Racism Stops With Me

Reducing Racism

People from all around the world now call Maribyrnong home, and we want to make sure that everyone is given the opportunity to thrive.

We are lucky to have one of Victoria’s most culturally diverse and fastest growing populations with a history that can be traced back at least 40,000 years. Residents come from more than 135 different countries and speak more than 80 languages.

We value diversity as a source of creativity and innovation, and we want to continue to foster and promote a sense of belonging amongst our community that highlights the advantage of diversity and the importance of respecting differences.

As part of this commitment to our multicultural community engaging in an intercultural way, we are raising awareness about the importance of reducing diversity-related prejudices that lay the foundations of discriminatory and racist attitudes within our community.

Maribyrnong is committed to:

• raising awareness of racism and how it affects individuals and the broader community
• identifying, promoting and building on positive programs to prevent and reduce racism

• empower communities and individuals to take action to prevent and reduce racism and to seek help when it occurs

Everyone plays a role in reducing racism, but some people aren't sure how the can help. The Australian Human Rights Commission has the following recommendations:

• If you see racist behaviour in public, you could say something if it feels safe. It could be as simple as saying 'Why don't you just leave him/her/them alone'
• If you see racist material online, report it. Most social media platforms can deal with offensive content, or you can make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission or to police.
• If you see racism directed towards a classmate, colleague or teammate, you could suggest they talk to someone. Most schools, workplaces and sports clubs will have a policy for dealing with bullying and harassment, including racism.
• If you experience or observe racism or intercultural conflict, you can report it.

In partnership with Code Australia, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has developed a community reporting tool that enables community members to make short, confidential reports as an alternative to launching a formal complaint. This tool makes it easier for communities to seek action, dismantle rumours about different cultural groups of people and report racism.