Campaign to stop racism heads south

A NATIONAL campaign to stamp out racism will turn its focus to Tasmania today with hospitality groups and venue owners signing up to help address racism at a local level.

The Racism it Stops with Me campaign, which has used famous sporting and cultural identities to push its message of inclusiveness, is part of the Federal Government’s National Anti-Racism Strategy established in 2012.

It also has the support of AFL members, Australian Rugby League and multinational professional services company Deloitte.

A discussion will be hosted at the Multicultural Hub in Moonah today by Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Tim Soutphommasane, and the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Sarah Bolt.

“This campaign isn’t about reinventing the wheel: we want to learn from past achievements and challenges,” Ms Bolt said.

“Our consultations have told us that it’s often the people working on the ground within local communities or specific environments who have the best understanding of the issues and ideas of how to overcome them.

“We believe that the most effective way to make a difference in the incidence of racism is to encourage and co-ordinate these efforts.”

Tasmanian signatories to the campaign and discussion participants will include representatives from Tasmania Police, the University of Tasmania, Hobart and Clarence City Councils, 131008 Taxis, the Multicultural Council of Tasmania, Red Cross and representatives of the state’s multicultural communities.

Those signing onto the campaign at the event include the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania, Relationships Australia (Tasmania), the Tasmanian Council of Social Services.

The managing director of the Pub Banc Group Pty Ltd, which operates venues including Post Street Social, Observatory Bar, Cargo Bar, Jack Greene and the Telegraph Hotel, will also sign a supporter’s agreement at the roundtable.