21st of March – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) is encouraging people and organisations in Australia to observe and refer to the 21st of March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In 1998, the Howard Government declared the 21st of March as ‘Harmony Day’, making Australia the only country in the world that refers to this day differently from other nations.

21st of March – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In 1998, the Howard Government declared the 21st of March as ‘Harmony Day‘, making Australia the only country in the world that refers to this day differently from other nations.

We believe it is important to acknowledge that racism exists and that we should all work collaboratively to eliminate it. However, in 2023, it is time that the community reclaim the original UN-declared day, rather than undermining lived experiences of racism in favour of promoting the idea of harmony. In the process, we can still celebrate the great diversity of cultures that makes Australia unique, and without addressing racism, we will not achieve harmony.

One of the first steps in overcoming racism is naming the problem, and this is one day of the year in particular where this should be done.

The United Nations theme for 2023 focuses on the urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is an opportunity for Australians to reflect on the nation’s history of racism and recommit ourselves to implementing strategies that tackle this complex issue.

The Challenging Racism Project in a 2015-2016 survey found that 20% of Australians surveyed had experienced racial discrimination in the form of race hate talk, and 5% had been attacked due to their race. This is particularly relevant amongst First Nations peoples, as the 2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer published by Reconciliation Australia revealed that 60% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had experienced at least one form of racial prejudice in the past six months.

2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer

Furthermore, Australians are becoming increasingly aware of the prevalence of racism in their country, as according to a report compiled by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, 60% of respondents thought that racism in Australia was a ‘very big’ or ‘fairly big problem’, compared to 40% only a year prior.

Everyone has a part to play in shaping the Australian culture, and contributing to a society that is fair and equal – for all. This International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, let us unite to reshape the meaning behind the day, understand the roots of racial discrimination and inequality in Australia, challenge the status quo, and take action to create positive change within our communities. In the process, we can still celebrate our rich multicultural tapestry.

Make sure to educate and encourage your networks, workplace and organisations to re-evaluate your activations on this day, and how you can collectively initiate meaningful discussion and change. We congratulate those organisations who have already started to pivot to recognising 21 March as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

FECCA is committed to ensuring that our nation is striving towards combating structural and systemic racism, and dismantling barriers that prevent multicultural Australians from equal opportunities and outcomes.

Please find the following resources that discuss the history of Harmony Day and the reframing to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and what meaningful action you can take to fight racism today, and every day.

Resources:

Racism. It Stops With Me. – Australian Human Rights Commission
Fight Racism – United Nations
Fact Sheet – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Australian Human Rights Commission
Harmony Day should not be used to sweep racism under the rug – Queensland Human Rights Commissioner, Scott McDougall (Sydney Morning Herald)
It’s Harmony Week, but let’s discuss what it is really about: racism – Erwin Renaldi (ABC)
Racism at work: a call to anti-racist action for Australian organisations – Peter Anderson (The Conversation)

	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.