Saying, “what you said earlier really upset me” is more likely to have an impact than yelling at them. You’ll have more chance at persuading people if you talk about how their words make you feel. Keep your cool – this might mean taking a breather and speaking to them privately later. Embarrassing someone by lecturing them or making loud accusations is probably going to make them defensive and shut down the conversation. It’s hard to be polite when someone’s spouting offensive comments, but ask yourself what you can achieve by losing your temper. The Christchurch attacks have created an invitation for us to join conversations that are uncomfortable about race and religion that we’ve needed to have for a long time – join them. On the one hand, you want to say something, but doing so can lead to an argument, without actually convincing them of anything.īut it is possible to change people’s minds, especially if you’re clever about communication. Calling someone out on their views is awkward at best and scary at worst. Responding to misguided opinions, whether they come from friends, relatives or strangers, can be a minefield. The more we hear, the more our frame of reference shifts, so we can start noticing all those things that build up to make people feel excluded. Even if we can’t walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, we can certainly do more listening. Talking to people who’ve experienced racism is the best way to increase your understanding of the issue. Here are some steps you can take: Listen to people who experience racismĭiscrimination isn’t always obvious – it can be subtle and insidious, disguised as jokes or political opinions.
If we’re serious about solidarity, we need to redouble our efforts to challenge racism and bigotry wherever we see them. The atrocity was at least partly the result of a creeping normalisation of white supremacist ideology and the rise of openly Islamophobic world leaders, a devastating reminder that bigotry still simmers below the surface. But as powerful as this national outpouring of solidarity has been, it’s not enough on its own.Ĭhristchurch did not happen in a vacuum. New Zealanders have flatly rejected the Christchurch gunman’s hate-filled ideology. It’s been inspiring to see how many people have channelled their love and hope towards our grieving Muslim whānau these past weeks. We need the bravery to speak out, to support threatened communities, to build a society based on equality, compassion and unity. If the last couple weeks have shown us anything, it’s that now, more than ever, we need the human courage to stand up for what is right. Tony Blackett of Amnesty International NZ offers some ways you can take further action against racism.
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