From: "Trudy Bray" <ozbrays-AT-zip.com.au>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 10:26:26 +1000
Subject: The Australian: Youth won't tolerate racism


Youth won't tolerate racism 
  By FIONA CARRUTHERS

  16mar98


  FEWER than 1 per cent of the next generation of Australian voters holds strong racist views, a landmark survey of
  7000 Year 10 and 11 students has found. 

  A preliminary analysis of the findings reveals that only 0.27 per cent of students from private, public and Catholic
  schools across Victoria has an "us versus them" mentality when it comes to discussing race. 

  Instead, the survey commissioned by Victoria's Multicultural Commission reveals the overwhelming majority of school
  students welcome different races and cultures, based on their personal experiences of friendship and "reality". 

  Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett has pledged to use the study to influence State government policy and it is believed he
  will present John Howard with the findings as part of his campaign to press the Prime Minister to boost immigration. 

  Multicultural Commission chairman Stefan Romaniw said the results indicated young Australians did not want to debate
  multiculturalism. 

  "Young people perceive Australia in a positive way," Mr Romaniw said. "They don't seem to have the hang-ups that
  other Australians have. They accept cultural diversity as a part of everyday life, not as some kind of add-on or
  attachment." 

  A draft copy of the 30-odd page report - titled Young People Speak About Identity and the Making of a New Australia,
  to be released by Mr Kennett on April 7 - says 65 per cent of students used terms that indicate an "orientation
  towards oneness through diversity". 

  They felt that, through multiculturalism, Australia could be united and strong, while 64 per cent nominated that they
  were critical of racism in any form. 

  Co-written by the director of the Centre for Workplace Communication and Culture at RMIT University, Bill Cope, and
  Dean of the Faculty of Education, Language and University Services at RMIT, Mary Kalantzis, the draft report is based
  on 7000 responses by students to a postcard survey. 

  The responses were returned to the Victorian Government by school students on a voluntary basis late last year. 

  "The majority of the students were seeking a more tolerant Australia and expressing frustration that they perceived
  racism," Dr Cope said. 

  He said less than 0.27 per cent made extreme racist responses, such as "Asians Go Home". 

  Dr Cope said this was the first generation "to have lived with large-scale Asian immigration, continuous debate about
  indigenous rights and all the anxieties that come with globalisation". 

  Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia anti-racism spokeswoman Angela Chan said the draft report
  indicated the Federal Government was out of step with the nation's future leaders. 

  "This survey just confirms that children are not racist - racism is something people learn," Ms Chan said. 

  "We should ensure that our society and, most importantly, our leaders send out the right signals to children and
  support their views for social justice." 
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