Anti-Racism Practices
As activists, we struggle against systems of social, ecological and climate injustice linked to colonisation and the ongoing harm that it caused. When colonisers and settlers came to this land, they deprived First Nations of their access to and connections to their own land, and this created the basis upon which significant intergenerational damage has occurred. We continue to learn from Aboriginal people and to act in solidarity with them and, more broadly, other people of colour in Tarndanya/Adelaide and beyond.
We organise our work in the knowledge that protesting carries different risks and implications for different people. Aboriginal people and other marginalised groups are more likely to be targeted, hurt or killed by police and correctional officers, and subjected to inequities in the formal justice systems. We are learning to be aware of racism and colonial attitudes in the training and resources that we provide, and when we make mistakes we will take responsibility for fixing them, and repairing the relationships that may have been damaged.
De-escalation work
In a world with too much conflict and misunderstanding, the Mycelium builds our skill in de-escalation: the skills associated with lowering levels of anger and hostility in stressful situations, and thereby avoiding violence. Here on Kaurna Country we implement these sorts of skills when our teams show up in solidarity at First Nations rallies, with the permission of organisers, to be active in the de-escalation process.
Anti-racism training - Decolonising Work
While using the term anti-racism helps people know what we are talking about, it is probably more accurate to call what we do, 'decolonising work’. Our training is about trying to undo the structural and interpersonal violence that has been perpetuated in the last few hundred years in the name of colonisation. When the British established a colony on this land, it began a process where First Nations were pushed off their Country, killed, decimated by unfamiliar diseases, had their children taken from them, and in more recent times, denied wages or useful rights to access Country or maintain culture and law. We have developed training to help people understand and repair the damage done to all of us by being raised in a racist culture. Standing in solidarity with First Nations means being prepared to take practical action to intervene when we hear or see racism, and to raise awareness more widely about racist structures. Doing this work means being willing to make mistakes, be corrected as necessary, and then keep working to dismantle systemic racism.
Being and becoming an ally
For white people in this place - especially those involved in activism - we become a liability if we do not learn how to be effective allies to all those around us who have been marginalised by a majority white and English-speaking culture. This is ongoing and sometimes painful work. It involves squaring up to truths of the history of this country, both in deep time, and in the last few hundred years; as well as to come to grips with the ongoing impacts on First Nations and other people of colour in navigating a racist society. In the current moment this might involve:
supporting First Nations campaigns by showing up, fundraising, doing what organisers need doing, etc.
supporting 'Land Back' campaigns, which highlight the ongoing campaign for meaningful land rights
amplifying First Nations voices, such as the work being done by the South Australian Voice to Parliament
speaking up about the absence of First Nations people and perspectives when they are being ignored
supporting the Uluru statement’s calls for Treaty and Truth-telling processes
always educating ourselves about how exclusion and marginalisation operates in our society.