Australia. Migrant groups also must be engaged in discussions about what it means to be Australian and what relationship identity must have to Indigenous people.
Participants agreed that while the solutions should be based in the local community, the campaigns to address racism need to come from the top. This leadership must go together with programs, legislation, funding and the setting of standards. Importantly, all three levels of government need to demonstrate the ways in which they are accountable to the principles of anti-racism and non-discrimination.
There was consensus that we need broad education campaigns at national and regional levels, to promote the messages of social harmony as widely as the 'no smoking' message. One participant believed that we need campaigns stressing that "acceptance adds value to what I am" rather than a message of tolerance, which represents a stepping back from others.
There is a need to 'sell' the idea that there is no economic threat in diversity, and indeed that denying opportunity to members of the community on the basis of their race actually has great costs. Unemployed and under-employed Aboriginal people could bring great economic benefit to the country if they were given a chance.
Education to address racism was seen to be critical, and in particular that anti-racism should be a core value of the education system. It must be integrated into the core curriculum and taught appropriately for each age group, especially at the primary level where children first become aware of difference.
As well as anti-racism teaching, there must be incorporation of compulsory Aboriginal studies across all areas of the curriculum. Participants believed that Aboriginal strategies could be incorporated into all areas of learning, including maths, science and history. Ideally such teaching should involve the local Aboriginal population and draw as much as possible on local people telling their stories. The view was expressed that schools should be willing to pay for the expertise of Aboriginal people who provide cultural awareness training in schools, and the government should provide adequate funding for this to happen.
For these programs to succeed, they need to be supported, resourced and actively pursued by those at the top of the education system and by principals in each school, to ensure their effective implementation. Participants gave the example of the current level of priority attached to addressing the issue of bullying in schools.
Participants believed that as well as changes to the curriculum, there is also a need to deal with the racist culture in many schools among teachers and students. Structurally the dominance of 'white culture' in schools needs to be challenged. There is a need for appropriate teacher training about racism and Indigenous issues. Some participants suggested the development of a mechanism to assess prospective teachers' attitudes about racial issues and to incorporate ongoing education about racism into the department's procedures for managing the performance and training of teachers.
This underlines the need for anti-racism and diversity issues to be at the core of human resources management processes in many sectors, including TAFE colleges and hospitals.
Australian history needs to be rewritten. This must be done by conducting research among Aboriginal people themselves in order to provide a comprehensive history of the continent prior to 1770. There is also a great need to tell the truth about Australian history since then, including Aboriginal stories about their leaders, resistance to invasion, the struggle for rights, the removal of their children and the ongoing effects of discrimination.
Participants agreed that television - and especially commercial television - has perhaps the greatest impact on the community of any media and that questions of local content and stories need to be addressed. There was agreement that quotas should be developed for Australian television stations setting levels of Aboriginal and diverse content. These quotas could be made a condition of broadcast licences.
Participants believed that television stations are providers of a service as well as corporations pursuing a profit, and therefore they need to be compelled to provide a more accurate representation of the Australian population and its multicultural nature.
Participants described a variety of programs they felt had effectively challenged racism:
- A recent campaign in Singapore encouraging members of the community to learn about and value all their multicultural roots. The campaign underlined the value of multiculturalism in Singapore in social, cultural and economic terms.
- The "Racism sux" campaign run by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. It was noted that the campaign was powerful and utilised memorable images of tolerance and diversity, but many people felt that using two negatives in a campaign's message will not be constructive in the long term. Successful anti-racism strategies must use positive and action-oriented messages.
- Newcastle's annual "Cultural Stomp" festival in the park celebrating cultural diversity. The festival was conceived as a response to racism and to the negativity surrounding acrimonious debates about diversity. The festival focuses on activities promoting exchange and interaction between cultures and includes music, dance, visual arts and discussion fora. It was noted that the program achieves a great deal with extremely limited funding and publicity and primarily voluntary contributions.
- The upcoming AWAAR (A Week of Action Against Racism) activities against racism in Newcastle.
- Programs in the USA that link the awarding of government contracts to conditions stipulating the employment of a diversity of people.
Acknowledgement and celebration
It was agreed that migrant and Indigenous contributions are very poorly acknowledged, if at all, in Australia. Participants believed that much of what is acknowledged is merely tokenism.
