In its commitment to make a major contribution to the elimination of racism in Australia Murdoch University has established the Australian Academy of Race Relations (AARR) at the University to assist in achieving this objective.

The Academy was formally launched on 24 June 2004 by Hon. Justice David K. Malcolm AC, Chief Justice of Western Australia.

The purpose of the Academy is to provide the community with a safe educational environment to deal with racism and its effects. The Academy will provide a space where community members, organisations, governments and faith communities will be able to conduct open dialogue about racism and work out strategies to fight against it.

AARR will complement the Western Australian Government's Anti Racism Strategy and offer the opportunity for the community and Government to work collaboratively to provide a better understanding of racism and conduct programs that will bring about positive change in our communities.

The Academy will have a national orientation and will establish international links with counterpart organisations.

In this globalised, economic and social environment in which we live, it is critical to deal effectively with racism locally so that it does not intrude adversely in our efforts to build a multicultural society and in our international relations. Not only can the Academy gain from understanding work being undertaken successfully in other countries, but we can also contribute to the agenda of key United Nations programs to combat racism and racial discrimination.

AARR will address priority issues raised at the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that was held in Durban South Africa.

The business of the Academy will focus on the following activities:

• Racism and education; racism and business; racism and health; racism and entertainment; racism and media; racism and religion.

• Ongoing projects such as producing educational resources which are at the cutting edge of understanding racism and the quest for diversity in Australia and internationally. It will create a data base to reflect the experience of communities and organisations taking initiatives in this area.

The Academy will provide an opportunity for quality research to be undertaken side by side with community projects and the development of best practice models of race relations in business and industry.

An important element of the Academy's success will depend on its ability to develop partnerships and establish strategic alliances with a large number of groups. These will include other universities, government agencies, community organisations, business groups and international agencies.

While Murdoch University will host and support the Academy in many ways, it will be the part which is played by the other partners and the community that will enable it to achieve its objectives.

Some of the activities which the Academy proposes to become engaged in are:

• Annual Academy of Race Relations at Murdoch which will be conducted in the form of workshops, public lectures, seminars and training sessions.

• Resource centre for scholars, journalists and human rights bodies by encouraging research and maintaining an online archive of primary and secondary sources.

• Local anti-racism events and activities to further public discourse and education on racism.

• Promote the formation of community race relations clubs.

• Develop customised training packages for corporate diversity management through workshops, conferences and publications.

• Establish international networks with other race relations institutes for the global network and exchange of ideas in the acknowledgement that racism is a global phenomenon that requires global thinking and local solutions.