The letter was highlighted in a recent Guardian article which also discussed how many charities including those working with refugees and asylum seekers, Jewish and Muslim charities and even charity shops “have reported being subject to violence, threats and abuse.”
Like many across the country, we have been horrified by the rise in racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and antisemitism, not only on our streets but in our workplaces. Many of CFG’s charity members work directly with migrant and other marginalised communities and have been subjected to abuse and threats, and we recognise the severe strain this will be causing them.
Within the letter, sector leaders called on the Prime Minister, and his ministers to take action in the form of five meaningful steps:
- Set the narrative by providing a compelling vision of the diverse and pluralist country we want to be, rooted in compassion and respect for our shared humanity and equal rights.
- Be consistent and unflinching in rejecting all forms of racism, and proactive in standing up for the universality of human rights - for all people, including asylum seekers and other migrants, to be free from harm and treated fairly.
- Strengthen his Government’s missions-driven approach by ensuring that any strategy to tackle disadvantage addresses the structural inequalities within communities, including by harnessing investment in growth and the green economy at scale to tackle discrimination, poverty and persistent disadvantage
- Commit to citizenship education - that reaches hearts not just minds, - to increase political literacy and understanding of the rule of law and universal human rights as the everyday rights we all rely on. This should be embedded in the school curriculum, potentially through the forthcoming Curriculum and Assessment Review, as well as through a programme of public education. It is particularly needed now in advance of the planned extension of the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds.
- Build resilience to hate and extremism within the communities who are being drawn in and exploited by the far right. Policy interventions should include:
- reviving the national hate crime strategy that played an important part under previous Labour governments to prevent and tackle hate crime.
- expanding participatory democracy and other approaches that provide spaces for people to be heard, that facilitate dialogue and connection between people across boundaries and backgrounds.
- enabling equality organisations, Local Resilience Forums, and wider civil society to play their important roles here. This should include Black and minoritised women’s organisations as key stakeholders, particularly given the weaponisation by the far right of violence against women and girls
In addition to signing this letter, we want to reassure our members that we are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and offer our solidarity with people, organisations and communities affected.
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