Take a stand during Anti-Racism Week

It will culminate on Human Rights Day, which is also marked globally as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Anti­-Racism Week is hosted by the Anti-Racism Network South Africa (ARNSA).

ARNSA was launched in November 2015 and constitutes some 60 organisations from various regions, and is spearheaded by the Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada foundations.

The week is an annual campaign, organised by the network in a bid to tackle racism and create awareness nationally.

Last year, ARNSA pioneered the initiative, drawing in support from schools, religious institutes, sports organisations, government departments, businesses, civil society organisations, media houses and individuals across the country.

This year, it hopes to increase the impact of the campaign, which calls on all South Africans to #TakeOnRacism .

The basic idea is to encourage people to:

•  Learn about racism,
•  Talk about racism,
•  Speak out against racism, and
•  Act against racism.

Practical methods to tackle racism during the week

Tackling racism can be encouraged through a number of practical means depending on the nature the institutions who want to get involved in the campaign.

ARNSA has the following suggestions:

• * Sports organisations: dedicate sports games to anti-racism during the week. Consider hosting diversity training courses for members of your sport club. Host tournaments dedicated to anti-racism. Let affiliated members/ teams that are part of your organisations publicly support Anti-Racism Week by, for example, wearing a particular colour armband during all their training sessions for the week. Get sports team members to have round table or informal discussions about issues of race.
• * Schools: institutions of education can host assemblies against racism. Learners can be encouraged to present speeches/plays against racism, dress in South African flag colours or even learn about racism in the life orientation classes.
• *Religious institutes: sermons can be dedicated to educating congregants about the importance of being anti-racist. Interfaith dialogues can be hosted. Religious leaders can attend the various activities underway in communities, lending their support to the campaign. Consider hosting diversity training courses within religious institutes.
• * Individuals can pledge their support to the #TakeOnRacism campaign, by using social media to advocate anti-racism and create awareness. Post a picture of yourself holding up a page with the #TakeOnRacism hashtag. Alternatively, take a picture of your thumbprint on canvas/a page with the words #TakeOnRacism. Call out racism whenever one is faced with it both in reality and on social media.
• * Communities/organisations: host community dialogues, movie screenings, street dialogues/games, etc., all aimed at promoting anti-racism. Host panel discussions about racial issues.
• * Posters/art: put up posters against racism at your workplace, school or organisation. Art competitions or public art/ graffiti against racism could also be considered.
• * Movie screenings: host a movie/documentary screening that tackles issues of race, xenophobia and so on for a group of people followed by a reflective discussion.
• * Workplace discussion forums: host a workshop/discussion during your lunch break at work addressing issues of race or institutionalised racism. Businesses can also encourage employees to wear a particular colour/SA flag colours on a certain day, or adopt an anti-racism badge that can be worn to work. Consider hosting diversity training courses.
• Song, poetry and dance: consider hosting a poetry contest, a concert or dance competition against racism.

Should you host an activity/engage in social media activity, ensure that you correspond with ARNSA.

They would like to know what you are doing, where, how and why. Email seanakf@gmail.com. Include contact details that can be made available should members of the public require information.

Also, send in pictures from your programme, or of yourself, promoting anti-racism work. This can be tweeted to @AntiRacismNet or emailed to info@kathradafoundation.org