How can discrimination be combated

Point out to them that what they are saying is racist or discriminatory and remind them that everyone has the right to dignity and that in many countries it is against the law to discriminate against a person because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Encourage them to learn more about the historical context of racial prejudice and discrimination, and share resources that you have found helpful.

Many social media platforms want their platforms to be safe and empowering for people of all backgrounds. If you see content that you think violates their guidelines, report it to the platform. If you see content in a newspaper or other traditional media that reflects prejudice, leave a comment or send a letter to the editor to let others know that intolerant remarks are unkind and uncalled for.

Schools and universities should be safe places for children and young people of all races and ethnicities. Find out whether your school or university has a policy on non-discrimination and racism, safe ways to report incidents, support services, and programmes or initiatives to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion.

If you have other suggestions, share them in the comments below or submit a blog or spark. It is important that the stories and experiences of people who face racism and discrimination are told. At the same time, we understand this can be very difficult and painful. If it feels safe and empowering, tell your story and share your experiences.

Rather than speaking for people, use your platforms to amplify the voices of people who experience discrimination and racism directly. If you are telling the story of someone who comes from a very different background to you based on their race or ethnicity avoid using words or phrases that are stereotypical or insensitive.

Think about how you are portraying the person — are you presenting them as a full human being with a range of interests and experiences?

Make sure you do your research beforehand and think about the images you use — do they treat someone with dignity and respect, or do they perpetuate stereotypes? Would you like to be portrayed in this way? This also applies to telling the stories of people who have different experiences form you based on their gender identity, religion, socioeconomic group, migration status or disability. Five things you and your family can do now to help create a more just society.

See more blogs. Human Rights. June 5, Adopt a straightforward, easy to understand policy. Properly communicate this to all employees and workers. Implement this alongside and reinforce with proper training.

The courts have made it clear that those reasonable steps will normally include: Having and implementing an equal opportunities policy and an anti-harassment and bullying policy, and reviewing those policies as appropriate.

Making all employees aware of the policies and their implications. Training managers and supervisors in equal opportunities and harassment issues. Taking steps to deal effectively with complaints, including taking appropriate disciplinary action. Our discrimination laws may be complicated, but employers can and should be implementing the above to: Deter and prevent unfair and unlawful practices which give rise to claims, impact the workplace and can have serious adverse effects on individual victims.

Avoid claims which are damaging, time consuming and unlike unfair dismissal, for example are not subject to a statutory cap on compensation. Nick Evans is a partner in the employment team at Fletcher Day, the City law firm. The salient feature of the Council of Europe Member States' action over the past few years is the fact that they address the issues surrounding the fight against racism and racial discrimination from the perspective of protecting and promoting human rights.

In other words, the right to be protected from racism and racial discrimination is first and foremost a fundamental right of all human beings. When it comes to working out practical and viable long-term solutions to combat racism and racial discrimination, choices may differ from one country to another. All strategies in this respect should at least comprise measures in the areas of legislation, awareness-raising, education, positive action and participation.

While legislation alone is not enough to combat racism and racial discrimination, the law is obviously a cornerstone. In Europe, the greatest advances in recent years have been made in the legal sphere. Many Member States have embarked on reforms to supplement their anti-discrimination legislation at a national level.

This is a welcome development from the victims' point of view, given that appropriate legal measures to combat racial discrimination effectively, dissuasively and as satisfactorily as possible are of paramount importance. But enacting anti-discrimination legislation does not necessarily mean successfully ensuring equal rights for everyone in society.

It is not enough to outlaw discrimination; we must also combat it by ensuring that anti-discrimination provisions are actually applied and put into practice.

The same can be said for criminal law provisions prohibiting racist acts. If all these provisions are to be effective, it is imperative that they be implemented by the authorities, including the police and the judiciary. They should not exist only on paper, but should comprise large-scale awareness campaigns directed at the general public and potential victims, as well as training for the appropriate officials.

For this reason, it is important to set up an independent national body with the unique responsibility of fighting racism and racial discrimination; 2 many Council of Europe Member States have taken steps to set up such bodies.