Leading anti-racist researchers and practitioners will come together from across Australia to take part in the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action this month.
The event aims to encourage participants to engage in critical conversations around systemic racism and its impact on local and global communities.
Hosted by the QUT Carumba Institute, the two-day event will be held on 23-24 January 2025 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Magandjin (Brisbane) and will serve as a call to action for uniting research and practice in the efforts to eliminate institutional racism.
Executive Director of the Carumba Institute Professor Chelsea Watego said the symposium is timely and vital given there have been increasing commitments to 'eliminating institutional racism' while the dire impacts of racism on communities are increasing both locally and globally.
"The failure to eliminate racism, we argue, is not necessarily due to a failure of aspiration, but rather a failure of strategy and resourcing. This inaugural symposium, in the lead up to Invasion Day, seeks to strategise a coordinated anti-racism agenda nationally which recognises that racism is not an anomaly; but rather systemic, institutional, and cultural, operating across various power dynamics," Professor Watego said.
"While anti-Indigenous racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Blackness have unique expressions, they are deeply interconnected, making comprehensive and adaptable anti-racist research and strategies essential."
Keynote Speakers and Presenters Include:
QUT Speakers:
- Professor Chelsea Watego
- Dr David Singh
- Dr Amy McQuire
- Dr Raylene Nixon
- Kevin Yow Yeh
- Dr Helena Kajlich
External Speakers:
- Senator Lidia Thorpe
- Professor Ghassan Hage
- Professor Greg Phillips
- Professor Eddie Cubillo
- Professor Fethi Mansouri
- Associate Professor Crystal McKinnon
- Associate Professor Donna Cormack
- Dr Liz Strakosh
- Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah
- Dr Jordana Silverstein
- Dr Sara Saleh
- Dr Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
The symposium will provide a platform for thought-provoking discussions and debates, and sharing of innovative and collaborative research fostering the development of effective anti-racist strategies and actions.
"The fight against racism requires a unified, interdisciplinary approach," Professor Watego said. "While we come together in shared anti-racist struggle, the symposium centres Indigenous knowledges and resistance and Magandjin is a most fitting host for the national symposium given the anti-racist leadership and legacy of the infamous 'Brisbane Blacks'
"By coming together, we can draw from our collective expertise to challenge racism in its many forms and strengthen our global efforts toward racial justice."
This symposium represents a crucial and practical step in unifying efforts for a more inclusive and just society, both locally and globally.
QUT invites academics, practitioners, students, and the public to participate in this landmark event and to join the ongoing work towards eliminating racism in all its forms.