There is a need for much greater recognition of their contributions at all stages of Australia's history. For example people should know about the history of Chinese migrants in the 1800s, the contributions of Afghans and Aboriginal people and the contribution of migrants to the development of Australia's industries.
Participants believed that even 'positive' programs such as productive diversity were based on narrow and culturally specific definitions. A person's contribution is measured by the certificates they have, with no consideration of other skills such as community leadership. This is consistent with a general lack of cultural diversity in business, particularly among its leadership.
Some participants noted with concern that a recent citizenship ceremony in Newcastle made no acknowledgement of the country's Aboriginal history or of the region's traditional owners. This reinforced the invisibility of Aboriginal culture in official proceedings and failed to provide any education to migrants attending the ceremony. In the view of one participant the ceremony concentrated on celebrating the country the migrants had come to without valuing anything that these migrants brought with them to Australia.
Theme 4: Provision of effective remedies, recourse, redress, [compensatory] [1] and other measures at the national, regional and international levels.
It was generally agreed that the laws dealing with racism and racial discrimination in Australia are not effective. Some participants also felt that anti-discrimination and anti-vilification laws are not set up to be effective.
Importantly, anti-discrimination legislation is complaint-based, which means that the person with the least power in the situation must challenge the discrimination and take up the issue by lodging a complaint.
Other participants believed that complaints processes punish through the pocket by imposing financial settlements, which is not a disincentive for larger corporations. Therefore the process should be amended to allow for other forms of punishment, such as ordering the respondent to preform community service with the people they discriminated against.
It was also noted that the laws are inadequate because they don't ensure government accountability to any framework of non-discrimination. For this to occur, the laws must be embedded in the Constitution or in some form of binding Bill of Rights.
It was agreed that the laws need to be improved with a range of stronger punitive measures in order to provide any effective disincentive for racial discrimination.
Participants noted that while a society cannot legislate attitudes, regulating behaviour can in time change attitudes.
The primary role for laws must be education. For this to be effective there must be education programs promoting the provisions and principles of the legislation. A parallel was cited in education programs addressing drink driving.
Another very important role for laws is the punishment of violations. Some participants believed that laws addressing racial discrimination should also aim for reform of the perpetrator and creation of a sense of shame, although others questioned how much a perpetrator really learns from having their racism challenged through a discrimination complaint.
One participant believed that in a number of areas companies can now "buy their way out of accountability" by paying a relatively small sum of money and avoiding a thorough engagement with the concerns raised or with racism prevented. He suggested that punishments could be expanded to include initiatives such as compelling a perpetrator of racial discrimination to volunteer among Indigenous and other communities, forcing them to serve the people they had discriminated against.
Recommendations
1. That community-level programs encourage engagement and dialogue between communities, including the development of leadership and mechanisms to address racism.
2. That anti-racism education programs be run through all media, similar to current campaigns against drink-driving or smoking.
3. That schools include compulsory anti-racism and Indigenous teaching in schools, particularly at primary level, across all curriculum areas. Programs in schools should include common issues around racism and scope for local stories, perspectives, Indigenous cultures and people.
4. That the education system provide adequate resources to deal with issues of systemic racism within education.
5. That all teachers and principals receive compulsory and ongoing cultural awareness training.
6. That bi-cultural and multi-lingual teaching programs be encourage in schools.
7. That all citizenship ceremonies incorporate Indigenous history and recognise and publicly value what new citizens bring to the country.
8. That ATSIC purchase a national radio station to facilitate debate, and disseminated accurate information and positive messages about Indigenous people.
9. That the Australian government recognise and resolve the issue of Aboriginal sovereignty.
10. That there be greater public recognition of sites of significance to Aboriginal people, for example placing memorials in places of significance.
11. That the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Bringing Them Home and Racist Violence reports be fully implemented.
12. That all communities adapt the model of the Newcastle Cultural Stomp to run their own cross-cultural events.
13. Public service staff selection processes and appraisals include anti-racism attitudes.
14. That the government explore other punishment options, such as community service orders, for perpetrators of racial discrimination.
1. Note: The word compensatory was in brackets as there was no consensus among governments to include it under this theme.
