Speaking out against racism
More than just reporting it
Racism remains a big challenge across Australia and Victoria and continues to have devasting effects on many people from various communities every day. But it is often very difficult to speak out against racism and to find support after experiencing racism.
A recent Victorian-wide study found that 76% of people from racially marginalised communities have faced racism – two-thirds of them also in the past 12 months. But only 15.5% of those who face racism have ever reported any such incident.
There are many different reasons for this. For example, many don’t know where and how they could seek support or are concerned that reporting could make things worse for them or their family. Others think that current reporting and anti-racism services do not offer the kind of support they need after an experience of racism: understanding, cultural safety and advocacy.
This website was set up as part of a pilot project that tries to address some of these barriers. The goal is to help make it easier to speak out against racism and vilification and to find and access the ‘right’ anti-racism support.
It provides resources about anti-racism and anti-vilification in Victoria and basic information about reporting pathways and anti-racism support services by
- three newly established local, community-led anti-racism support networks, currently active in Wyndham, Whittlesea and Melbourne’s southeast;
- key state-wide agencies such as the Victoria Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission or Victoria Police;
- other support services, including those specifically targeting certain groups of affected communities such as First Nations, Muslim or Jewish communities
News
Local Anti-Racism Support Networks release Joint Position Statement on Racism
The local, community-led anti-racism support networks, currently active in Wyndham, Whittlesea and Melbourne’s southeast have developed and endorsed a Joint Position Statement on Racism. The Statement was made public on 26 June 2025. The Statement reflects the foundation on which these anti-racism support networks provide their services.
Anyone interested in publicly supporting this statement can reach out to this website: info@antiracismvictoria.com.au
New anti-racism policy for Victorian government schools: prevention and response
The Victorian Department of Education has introduced the new ‘Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools’ policy. It covers three key action areas: (1) preventing racism through cultural safety and inclusive school environments; (2) responding appropriately to incidents of racism through ‘clear, timely safe and inclusive processes’, and (3) centrally reporting incidents of racism.
Among others, the policy requires schools to build ‘staff capability to prevent and respond to racism and ensure cultural safety’.
For more information, see: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/preventing-addressing-racism-schools/policy
News article about the work of local anti-racism support network in Melbourne’s southeast
The local newspaper Star Weekly reported about the new Southeast Anti-racism Support Network, offering insights in the local support work of this network and into the documented cases of racism experienced by local residents.
“A group of multicultural community support services in the region have been tasked to provide safe spaces to document racist incidents and to give emotional support to victims. Wellsprings for Women, Centre for Multicultural Youth, South East Community Links and Southern Migrant Refugee Centre are the first points of contact to those who have experienced racism, empowering victims who would often be lost, intimidated and scared.”
https://cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au/news/2025-05-10/safe-spaces-to-report-racist-acts/
Victorian government strengthens anti-vilification legislation and protection
In April 2025, the Victorian government passed the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024, which will come into effect in 2026. Among many other changes, the legislation outlaws racist hate speech not only when it incites hatred in others but also protects against any public conduct that ‘would, in all the circumstances, be reasonably likely to be considered by a reasonable person with the protected attribute to be hateful or seriously contemptuous of, or reviling or severely ridiculing, the other person or group of persons.’. This means the perception of the targeted community has much more weight in assessing the harm caused by the racist behaviour.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/protecting-more-victorians-hate
https://www.humanrights.vic.gov.au/news/stronger-protections-against-hate-a-welcome-win-for-victoria
Victorian Government releases first statewide anti-racism strategy
In early December 2024, the Victorian Government presented the state’s first comprehsive anti-racism strategy, a 5-year plan to tackle racism and discrimination in Victoria.
The four priority goals of the strategy are:
Goal 1: Racist attitudes, behaviours and beliefs are recognised, challenged and rejected.
Goal 2: Government services and workplaces are safe, accessible and non-discriminatory.
Goal 3: Racism and discrimination are no longer barriers to participation, progress, safety and success across all sectors.
Goal 4: People subjected to racism receive appropriate and culturally safe services and supports.
More information: https://www.vic.gov.au/victorias-anti-racism-strategy
