Exploring Human Rights: Social Justice Issue of Racial Discrimination

This report addresses the social justice issue of racial discrimination and its impact on human rights in Australia. It begins by defining human rights and highlighting the prevalence of racism in the country, citing data from the Challenging Racism Project and the Scanlon Foundation. The report references international human rights instruments, particularly the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), and Australia's commitment to upholding these instruments since becoming a signatory in 1966 and ratifying it in 1975. It further discusses whether the human rights of Australian people impacted by racial discrimination could be better protected, comparing Australia's anti-discrimination laws to those of the United States and the United Kingdom. The report concludes that anti-discrimination legislation has helped reduce explicit discrimination and raise awareness, promoting equality in Australia.

Human Rights and Social Justice

Table of content
 INTRODUCTION
 Social justice issue which impacts the people of country
 social justice implications
 International human rights instruments
 Australia’s commitment to uphold the said international instrument
 Could the human rights of Australian people impacted by this issue be better protected
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

Introduction
The concept of human rights is no a modern invention rather it
has always been one of the crucial part of all the social groups
throughout the history. In simple terms, they are the set of
certain principles as being related to the fairness and equality
in the society. It has always been the concern of states as to
ascertain what particular rights belongs to all people along with
their protection and promotion.

Social justice issue which impacts the people of
country.
The issue which has been selected for the following report is of the
discrimination based on racism. The act of racism lies in various
forms but in more simple terms it is addressed as the belief that one
bears regarding the fact that the specific race or ethnicity stand inferior
to them. Such type of discrimination comprises of any act where an
individual or group of individuals are treated in unfair means based on
their race, skin colour, religion, belief, etc. The act of racial
discrimination directly infringes the human rights of an individual
while hampering their enjoyment.

Social Issue Implications
As per the research of 2011, National data from challenging
racism project, it can be ascertained that there prevails the
racism in Australia. The said report concludes that on an
average the 20% population of the country had faced the
racism mainly in the form of hate talks. Moreover, other than
this the survey conducted in year 2016, by the Scanlon
Foundation's Mapping Cohesion, it states the ratio of people
who has been subjected to such discrimination in last 12
months.

International human rights instruments on Social Issue
There lies the various human rights instruments which
specifies provisions regarding the aspect of racial
discrimination. The International Convention on the
elimination of all forms of racial discrimination is
one such major document. It is a united nations
convention and a third generation human rights
instrument. The convention bound its members to take
measures to eliminate the racial discrimination as well
as the promotion of same among all races.

Australia’s commitment to uphold the said international
instrument
The Australia, in year 1966 became the signatory to the instrument
of ICERD, which is the international convention on the
elimination of racial discrimination which later got ratified in the
year 1975. where by being the member of the convention it
outlined the responsibility of the country to ensure the protection
of human rights with respect to the social, cultural, political as
well as economical so that human rights are ensure to everyone
without being subject to racial discrimination(Australian Human
Rights Commission, (2018)).

Could the human rights of Australian people impacted by this
issue be better protected
Australia's anti-discrimination law roughly models the laws of the United States, and at least initially
the United Kingdom. They can be distinctly characterized as an "individual complaint-driven model
based on the conventional view of human rights" 15 using Fredman's terminology, and therefore the
restrictions known in this model are Australian law. Applies to. In a sense, the Australian model is more
individualized than the international model and tends to tighten the identified restrictions(Temple,
Kelaher,& Williams, (2018)).

Conclusion
From the following presentation, it can be summarised that the gradual introduction of anti-discrimination
legislation over the last three decades has undoubtedly helped reduce at least some of the more explicit and
deliberate discrimination in Australia. Prohibition of discrimination has a normative effect on raising awareness
and promoting equality.

References
 Priest, N., et.al., (2019). Cumulative effects of bullying and racial discrimination on adolescent health in
Australia. Journal of health and social behavior, 60(3), 344-361.
 Bastos, J. L., Harnois, C. E., & Paradies, Y. C. (2018). Health care barriers, racism, and intersectionality
in Australia. Social Science & Medicine, 199, 209-218.
 Nelson, J. K., et.al., (2018). Witnessing anti-white ‘racism’: White victimhood and ‘reverse racism’in
Australia. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 39(3), 339-358.

Thank you