Racial Justice Centre

💫 Huge congratulations to our founder, Sarah Ibrahim, for receiving the Smokeball Australia Community Hero Award 2024! Sarah Ibrahim is the founder and Executive Director of the Racial Justice Centre and Principal Director of Central Lawyers. Among her many achievements, Sarah facilitated the first Racial Justice Conference in Sydney this past April, fostering essential conversations and collaborations to advance racial justice. In a recent interview with Smokeball, Sarah shared what drives her work at the RJC, her obstacles, and what the legal industry can do to advance racial justice. Sarah said, "My goal is to inspire a movement where everyone recognises that we are all part of the human race, and equal in our humanity. Every person’s life matters. Every life is precious." Check out the full interview: https://lnkd.in/ggbAxrHS #SmokeballCommunityHero2024 #RacialJustice #CommunityLeadership #SocialImpact #LegalAdvocacy #HumanRights #Australia

New hate crime laws are now in effect across Australia. The Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Act 2025 (Cth) and new NSW legislation introduce tougher penalties for hate-fueled actions, including: 🚫 Banning Nazi symbols and salutes 🛑 Criminalising hate speech & incitement ⚖️ Stronger terrorism-related laws 👮 Expanded police powers ❌ Harsher penalties for hate-based vandalism These laws open the door to mandatory sentencing which research says is an ineffective policy direction and we urge the government to reverse these changes. For more details, please refer to this link: https://lnkd.in/gD_4deDw #hatecrime #endracism #racialjustice

Representation matters and more than half of womxn aren't seeing representation of their demographic on International Women's Day. If you're celebrating IWD today but missing an intersectional lens, you're doing it wrong. A huge shoutout to the 37 advocates and organisations who joined the More Voices More Representation on IWD campaign this year, the 200+ people who engaged with our content platforming intersectional voices, and the hundreds more who have supported the campaign to highlight the opportunities to genuinely MARCH FORWARD! In the words of Professor Nareen Young, Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) at UTS Business School: “The diverse mainstream of Australia’s women simply haven’t been included in International Women’s Day celebrations for a long time. If the origins of IWD didn’t recognise the intersections of ethnicity and class I don’t know what it did, and we are taking it back. IWD is about all of us.” #IWD2025 #MoreVoicesIWD #MoreVoicesMoreRepresentation #DEI

📣 In 2025, we need to see more intersectional representation on International Women's Day, now more than ever... Back for a third year, the More Voices, More Representation on IWD campaign has seen 37 prominent Australian advocates and organisations join forces to help create an IWD that has greater intersectional representation to ensure all womxn are recognised, celebrated and represented, and that more intersectional voices are given access to platforms for IWD and beyond. As part of the campaign, we partnered with Pureprofile to survey 1,017 womxn nationwide including trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary people, and found significant disparities in womxn’s representation across events, media, and professional panels. ⭐ Over half (54%) of womxn didn't see any in change in representation of their demographic in the past 12 months. ⭐ 74% of working womxn are not invited to speak at events and 52% of working womxn who are invited to speak at events do not receive any compensation. ⭐ When asked about the importance of political representation, 80% of womxn agree that political leaders should reflect the diversity of the population and 52% believe that diversity directly impacts their voting decisions. The findings highlight the complex and evolving challenges womxn face in securing meaningful representation across International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations in Australia. So, what can you do about it? Head to the website https://lnkd.in/g6wAHJGv to: 📖 Read all the results from the survey in our report, including insights from our partners on inclusion on IWD  👋 Check out our Resource Centre, with all the information you need to select an intersectional voice for your next IWD event or panel 🎟️ Learn about our upcoming events featuring campaign partners and prominent advocates A big thank you to all of our partners for championing intersectional voices on IWD and every day! #IWD2025 #MoreVoicesIWD #MoreVoicesMoreRepresentation #DEI UTS Business School The Sussan Group Pureprofile Welcome Merchant Zen Tea Lounge Foundation The Water Well Project Jerusha Mather Giant Leap Dimitria Groutsis Joy A. Grass Skirt Project SSI Racial Justice Centre Wattwatchers - Digital Energy Grace Young NSW Council for Civil Liberties Koon, Executive Coach Chantal Mousad Women NSW Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Lida Mangal The Cultural Intelligence Project Pty Ltd Yasmin Poole The Social Story Gloria Yuen Nareen Young Lisa Sarago Land On Heart Neha M. Women of Colour Australia Brenda Gaddi Niti Nadarajah Tasneem Chopra OAM Ruhee Meghani Michelle Lim 林敏诗 Prabha Nandagopal Friska Wirya Briar Harte Solai Valliappan

