First and foremost, a national anti-racism framework must begin with the experiences of First Nations peoples and recognise the past and ongoing impacts of colonisation. Prioritising the experiences of First Nations people emphasises the agency, cultures, histories, and knowledges of First Nations communities. Having an effective, nuanced, intersectional and community-centric definition of ‘racism’ is another key principle. Feedback from consultation participants and those who made submissions pointed to the importance of definitions as educative tools to inform racial literacy, as well as their strategic value in guiding anti-racism work and building confidence in anti-racism initiatives. A definition of racism must have the breadth to capture the experiences and harms of racism, as well as depth in spotlighting the range of interpersonal, institutional, and systemic actors who participate in the perpetration of racism. In particular, focussing on the systemic nature of racism is key to a definition making visible the many ways in which racism occurs in society, including in laws, policies and practices that produce discriminatory outcomes. The systemic nature of racism takes on specific forms in relation to different communities and individuals. Finally, it is not just ‘racism’, but the broader language surrounding racism and anti-racism that lacks clarity and consensus. Terms like ‘social cohesion’, ‘equality’, and ‘multiculturalism’ are used in a range of contexts, from everyday settings to official policies and programs. They often work to mask the issue of racism, obfuscate anti-racist aspirations, and as a result, can perpetuate racism. Having shared understandings around the language of racism and anti-racism is vital to a national anti-racism framework. A national anti-racism framework would provide a long-term central reference point for government, organisations, businesses, and communities to take action on addressing racism. The Commission engaged on the proposal through two key processes. The first was via consultations with peak and community organisations, service providers, government departments and agencies, experts, and community members. One hundred consultations were undertaken with approximately 300 organisations. The Commission partnered with some of those organisations and agencies and had the privilege of facilitating 10 community consultations across the nation. The second was that the Commission also called for public submissions between October 2021 and February 2022 and received 164 in total. This Scopiong Report reflects the voices of representative organisations and peak bodies alongside observations of community members. The overwhelming support for the aims of this project across community and community representative organisations, as well as government departments and agencies, service providers and experts, highlights both the momentum for change and the urgent need for a national response. National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 | 23