Community Engagement Report for developing a National Action Plan Against Racism Pillar 4: Upholding human rights Participants talked about the governmental responsibility to eliminate all forms of racism. This includes upholding the right to non-discrimination and equality, advancing equity and dismantling institutional racism. Most ethnic Tangata Tiriti participants shared their experiences of interpersonal and institutional racism and its negative impacts on them and their communities. Participants discussed the need for equity to achieve better outcomes for all people, particularly in improving wellbeing. Ethnic Tangata Tiriti shared experiences of interpersonal and institutional racism in employment, health, housing, criminal justice and in perpetuating economic disadvantage and made a range of recommendations for improvement. Participants highlighted that current policies and laws perpetuated racism and that it was the role of government to address institutional racism. For meaningful change to occur there needed to be institutional reform accompanied by accountability measures and monitoring. The need for a way for people to report racism – and receive a just outcome – was often highlighted. Pillar 5: Transnational nature of racism Many participants discussed the impact and potential that both mainstream and social media have on racism. This included the way in which ethnic groups and individuals were represented on screen, often in negative and stereotypical ways, particularly in news reports. Several identified that social media and other online spaces allowed and facilitated the spread of hate and were subject to little regulation. People did note, however, that media, including social media, created the potential for connection and for developing and circulating positive stories and representations. New Zealand Human Rights Commission Participants identified the influence of far-right political organisations, particularly those originating in the United States, have had in Aotearoa. They noted these organisations had advised some political parties, helped shape public opinion on referenda, and funded and influenced protests at Parliament and around the country. White supremacy was a hidden agenda in some of this influence. People commented that the global nature of racism and white supremacy challenged the ability of Aotearoa to eliminate racism but were also clear this did not absolve the responsibility to act. 15