We’re thrilled to announce the 83 life-changing community projects to receive funding as part of our latest grant round, like: · The Social Outfit is a fashion label that helps kick-start the Australian careers of refugee women. The social enterprise will use its grant to help run its Community Sewing Program. “The key focus is for the women to build connections in Sydney and eradicate isolation and loneliness,” says Beverley from The Social Outfit. “We hear from many of our trainees that attending our sewing classes was the first time they ventured outside their neighbourhood, the first time they had spoken to someone outside of their ethnic group. For some it was the first time they had actually left the house.” · Eyes of Hope provides free eye care and glasses to homeless and vulnerable populations in NSW. The charity will use its grant to help operate mobile clinics that visit community centres and shelters, ensuring that financial or geographic barriers do not prevent access to vision care. · In Australia, more than 116,000 people are homeless on any given night. The Good Box provides essential resources with dignity to people experiencing homelessness, focusing on at-risk youth, First Nations people, and survivors of domestic violence. The grant will help the organisation deliver beautifully packaged boxes filled with high-quality essential items, such as food and hygiene products. For the full list of successful Community Grants Program recipients and their project/program names, please see: https://bit.ly/4huwuhg. The next grant round will open on 1 July and close on 31 July 2025. Agape Outreach Inc ∙ Bakhtar Community Organisation ∙ Bridge For Asylum Seekers ∙ Dandelion Support Network Inc ∙ Eagles RAPS Inc. ∙ Eyes of Hope Australia ∙ FoodFilled ∙ Foothills Community Care ∙ Hearts of Purple ∙ Mentor Support Network ∙ Imagine Reevolution ∙ It's the Little Things Community ∙ Leading Youth Forward (LYF) ∙ Sharing with Friends Foundation Queensland ∙ Open Table ∙ Prison Network ∙ ProjectKindnessAU ∙ Racial Justice Centre ∙ Reason to Thrive Inc ∙ Rise & Thrive Co ltd ∙ Rite Mentoring Inc ∙ Space2b Social Design ∙ Stable One ∙ Stepping Out Program ∙ Survivor's R Us Incorporated ∙ The Good Box ∙ The Social Outfit ∙ The Warrior Woman Foundation ∙ Tradeswomen Australia Group ∙ We Care Connect ∙ West Welcome Wagon ∙ With You We Can ∙ Women's Justice Network

We are grateful for the donation James d'Apice 🎉

A matter to watch, filed by Rita Jabri Markwell and Birchgrove Legal !

Many more research papers prove the same again with names alone, without changing someone’s appearance.

50% discount until Saturday 18 January 2025!!! In response to the horrors we are bearing witness to, we have organised healing through art. Join us this January for 4 transformative art and art therapy workshops at Bankstown Arts Centre. Women explore creative expression with award-winning artist and author Amani Haydar. Children (ages 5–15) can experience therapeutic art sessions with certified art therapist Rosette Rouhana, Rosette Rouhana Arts Therapy. 📅 Dates: 21–30 January 2025 📍 Location: Bankstown Art Centre 💡 Special Offer: 50% off when you book early bird tickets by 18 Jan 2025! Let art guide you on a journey of healing, self-preservation, expression, resilience, and connection. 💜 🔗 Spots are limited! Book now: https://lnkd.in/gEXH_dW7 #HealingThroughArt #CreativeTherapy #EmpowermentThroughArt #RacialJusticeCentre #RJC

The cost protection bill in human rights, particularly in the context of race discrimination cases, is significant for several reasons: Access to Justice: By protecting individuals from a costs order against them in legal proceedings, the bill lowers the financial risks that often prevent marginalised groups from pursuing justice. This is particularly important in race discrimination cases, where victims may already face economic disadvantages. Encouragement to Report Discrimination: With the assurance most complainants won’t face risk of costs orders unless their claim is frivolous or vexatious or cause unreasonable delays, individuals may be more willing to come forward and report instances of racial discrimination. This can lead to increased awareness and accountability for discriminatory practices. Leveling the Playing Field: The bill helps to balance the scales between individuals and often well-resourced entities (like corporations or government bodies) that may otherwise use their financial power to intimidate or deter claims of discrimination. Strengthening Legal Precedents: As more cases are brought forward without the fear of financial repercussions, there is potential for establishing stronger legal precedents that can further protect against race discrimination and promote equality. Promoting Systemic Change: By facilitating more race discrimination cases, this contribute to broader societal discussions and reforms aimed at addressing systemic racism and inequality. Overall, the cost protection bill that has now passed as law serves as a crucial tool in empowering individuals to seek justice and fostering a more equitable legal landscape. #RJC #RacialJustice #RespectAtWork #WorkplaceEquality