From RHETORIC to REALITY Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Our Vision is a Wales without racism, prejudice or discrimination. We want a Wales that is representative and celebrates diversity. We want these aspirations to move beyond rhetoric to reality.

Introduction About this e are living in unprecedented times, Wwhen the cleavages in society Manifesto have been exposed like never before. The Coronavirus pandemic has shocked the This document has world in its intensity, but while the virus is said not to discriminate, we have seen BAME been developed by our people die and become seriously ill from Membership through a series the disease at frighteningly higher rates of meetings and discussions compared to white people. The ensuing organised and hosted by lockdown has already and will continue to hit BAME people far worse in terms of Race Alliance Wales utilising its economic impact. The educational gap our combined existing between children from different home evidence bases as starting backgrounds is growing and we don’t know points for our discussions. if it will ever close. Added to this, the murder of George Floyd in America has created a We drew, in particular, on Ethnic Minority ripple effect of anger, outrage and and Youth Support Team (EYST)’s policy worldwide solidarity and global recommendations emerging from their All protests, also felt here in Wales. Wales BAME Engagement Programme. In this context, we need to The purpose of this manifesto is to be bold and we need to be persuade current and future decision- radical. We cannot go back to makers to include within their own stated business as usual, because priorities and work programmes the key business as usual was policy recommendations and actions never in some people’s best contained herein, which we believe provide a interests. This is a manifesto for pathway to achieving the key vision of Race change and for racial equality and Alliance Wales of a Wales without racism, we urge the political parties in Wales prejudice or discrimination, and a Wales that to embrace and adopt it as a tool for is representative and celebrates diversity, success in the electoral battlefield to and a Wales where these aspirations move make Wales a better place. beyond rhetoric to become reality.

We call on all political parties and candidates to put race equality and anti-racism at the heart of the 2021 election 2 About Race Alliance Wales

Race Alliance Wales is a new initiative, established in December 2018, which aims to provide a self- directed space where BAME* (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) organisations and individuals can come together to discuss experiences as ethnic minorities in Wales, share information and develop new ideas and solutions to the growing challenge of racism in Wales.

Through collaborative work, the The group commits to always group seeks to contribute to a act in the best interest of ethnic more equal, globally responsible minority people and communities Wales with cohesive communities in Wales, to ensure that our to make Wales a welcoming place resources are used to best effect of safety where rights are enjoyed and to speak with a coherent and BAME people can thrive. and strong voice on policies and practices affecting minority ethnic The group also aims to act as people in Wales. The current a supportive space for BAME membership consists of 41 individuals who may face a range organisations and 99 individuals of personal and professional and this is growing. challenges.

The current membership consists of 41 organisations and 99 individuals and this is growing.

*‘BAME’ is the most commonly used term currently used to describe people who are not ‘white’ and are not ‘indigenous’ to the UK. We recognise that this is a contested term and that others prefer to use ‘BME’, ‘Bla ck’, ‘Ethnic Minority/ Minority Ethnic’ or ‘People of Colour/ POC’. We willFrom discuss Rhetoric and review to Reality the preferred terms to be used within the group on an ongoing basis, and also note that members of the group may notOur all Manifestoagree on their for preferred an Anti-Racist terminology. Wales 3 BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Overarching Recommendations

Recognise Systemic Racism There should be greater recognition from Welsh 1. Government that racial, ethnic and religious intolerance is systemic and institutional, has increased post-, and that it threatens the possibility of future generations living in a diverse, safe and cohesive Wales. This has been starkly exposed by both the Covid19 Pandemic and the outpouring through the recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matters movement.

Measure Racial Inequality Improve the gathering, monitoring and use of ethnic 2. data in policy and practice; improve the range and scope of the disaggregated ethnicity data available – including intersectional data; Create a Race Disparity Unit in .

Plan for Race Equality Welsh Government should ensure rapid progression of its commitment to develop a strategic race 3. equality plan, addressing key areas outlined in this document in a systematic, joined up and long-term way, and including clear targets and measurable outcomes addressing Racism, Education, Employment, Representation, Health & Housing.

From Rhetoric to Reality 4 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Racism (Individual and Institutional)

This includes overt racism such as racist incidents and hate crime, but it also includes covert and institutional forms of racism, in which ethnic minority people can be affected both in terms of equality of opportunity and equality of outcome.

Individual Racism, Racist 4. Deliver restorative justice to Incidents & Hate Crimes victims and perpetrators of hate crime by introducing use of anti- 1. To improve Wales’ legal racism education programmes response to hate crime by as part of community adopting definitions of each sentencing. form of hate, including adopting the definition of Islamophobia Institutional Racism produced by the APPG for British Muslims. 5. Recognise the pervasiveness of structural institutional racism in 2. Improve access to justice Wales, and of power structures and safety for minority which seek to reproduce ethnic individuals and review themselves, as being contrary disproportionate criminal justice to the public-sector duties of outcomes, and effectiveness of equality of opportunity, equality justice process, including that of of access and equality of Police, in dealing with racism. outcome.

