STIR: Stop Institutional Racism Symposium

12th September 2016

MEDIA RELEAE

STIR: Stop Institutional Racism Inaugural Symposium

Institutional racism is unfair, unjust and damaging for Māori, Pacifica and other minority ethnic groups who live in New Zealand. It is a form of racism that is often embedded into our political and social institutions. Dr Heather Came, STIR co-chair explains “It is a pattern of behaviour that disadvantaging one group of people while advantaging another. It is difficult to counter because the institutions and governments frequently deny its presence”.

STIR: Stop Institutional Racism formed in 2013 is a network of public health practitioners and activist scholars committed to ending institutional racism in the administration of the public health sector. On Tuesday 13th September, at Te Mahurehure marae, Pt Chevalier the inaugural STIR Symposium is being held. Around 120 participants are expected from across New Zealand to plan to end racism.

Grant Berghan co-chair of STIR explains “It can be difficult to talk about racism. We want to show how pervasive it is but also how unfair and damaging it can be. We need to have the courage to talk about this amongst our friends and colleagues”.

The Symposium has attracted a number of local and international experts in this field including Professor Yin Paradies from Deakin University, Associate-Professor Dominic O’Sullivan from Charles Sturt University, Associate-Professor Derek Griffith from Vanderbilt University and Dr Heather Came, of Auckland University of Technology. Dame Susan Devoy, Mayor Andrew Judd and several postgraduate research students will also contribute to the discussions.

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