Examining Human Rights Breach: Civil Society Actors and Australia

This essay explores the role of civil society actors in addressing human rights breaches, focusing on the experiences of indigenous Australians in Australia. It highlights the importance of human rights, emphasizing their universality and inherent nature, irrespective of race, ethnicity, or language. The essay identifies civil society actors, such as the Australian Human Rights Commission and Australians Against Racism, as crucial in advocating for and protecting the rights of marginalized communities. It discusses how these organizations work to raise public awareness, challenge discriminatory practices, and hold the government accountable to international human rights standards. The essay also touches upon the prevalence of racial discrimination against indigenous Australians and the efforts of civil society actors to combat prejudice and promote equality by empowering individuals to exercise their rights and providing resources to those affected by discrimination. The work concludes by reiterating the importance of civil society in reducing injustice and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society in Australia.

Running head: HUMAN RIGHTS BREACH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS
Human Rights Breach and Civil Society Actors
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1HUMAN RIGHTS BREACH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS
Human rights refer to the rights which are inherent to the individuals in the society
irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion and language. All the people in the society are entitled
to the human rights without any kind of discrimination. A civil society comprises of the
groups that works for the interest of the citizens but function outside the governmental sector.
Australia makes a vital contribution for promoting and protecting the human rights that helps
in creating a safe environment within which civil society can carry out operations (Forrest,
Lean and Dunn 2016). This essay discusses that civil society actors like Australian Human
Rights Commission and Australians against Racism have acted as the key in advancing
human rights of the indigenous Australians.
Civil society actors refer to non-governmental organizations that manifest the will of
the citizens. The civil society actors in Australia includes the non-governmental organisation
and the community groups that plays an important role in reducing injustice related to racism
within Australia (Ferdinand, Paradies and Kelaher 2015). The civil society actors defends
right of the civil society and it increases the public awareness in relation to discriminatory
practices within the framework of the society.
Australia has the oldest culture in the world and the cultural diversity is a strength of
the nation. There are however many individuals in the society who are victims of racial
discrimination which can create systemic barriers that prevent people from exercising social
along with economic opportunities (Berger and Sarnyai 2015). The indigenous Australians
are deprived of the rights and they are discriminated against in the Australian society. There
are acts pertaining to discrimination in the Australian society and almost half of the
indigenous Australians claim of witnessing act of discrimination. 57 percent of the population
in Australia have claimed that they have heard people telling jokes regarding the indigenous
Australians (Short 2016). The Aboriginal along with the Torres Strait Islander people have
twice more chances of experiencing racial discrimination as compared to the non-indigenous
peers (Cody 2014).
Australia is a multicultural country and there are Aboriginal and the Torres Strait
Islander culture who are discriminated against in Australia. Australian Human Rights
Commission plays an important role in preventing racial discrimination prevailing in
Australia. Australian Human rights commission empowers the people that can make them
capable in exercising the human rights (Humanrights.gov.au 2018).They keep the
government accountable to the international human rights standard. Australian Human rights

2HUMAN RIGHTS BREACH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS
Commission takes recourse to education along with public awareness that contributes in
preventing discrimination existing in the Australian society. They protect the interest of the
discriminated Australians by resolving complaints pertaining to breaches of the human rights
under that of federal laws. They hold public enquiries into the issues related to human rights
that are of national importance. Racial discrimination has serious effects on the people
experiencing it. Racial discrimination existing in Australia shatters the confidence of the
people and the Australian Human rights Commission helps in the prevention of racial
prejudice in Australia. Australians Against Racism was created owing to increasing hostility
within Australia for the people who want to flee persecution (Australiansagainstracism.org
2018). The volunteers of Australians Against Racism spend a large amount of time along
with energy for abolishing racial discrimination prevailing in Australia. These organisations
take a stand against the aspect of racism and provide the resources that can help the
marginalised people who are discriminated against in the Australian society.
Human rights are indicative of the rights that the people in society have irrespective of
their race, religion and language. The individuals living within the society have human rights
that offers them protection within the social structure. Civil society actors in Australia refer to
non-governmental organisation along with community groups that reduces injustice
embedded within Australian society. There are many people in society who are subject to
racial discrimination that becomes a barrier in the path of economic opportunity. The
indigenous Australians do not have the rights and differential treatment is meted out to them
within the Australian social structure. Australian Human Rights Commission is instrumental
in playing a crucial role that prevents the incidences of racial discrimination in Australia.
They help in empowering people so that they can exercise the human rights. The
organisations take a stand against the aspect of racism that plagues the Australian society.
They provide resources that acts to the advantage of marginalised people in Australia.

3HUMAN RIGHTS BREACH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS
References:
Australiansagainstracism.org (2018). Australians Against Racism. [online] Australians
Against Racism. Available at: http://www.australiansagainstracism.org/ [Accessed 8 Oct.
2018].
Berger, M. and Sarnyai, Z., 2015. “More than skin deep”: stress neurobiology and mental
health consequences of racial discrimination. Stress, 18(1), pp.1-10.
Cody, A., 2014. NGOs and Human Rights Monitoring: The ‘How, When, Where, What and
Why’of Effective Engagement. Alternative Law Journal, 39(4), pp.254-258.
Ferdinand, A.S., Paradies, Y. and Kelaher, M., 2015. Mental health impacts of racial
discrimination in Australian culturally and linguistically diverse communities: a cross-
sectional survey. BMC public health, 15(1), p.401.
Forrest, J., Lean, G. and Dunn, K., 2016. Challenging racism through schools: teacher
attitudes to cultural diversity and multicultural education in Sydney, Australia. Race
Ethnicity and Education, 19(3), pp.618-638.
Humanrights.gov.au (2018). Australian Human Rights Commission |. [online]
Humanrights.gov.au. Available at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/ [Accessed 8 Oct. 2018].
Short, D., 2016. Reconciliation and colonial power: Indigenous rights in Australia.
Routledge.