A message from the Commissioner In March 2021, I called for a national anti-racism framework. I did so at an unprecedented moment in time. The COVID-19 pandemic initially brought with it increased racism against AsianAustralians, which governments struggled to deal with effectively. The continued, urgent calls to end Indigenous deaths in custody and recent concerns over home grown terrorism and extremism signalled the many ways in which racism has grown, persisted, and become entrenched in our structures and institutions, and as a result, in our everyday lives. As I said when launching this proposal, we need to treat racism as a scourge in much the same way we commit to addressing child abuse and family violence. Urgent, collective action is needed to combat racism throughout this country. What the pandemic shows us is our enormous capability for swift and powerful action in times of crisis. Throughout this pandemic, the assertion that we are better, and more effective, when we work together has rung true, and been proven time and time again. A national anti-racism framework will be a long-term, central reference point to guide actions on anti-racism and equality by government, NGOs, business, communities, and others. My hope is that it will provide a shared vision, and a focus for specific actions, to tackle racism in its interpersonal, institutional, and systemic forms. It has been encouraging to see the concept for a national framework embraced by individual community members, community organisations, peak bodies, experts, researchers, service providers, human rights agencies, and government partners. This Report shares the scoping findings from consultation participants and those who made submissions and voiced what was important to them. Consultations and submissions emphasised the need for a shared language for anti-racism action. I heard about the need to understand racism as a complex, intersectional phenomenon that reaches far beyond ‘race’ and is tied deeply to unique identities and circumstances. We must understand racism in this way, as an all-encompassing force perpetuated across many sites of power by institutions and structures. This includes, as a threshold, leading with respect for the experiences of First Nations peoples. When we hold this as a baseline for anti-racism actions, we recognise the colonial foundations of Australia and their past and present impacts, and the immense value in drawing upon the unique strengths of First Nations peoples and communities, including their long leadership in anti-racism. National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 | 7