The Queensland Government is supporting business and communities to mobilise and stand up for our proud, multicultural State with the Unite Against Racism – Call To Action Toolkit.
We all know that racism and discrimination have been under the spotlight in recent months. During the emergence and spread of COVID-19 in Australia earlier this year, members of the Asian Australian and Iranian Australian communities were being blamed or ostracised. People of all ages were being harassed and attacked out in the community and at their own homes.
Now, following two young Queensland women facing charges for breaching coronavirus restrictions, Queensland’s African communities are dealing with traumatic race-based abuse online, in the public and media discourse, and out in the community. More heartbreaking is that many African Australians experiencing this abuse are people who have fled war and persecution and have found safety and belonging in Australia as refugees.
Queensland’s Multicultural Recognition Act 2016, Multicultural Queensland Charter and Queensland Multicultural Policy – Our story claim Queensland as a welcoming, inclusive and fair State that “recognises the fundamental place of First Nations Peoples and the benefits migration has brought, and continues to bring, to the community, our culture and our economy.” Together we are stronger. Together we can claim our shared identity as Queenslanders from a multitude of backgrounds with infinite stories to tell.
The Unite Against Racism – Call To Action Toolkit invites Queenslanders to come together to share positive messages about diversity and inclusion. The Toolkit contains a number of resources that businesses, community grous and indivuiduals can share through their social networks, as well as some ideas for engaging people in disucssions around these important issues in workplaces.
Access the Unite Against Racism – Call To Action Toolkit through the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs’ website.
