Source: Human Rights Commission
Give Nothing To Racism
In 2017, a campaign urging New Zealanders to give nothing to racism and refuse to spread intolerance was launched by some of the country’s most well-known people: www.givenothing.co.nz
How we treat other people will define what kind of country we become and what kind of person a New Zealander is. Iconic Kiwis stood shoulder to shoulder with the Human Rights Commission asking us all to give nothing to racism, to give it no tolerance, to give it no acceptance and to give it no welcome.
Overseas and closer to home, racial intolerance and overt attacks are on the rise. 1 in 3 complaints to the Human Rights Commission are about racial discrimination but the overwhelming majority of people never complain when they’re humiliated or abused.
Hatred and extremism is becoming normal in some places and we want to avoid that future for Aotearoa. Racial prejudice and intolerance starts small, in quiet places, in our everyday lives. When it becomes normalised it turns into overt racism and extremism.
We live in one of the most ethnically diverse nations on the planet – as well as one of the most peaceful. Whether it stays that way will depend on us, every New Zealander has a role to play in our future. Racism starts small but so too does hope.
The campaign was the second stage of an ongoing, nationwide anti-racism campaign. In September 2016, the Commission launched a website that enabled everyday New Zealanders to share their personal stories of racism. It let people who hadn’t experienced racism or prejudice to hear from people who have. The That’s Us campaign has so far reached more than 3 million people. See more: www.givenothing.co.nz
In the middle of 2020, the Human Rights Commission will be launching the second phase of the Give Nothing To Racism campaign.
