National racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour has formally lodged its submission to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, calling on the Australian Government to change systemic racism through a unified, community-led prevention model.
The submission stresses that true safety and social cohesion cannot be achieved through top-down punitive measures or by treating forms of bigotry in isolation. Instead, DeCo advocates for a comprehensive approach that addresses the shared roots of all prejudice—including antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and systemic racism against First Nations peoples.
Key positions and recommendations include:
Nuance in definitions to protect civil liberties: The submission highlights the critical importance of distinguishing between Judaism (a global religion) and Zionism (a political ideology). Conflating antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israel or Zionism creates a chilling effect on academic freedom, peaceful protest, and democratic dissent. Blurring the line between Judaism and Zionism mischaracterises both. Judaism is a global faith and identity with a vast spectrum of beliefs, many of which do not align with state-centric political movements. Zionism, as demonstrated by its history, institutional practices, and academic critiques, is a 19th-century political structure. In practice, this structure has resulted in the systematic dispossession, fragmentation, and exile of the Palestinian people through checkpoints, walls, and the destruction of villages. Conflating an exclusionary, state-based political ideology with an entire religious diaspora is not only analytically inaccurate, but it also obscures the structural realities of power, nationalism, and colonisation operating in the region.
A unified social cohesion framework: The government must pivot away from punitive enforcement and political calculations toward universal equity in racial justice. This includes providing equal institutional support, funding, and urgency to combat all forms of systemic hate simultaneously.
Implementation of the NARF: DeCo urges the immediate execution and full funding of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework (NARF), including enacting a national Human Rights Act.
Investing in education and civic infrastructure: Resources should be directed into school curricula, digital safety content moderation, and community initiatives—such as the Thriving in Colour program—to build long-term immunity to extremism among youth.
True democracy requires that we address racism comprehensively and consistently as a systemic issue, not as isolated incidents. Only through an overarching, unified approach can we build a society where all communities are protected, valued, and free to thrive without fear of persecution or marginalisation.
Read the full submission here.
Media Contact: Kristyn Maslog-Levis kristyn@democracyincolour.org