Advocacy is a Lifelong Journey

2020 has seen major events happening around the world that have highlighted the systemic racism people of colour face every day.

There is no arguing that the Black Lives Matter protests that galvanised people around the world earlier this year brought the everyday realities of deaths in custody into the public view, and that people were rightly outraged.

But now that this furor has died down, and social media has moved on to other issues, what’s next? How do we continue to advocate for change in a meaningful way?

Advocacy is a lifelong journey that runs much deeper than social media posts. While making the effort to educate and inform through being vocal about important issues helps, there are some simple actions you can take to help address the systemic disadvantages faced by Aboriginal people in Australia:

​Support Aboriginal-led campaigns
Follow In my Blood it Runs on Facebook to support the campaign to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 across Australia.

Support Aboriginal businesses
There is a huge network of Aboriginal businesses producing quality goods and services across Australia. Buying from these businesses means purchasing a quality product and knowing that your money will support the economic independence and success of Aboriginal people and communities.

Unconscious bias training
Undertaking unconscious bias training for yourself or your organisation can help to address underlying attitudes and behaviours that maintain systemic racism in power structures. Unconscious bias training explores stereotypes and workplace bias in the context of recruitment and employment, as well as the forms of bias that affect our perceptions of others, such as affinity bias, confirmation bias, and the halo effect.

Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP)
Creating a RAP for your organisation is a long-lasting commitment to creating a positive relationship with the Aboriginal community. It is not a step to undertake lightly, or one that ticks boxes – but it is a formally recognised structure that will help you to articulate why this is so important, how you are going to do it, and then take action. A RAP needs to be intrinsic within your business to change attitudes, habits and perspectives, and should make tangible impacts and outcomes for Aboriginal businesses and communities.

Be open to listen and learn
It can take time to learn and understand the everyday realities of systemic racism – and some of the things you hear may be challenging to take on board. If an Aboriginal person speaks to you about their lived experiences, don’t argue with them or make excuses for why something had happened. Be open minded, listen respectfully, and learn about their world.
​
Be prepared to go on a journey
Advocacy is a lifelong journey. Being passionate about creating change in the world is only the start: creating change begins with questioning your own assumptions, and then being prepared to adapt to new information, to set new goals, and to respond to a changing world.
​
As a proud majority-owned Indigenous business, IPS Management Consultants strive to be the voice for those less fortunate, and also for equity for our first nations brothers and sisters. We acknowledge we stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before us and re-iterate the importance of engaging and working inclusively with Aboriginal businesses.