International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 

Today, 21 March, CMY acknowledges the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  

Australia is the only country in the world to call it ‘Harmony Day’. There is nothing harmonious about the origins of this day, which commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa 1960, when police opened fire on protestors at a peaceful anti-apartheid demonstration.  

‘Harmony’ is at odds with the reality of many First Nations and multicultural young people and communities in Australia, whose lived experiences of racism have lasting and devastating impacts.  

With all that is happening globally, racism and discrimination is on the rise, both online and offline – in our schools, on our sports fields, in our systems and in our communities. We must act urgently.  

In recent weeks, there have been racist incidents at a Fitzroy Stars netball game, and a racist attack on community members attending a local Iftar dinner in Ballarat. We condemn these disgusting attacks and stand with the communities who have been left to deal with the after-effects of feeling traumatised, unsafe, or like they don’t belong in their community.  

At CMY, we believe we all have a part to play in actively shaping change. Whether it is through programs like Schools Standing Up to Racism, initiatives like CMSport’s partnership with 7 State Sporting Associations to address racism in sport, or internally at CMY through the activities of our Anti-Racism Working Group – we are committed in our efforts to address, prevent and respond to racism in all forms.  

On International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we call on the Australian Government to fully fund and implement all the recommendations laid out in the National Anti-Racism Framework, developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) with funding from the Government.  

We encourage everyone to take a moment to learn about the history of this day. Listen to the stories of young people whose lives have been impacted by racism. Reflect on how each of us, individually and collectively, can work to end racism and shape a more inclusive society: one that we all deserve to be part of.   

Learn more

Report racism 

If you have experienced racism, we encourage you to report it confidentially to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission via the Community Reporting Tool on our website.    

Access support

We understand this day might bring up different emotions for people. For anyone who might be struggling right now, please reach out to one of the support services below. 

  • Lifeline Australia: 24/7 Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention   
  • Kids Helpline: 24/7 Helpline to support children and young people aged 5-25   
  • 13YARN: 24/7 Crisis Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples   
  • Headspace: Mental health support for young people aged 12-25   
  • Beyond Blue: 24/7 free telephone and online counselling