Call It Out online register receives up to $2 million to drive anti-racism action

An Indigenous-led online register documenting racism and discrimination against First Nations people will receive up to A$2 million in Commonwealth funding, as Australia awaits the final report of a parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate and violence.

The Call It Out register, operated by the University of Technology Sydney’s Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research with the National Justice Project, is the only national Indigenous-led collection of this data. The new funding will support an online dashboard designed to inform anti-racism action.

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While we await the committee’s final report, we are not waiting to act.

The parliamentary inquiry has received more than 700 submissions and held public hearings across Australia. It heard that reporting and response systems contain major gaps and are fragmented, inconsistent, slow and often culturally unsafe.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the inquiry had heard confronting accounts of the harm experienced by Indigenous people. “While we await the committee’s final report, we are not waiting to act,” she said. “This investment will strengthen the important work of Call It Out and support efforts to collate rigorous data.”

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This investment will strengthen the important work of Call It Out and support efforts to collate rigorous data.

Callitout.com.au describes itself as a culturally safe, trauma-informed website. The Jumbunna Institute analyzes the information to raise awareness and support systemic change. Lindon Coombes said the project aims to produce evidence for anti-racism policy, strengthen responses by First Nations communities and educate the wider public.

The inquiry’s final report is expected in December. In March, Indigenous health leader Pat Dudgeon said racism remained prevalent after the failed Voice referendum, which he described as giving Australia permission to stage a “redneck jamboree”.

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redneck jamboree