May 30, 2014

UOW joins campaign to put a stop to racism

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is proud to have joined forces with some of Australia’s leading businesses, sporting bodies, NGOs and other universities to support the ‘Racism. It stops with me.’ Campaign from June 2. 

The campaign, which will run until 2015, has been developed in partnership with government and non-government agencies and is led by the Australian Human Rights Commission. 

Vice-Chancellor Paul Wellings said: “The University of Wollongong supports this campaign whole heartedly. We would like to encourage our whole community to join with us to spread the word, to say no to racism.”

 Acting Director of Employment Equity and Diversity at UOW, Julie Croft added: “The University of Wollongong values diversity and inclusive practices as enduring and distinctive characteristics of our workforce.  We celebrate inclusion, based on equity, diversity and reconciliation.” 

The campaign seeks to inform and inspire students, staff and our community to find out what they can do personally to combat racism. On Monday June 2, students and staff will be encouraged to make a personal pledge to stop racism in their own way. 

Research shows that one in seven Australians has experienced discrimination because of their colour or background. Furthermore, 70 per cent of Australians agree that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people are prejudiced against each other. 

 More information: Visit http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/ and follow @ItStopsWithMe on Twitter. 

Media opportunities: UOW’s Employment Equity and Diversity Division will have a stall to promote the campaign outside the UniBar at UOW on Monday 2 June from 12-2pm. 

Media contact: Julie Croft, Acting Director of Employment Equity & Diversity, + 61 2 4221 3917 or jcroft@uow.edu.au.