Supplied Content
Human Rights Commission
Wellington, June 14, 2017
What is the problem?
Racial intolerance is on the rise overseas and closer to home and complaints about racial discrimination make up 1 in 3 complaints received by the Human Rights Commission. However, most people do not formally complain.
How did this campaign start?
#GiveNothingToRacism is part of an ongoing campaign launched last September, so far #ThatsUs – New Zealand’s first nationwide anti-racism campaign – has reached more than three million people by enabling everyday Kiwis to share their personal stories of racial prejudice. They were young and old, from all ethnicities and living in towns and cities across New Zealand. By raising their voices, we helped other people recognise that racial intolerance is a problem here and one we need to challenge ourselves on. You can read their stories on www.thatsus.co.nz
What does #GiveNothingtoRacism mean?
Racial intolerance starts small and it grows when we support it or endorse it. We can give a blank face or refuse to laugh when someone says something racist. We are refusing to feed the intolerance. That’s why we are asking Kiwis to give it nothing. Give no tolerance, Give no welcome, Give no likes: Give Nothing To Racism.
Does give nothing mean ignoring racism?
It means giving it nothing to feed off. It means giving it no fuel, no encouragement, no support, no agreement. Sometimes the way we do that will be by speaking up and calling it out directly (no tolerance, no acceptance). Sometimes it will simply be by not giving a positive reaction to a casually racist comment in person (no laughs, no nods) or online (no likes). It’s about actively choosing not to support racism in any way, no matter how small.
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