First Nations Consultations For the Australian Human Rights Commission
racial vilification and leads to underreporting of racism. The National Anti-Racism Framework
needs to highlight the urgent need to securely fund access to culturally safe legal assistance for
First Nations people who experience racism. This needs to be accompanied by culturally safe
legal education and advisory services on legal rights.
5.3 Education
Participants identified a need for education across all sectors to reduce racism and build support
for anti-racism strategies. The key content areas identified for inclusion in education were Cultural
Safety, Racism, White Privilege and Self-Determination. It is evidenced that Cultural Safety cannot
be separated from anti-racism initiatives and that racism is an intrinsic marker of a culturally unsafe
environment. Education developed in line with the principles of Cultural Safety, as identified by
Irihapeti Ramsden, would include all the key areas identified.
Lack of access to a consistent standard of education emerged as a barrier and enabler across all
sessions. Participants expressed that seeking out information about Cultural Safety, racism and
White Privilege is difficult and is solely the responsibility of individuals, regardless of the sector. It
was acknowledged that there have been varied attempts across the sectors to promote some form
of training related to working with First Nations people, however consistency was noted as
paramount in achieving any measurable outcomes or improvements. There was a broad
consensus that current education offered across sectors did not address issues of Cultural Safety
and racism and participants expressed there was an urgent need to review and standardise
education. Participants discussed the need for clarity around terms used and the implementation
of robust reporting frameworks to measure impact over time.
Education is a fundamental tool for combating racism, developing understanding and reducing
unconscious bias. Participants highlighted the need for comprehensive and standardised antiracism and Cultural Safety education across sectors. Integrating First Nations histories and
perspectives into the national curriculum is essential in progressing anti-racism initiatives.
5.3.1 White Privilege
White privilege refers to the societal advantages white people have when compared to non- white
people who experience racism. Francis Kendall explains that ‘white privilege is an institutional
(rather than personal) set of benefits granted to those of us who, by race, resemble the people who
dominate the powerful positions in our institutions’.
White privilege was discussed across the consultations as an area in need of further education
particularly for those in positions of power and within government. Governments often speak of
codesign and coproduction with First Nations people as part of designing and implementing new
strategies. But to address entrenched systemic racism authentic codesign is required where power
is shared equally. White privilege often overtly and sometimes subtlety resists this power sharing
which further entrenches racism.
An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples
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