Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) -

It is resolved that Council:

(A)        note:

(i)          the City of Sydney Council has endorsed ‘A City for All’, which commits the City to setting out an agenda for action to sustain a socially just and resilient Sydney over the next decade;

(ii)         the City of Sydney Council has also formerly endorsed ‘Racism. It Stops With Me’ and ‘City of Sydney Opposes Racism’ motions to support and promote community tolerance and harmony;

(iii)        as a result, the City has delivered the following:

(a)        anti-racism and allyship training workshops– for community members and community organisations;

(b)        online cultural intelligence workshops for community organisations that explore diversity and unconscious bias; and

(c)         online transformational ethical storytelling workshops for community organisations, that explore ethical storytelling with a focus on developing racial literacy;

(iv)       the City is currently supporting Democracy in Colour through a Covid-19 Relief Grant to deliver bystander intervention workshops, resilience to racism workshops, and workshops to support people to call out, combat and address racism across online platforms and social media;

(v)         the Inner West Multicultural Network (IWMN) is an independent network of government and non-government service providers and organisations that works with, advocates for and supports people from multicultural communities in the Inner West;

(vi)       membership of the Inner West Multicultural Network is open to local multicultural community members, government and non-government services and organisations providing or resourcing services to people from multicultural communities in the Inner West;

(vii)      the Inner West Multicultural Network has 120 member organisations including Addison Road Community Centre, Sydney Local Health District, Metro Assist, Asylum Seeker Centre, TAFE, Legal Aid, Ethnic Community Services Co-operative, NSW Police, and many more;

(viii)     the purpose of the Network is to work in partnership to identify and address issues of community need, working from a community development lens which aims to empower communities to achieve a just and equal society;

(ix)       the Network’s ‘Racism Not Welcome’ campaign has emerged as a response to a reported increase in racist attacks on people in our communities. The Inner West Multicultural Network wanted to do more in the fight against racism to make sure that the Inner West was a safe a welcoming space for all, but also to inspire the other 537 Local Government Areas in Australia to do the same;

(x)         the Network currently has allocated a budget of $9,000 to fund the campaign;

(xi)       the aim of the campaign is to create:

(a)        a City where racism is not welcome;

(b)        a place with strong social cohesion where racism is ‘called out’;

(c)         a place where people feel a sense of belonging and are equal;

(d)        a place where decision making is shared, and diversity is valued and celebrated; and

(e)        through the street sign element of the campaign: a call to action for other Councils, and to encourage the local community to have these important if difficult conversations and call out racism when they see it; and

(xii)      as part of the campaign, the Network will:

(a)        create branded “Racism Not Welcome” stickers and posters that businesses and individuals can use to spread the word, demonstrating their own commitment to calling out racism;

(b)        produce a video portraying real experiences of racism and racial discrimination;

(c)         work with the local Aboriginal community and explore opportunities for Truth-Telling projects;

(d)        hold an art exhibition featuring local artists using the anti-racism theme;

(e)        hold an event on 21 March 2021 for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; and

(f)          facilitate bystander action training and toolkits;

(B)        endorse the “Racism Not Welcome” campaign developed by the Network; and

(C)       approve funding of up to $10,000 from the 2020/21 General Contingency to support the program of community works, that may include value in kind donations of spaces for exhibitions, the instalment of “Racism Not Welcome” street signs in key locations around the City or other community engagement activities.

Carried unanimously.

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