Localities Embracing

1
Localities Embracing Accepting Diversity (LEAD)

• Introducing a place-based program to prevent
  racial discrimination and promote human rights in
  culturally diverse settings
• Dr Natascha Klocker
• VicHealth School of Population Health,
  University of Melbourne

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Introduction

• Freedom from discrimination is enshrined in
  Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human
  Rights.
• Some types of racial discrimination are against
  the law in Victoria (under the Equal Opportunity
  Act) as is racial or religious vilification
  (under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act)
• Racism and racial discrimination continue to
  dramatically affect peoples experience of human
  rights in Victoria today by hindering access to
  housing, education, employment, healthcare,
  justice and belonging.

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Purposes of this paper

• Provide background information on racism and
  racial discrimination.
• Present evidence of the extent of racism and
  racial discrimination in Victoria.
• Offer some tangible information on the underlying
  principles and strategies that can be adopted in
  anti-racism initiatives.
• Introduce the LEAD Program as an example of an
  integrated and multi-faceted approach to
  preventing racism and racial discrimination.

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Definitions and key concepts

• Racism an ideology which divides individuals
  into races and which implicitly or explicitly
  asserts that a certain race is superior to
  others.
• Racial discrimination behaviours and practices
  that maintain and reproduce avoidable and unfair
  inequalities across ethnic/racial groups in
  society (Paradies et al., forthcoming 2009).

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Why is it important to prevent racism and racial
discrimination?

• Racism and racial discrimination impact on
• Health
• Productivity
• Social cohesion
• Social inclusion / participation
• Human rights

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How widespread are racism and racial
discrimination in Victoria?
37 Australia is weakened when ethnic groups
stick to their old ways
36 some ethnic groups do not fit in
Australia
10 not all races are equal
10 oppose intermarriage
Source VicHealth (2007) More than tolerance
Embracing diversity for health. A summary report.
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Experiences of racial discrimination in Victoria
Experiences of NESB migrants Based on a
2006 survey of 4000 Victorians
Types of discrimination
Sites of discrimination
Source VicHealth (2007) More than tolerance
Embracing diversity for health. A summary report.
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Anti-racism / anti-discrimination

• Anti-racism/anti-discrimination strategies to
  eliminate (or modify) racist beliefs and/or
  discriminatory behaviours (Pedersen, Walker and
  Wise 2005).
• The existing evidence on such strategies is
  patchy, largely because of limited evaluation of
  projects in real world contexts.

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Underlying principles for success in preventing
racism and racial discrimination

• Increasing empathy
• Consciousness-raising
• Provision of accurate information
• Highlighting incompatible beliefs
• Increasing personal accountability
• Breaking down group barriers
• Social norm foundation
• (Source Paradies et al., A Framework to Address
  Racial Discrimination in Victoria, forthcoming
  2009).

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Promising strategies for preventing racism and
racial discrimination

• Organisational development (e.g. organisational
  audits, diversity training, resource development
  etc).
• Communications and social marketing (e.g.
  advertising campaigns, arts projects etc).
• Legislative and policy reform (e.g. development
  of new legislation/policy, audits of existing
  legislation/policy).
• Direct participation programs (e.g. intergroup
  contact, cooperative learning, deliberative polls
  etc).
• Community strengthening (e.g. leadership
  building, network and partnership building,
  symbolic activities)
• Advocacy (by-stander education, local advocacy
  groups, advocacy by local leaders/groups for
  policy change etc.)
• (Source Paradies et al., A Framework to Address
  Racial Discrimination in Victoria, forthcoming
  2009).

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The LEAD Program

• Developed in partnership between VicHealth,
  VEOHRC and local government.
• A unique multi-level, multi-setting and
  multi-method approach to preventing interpersonal
  and institutional racial discrimination.
• Multi-level individual, organisational,
  community.
• Multi-setting schools, workplaces, retail,
  sports clubs.
• Multi-method a range of mutually-reinforcing and
  integrated strategies for preventing racism and
  racial discrimination.

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Broad aims of the LEAD Program

• The LEAD program aims to bring about tangible
  reductions in racism and racial discrimination.
• It will be thoroughly evaluated to build
  knowledge and evidence for the primary prevention
  of racism and racial discrimination.
• Program findings will be used in dissemination
  and advocacy activity to inform future policy,
  program development and practice in preventing
  racism and racial discrimination.

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Proposed target groups

• The aim is to work with potential perpetrators,
  rather than the targets of racial discrimination
  (i.e. primary prevention rather than treatment).
• Focus on attitudes / behaviours towards the
  groups that are most discriminated against
• People from non-English speaking backgrounds
  especially
• Muslim/Arab communities
• African communities
• Asian communities
• Indigenous Australians

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What next?

• The LEAD Program will run over the next three
  years and will provide us with much stronger
  evidence on what works in anti-racism.
• In the mean time, the strategies presented here
  are a starting point.
• Careful piloting of anti-racism strategies is
  ALWAYS necessary.