Section outline
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Understanding racism is vital to addressing it. Organisations should make space for conversations and learning about what racism is (both interpersonal and systemic), its history and effects, and how racial inequity is maintained - especially amongst those who have never personally experienced racism.
Organisations should articulate a commitment to anti-racism, supported by strategies, operational policies and redress mechanisms.
Actions
- build organisational racial literacy, including a recognition and understanding of racism, its history and effects, and how racial injustice is maintained. Provide opportunities and encourage staff to reflect individually on how race affects their perspectives and lives, and that of colleagues and others. Consider providing anti-racism, unconscious bias, allyship and bystander training, especially to those who have never personally experienced racism, and as part of onboarding training. Build an organisational culture where these issues are freely and thoughtfully discussed, supported by appropriate mental health supports.
- articulate an organisational commitment to the pursuit of racial justice, including through establishing anti-discrimination, bullying and harassment policies, mechanisms to redress grievances, and guidance on identifying and challenging racist behaviour in the workplace.
- work to share and improve understanding of these matters among stakeholders and constituents, including governing bodies, partners, donors and vendors, and to incorporate this understanding in efforts to influence public policy.
Example- IWDA has published an organisational statement on their commitment to anti-racism, including an apology for harm done. They have also introduced a six-session anti-racism learning program for staff, with related learning modules on First Nations justice, cultural diversity, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, disability inclusion, and generational diversity and gender equity. A management development program has been established to create consistent management practices.
- Good Return’s cultural diversity focal points facilitated a workshop to their Board, aiming to build understanding of why cultural diversity and anti-racism matters to the organisation and its staff. Based on a 2020 ACFID Conference session, the workshop covered privilege, systemic racism, unconscious/implicit bias, statistics on experiences of racism in Australia and the cultural background of Australian leaders, and included time to brainstorm ideas for action.
- Uniting World has helped their partners (including those between which cultural or historical friction exists) connect via regional networks and conferences. The exposure has been important for relationship building and cross-cultural understanding, and also for decolonisation. The practice has facilitated shifts including changing the default language of their meetings from English.
- Good Return purchased a webinar on ‘Decolonizing Development’ and held group discussions reflecting on racial injustice and how it can be perpetuated in the international development sector. They explored ways their organisation could not only be culturally diverse and inclusive, but champions of anti-racism in their work. Small group discussions connected team members who don’t often have contact with each other across different offices and countries, reflecting on the webinar topics to discuss their different views, experiences at work, and learnings. Consequently, the organisation’s Board has increased representation of those with an Asia-Pacific cultural background from zero to three (of ten).
- IWDA has introduced a misconduct reporting app called #NotMe for staff to anonymously report any kind of discrimination, microaggression, or other relevant incident witnessed or experienced. They have established a Respect & Dignity at Work Contact Officer Network who are also Mental Health First Aid-accredited and introduced culturally-responsive and intersectional wellbeing counselling services.
Resources
Racism at Work: How Organisations Can Stand Up to and End Workplace Racism (2022)Downloads a Word document
Racism at Work is the Diversity Council of Australia’s evidence-based organisational framework for anti-racism action, to help Australian businesses effectively address racism and support racial diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This ACFID resource draws heavily on this work.
Credit: Diversity Council AustraliaThe DEI Compact: INGO Commitments toward Greater Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2022)Downloads a Word document
InterAction is the largest U.S.-based alliance of international NGOs and partners. Its DEI Compact outlines a variety of commitments to improve INGO programming, operations, learning, and advocacy around DEI. See also the related Resources for Practical Implementation.
Credit: InterAction
Let’s Talk Race: A Guide (2019)Downloads a Word document
Let’s Talk Race, developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission, aims to assist Australian organisations in conducting conversations about racism. It can also be used to assist in facilitating conversations about racism after an incident has occurred.
Credit: Australian Human Rights Commission
Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture (2018)Downloads a Word document
Five steps to building a race equity culture.
Credit: Equity in the Center
How to Call Out Racial Injustice at Work (2020)Downloads a Word document
Five strategies to mitigates risks associated with about racial injustice at work.
Credit: Harvard Business Review
Right to Be: Bystander Intervention Training
A US-based organisation that delivers training (some free) to help people better respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment.
Credit: Right To Be’s
Dismantling White Supremacy in Humanitarian/Development Sector (2020)Downloads a Word document
A comprehensive, crowd-sourced list of resources and concrete actions that those working in the humanitarian sector can take to better confront white supremacy and systemic racism.
Credit: Nadine El-Nabli and Anna Myers
Anti-Racism Resources and Facilitators (2020)Downloads a Word document
Bond is a UK network of diverse civil society organisations that work to eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice. It has compiled a list of information, resources, reading lists and facilitators to help NGOs start to become actively anti-racist.
Credit: Bond
Additional Resources
Suggested Training
Here is a list of suggested training organisations from the ACFID membership. Please note that ACFID has not received training from all these organisations, and this list is not an endorsement. You will need to do your own due diligence around cultural safety and inclusivity.