Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission to conduct consultations with Dandenong community

14/02/2008

The Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission will begin a series of community consultations in the City of Greater Dandenong this month, as part of its investigation into discrimination against African young people in the area.

Project workers will be based in the Noble Park, Dandenong and Springvale areas to speak with young people, service providers and key stakeholders such as local business, council and police during February and aim to complete their report by the end of March.

“The Equal Opportunity Act makes it against the law to discriminate against a person because of a protected personal characteristic such as age, race, or religious activity,” said Commission CEO Dr Helen Szoke.

“Under the Act the Commission can also undertake research into any matter relating to the operation of the Act.”

Dr Szoke said the investigation was in response to recent reports that African young people were experiencing discrimination because of their race and religion.

“The Commission is exercising this power in response to community concern that discrimination against African youth in the City of Greater Dandenong area is a problem that needs to be addressed.”

“The research aims to determine if this kind of discrimination is systemic, or institutionalised, and make recommendations to the Government on how to improve this situation,” she said.

The Commission encourages individuals and organisations to contribute to the research in the following ways:

Contact the project workers directly and provide oral submissions
Arrange meetings with the project workers
Provide written submissions

To speak to the project workers about participating in this research, contact the Commission on (03) 9281 7109.

Written submissions can be posted to Level 3, 380 Lonsdale St Melbourne

Media enquiries to Alex Manning (03) 9281 7144