Baha'is back anti-racism strategy

Launching the strategy: (Left to right) Senator Kate Lundy, Dr Helen Szoke, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon.

The strategy was launched in Melbourne last month by Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke alongside the Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Senator Kate Lundy.

Members of the Australian Baha’i Community contributed to the development of the strategy via a formal submission and participation in a nation-wide series of community consultations.

Spokesperson Venus Khalessi said the Baha’i Community’s contribution to the strategy will be the education programs it provides across Australia at the neighbourhood level, particularly in the form of children’s classes and the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, which are to be expanded in the future.

“The moral capabilities taught in these programs are anchored in the central social and spiritual principle of our time, namely the interdependence and interconnectedness of humanity as a whole,” Ms Khalessi said.

“Recognition of the oneness of humanity is essential to combatting all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including racism,” she said.

“The Baha’i community will also contribute by providing information on the strategy on the national website, www.bahai.org.au, and on the Facebook page of the Australian Baha’is.”

During the next three years, the National Anti-Racism Strategy will focus on five key priority areas: schools and higher education, the media, government service provision, workplaces and the internet.

The aims of the strategy are to:

• Ensure more Australians recognise that racism is unacceptable in our community
• Give more Australians, at individual and organisational levels, the resources to take practical action against racism
• Empower individuals and organisations to prevent and respond effectively to racism

The first step is the implementation of a public awareness campaign with the tagline “Racism. It Stops With Me”.

Among others to support the strategy are the agribusiness firm Elders Ltd, the law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, the Australian Red Cross, and the Fred Hollows Foundation. In sport, those who have signed up to the strategy include the AFL, the FFA, the NRL, Netball Australia and the Australian Rugby Union. The Lord Mayors of Melbourne and Brisbane are also supporters.

The strategy has been developed and will be implemented by a partnership led by Dr Szoke at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Other partners include the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Australian Multicultural Council, the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia and the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.