3. Establish a multi-stakeholder 6. Follow the example of the response group to deal with new Census 2021 ethnicity allegations of individual or categorisations- including new institutional racism. categories of Black Welsh and Welsh Asian in all Welsh public bodies’ data capture.

From Rhetoric to Reality 5 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Racism in Education

Racism in Schools 9. In developing the New Curriculum for Wales, ensure Curriculum that positive representation of ethnic and racial diversity is 7. Involve beyond public embedded across the curriculum consultation BAME pupils and that ethnic minority and parents in the current re- contributions to Welsh society design of the curriculum; this are effectively represented, and engagement should be across that this is regulated by ESTYN. diverse ethnic groups and geographies and should not be 10. Ensure a more balanced and tokenistic or exploitative. accurate portrayal of global history, slavery, imperialism 8. Challenge and prevent racist and British colonial history and attitudes by embedding in the its impact and consequences, New Curriculum for Wales as recommended by the specific requirements for regular United Nations Committee anti-racist education throughout on the Elimination of Racial key stages, and monitor this Discrimination (UNCERD). via ESTYN, within which BAME representation and lead is 11. Widen the current focus on ensured. Follow the advice for genocidal education, currently learning skills such as maths covering the Holocaust, to and reading, “little and often.” include other genocides including Bosnian genocide as a recent European example.

12. Adopt the ‘Black History is Welsh History’ motto.

From Rhetoric to Reality 6 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Staff 17. Support and share best practice in how schools 13. Address the lack of BAME respond to racist incidents and teachers, particularly at resource their dissemination senior level by promoting the and replication. recruitment, retention and progression of BAME educators 18. Create a stakeholder group as well as BAME policy makers or body to deal with racist within the Education Sector. incidents in schools.

14. Work with the Education Funding Workforce Council and other providers of teacher training 19. Scrutinize the impact of any and CPD to ensure that at all proposed further changes stages of their careers, teachers to current funding which are regularly trained in a) support BAME and Gypsy cultural competence, the skills Roma and Traveller (GRT) to reflect on their own identity pupils. Programmes which are and privilege and how that may successful and are working affect pupils; b) to recognise well both at engaging BAME and respond effectively to and GRT pupils and raising racism and c) to develop educational attainment should authentic diversity in curricula; be funded to continue. 20. Ensure rigorous monitoring Monitoring and Incidences of the benefits of the support 15. Investigate discrepancies for ethnic minority, GRT and in pupil exclusion rates via English as an Additional ethnicity and investigate Language (EAL) pupils and discrepancies in outcomes of monitor how transfer of setting/banding via ethnicity; previous targeted funding to general education funds 16. Make mandatory and improve affects pupil engagement and systems for monitoring and performance. reporting of racist incidents and bullying in schools, as recommended by Children’s Commissioner and EHRC Wales.

From Rhetoric to Reality 7 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Higher Education Public Education 21. Ensure that BAME graduates 25. Develop an awareness of Higher Education reap programme or campaign to equal benefits to their White address public confusion over British peers – both in terms migrant/refugee/asylum- of equality of opportunity and seeker definitions and rights. equality of outcome. 26. Require Arts and Cultural 22. Look to limit funding to Higher bodies to commission more Education institutions that are arts, cultural and heritage not actively and purposefully exhibitions illuminating the decolonising their curriculums reality of Wales’ history and institutions by tangible of colonialism, slavery actions. and imperialism and the contribution of different layers Workforce Education of immigration, as well as present day achievements in 23. Ongoing quality, general the face of adversity. and role specific anti-racism training for all public sector 27. Develop imaginative public staff to be made compulsory education campaigns which and given the same value establish Wales as an anti- and importance as Health racist nation, similar to the and Safety, including but not effort made to be a Feminist limited to Equality and Diversity Government and Nation of legislation, including recourse Sanctuary, and Welshness as a to bullying and harassment, proudly ethnically and racially intercultural sensitivity, anti- inclusive identity. oppression, anti-discrimination, power and privileged, fragility, decolonising practices, and unconscious bias. 24. Sharing best practice outside the public sector so that other sectors can learn and adopt processes for improving workforce education.

From Rhetoric to Reality 8 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Racism in Employment & Socio-economic Inequality Welsh Government has several levers to have a positive impact on employment and, in addition to recommendations above regarding workforce education, we suggest it implements the following to their full capacity, leading by example:

Recruitment Monitoring

28. Require the public sector in 31. Publish data on ethnic minority Wales to institute shortlisting representation and the practices which are ‘name- ethnicity pay gap annually; blind’ and eliminate personal details that are known to elicit 32. Commit to targets to increase bias, such as name/postcode/ BAME representation at all birthdate. levels of workforce, evidencing the aspiration that public 29. Ensure training mentioned bodies in Wales should above is at minimum made have racially representative a requirement for all line workforces (see UK managers and shortlisting/ Government’s BME2020 recruitment panels. programme).

30. Install positive action schemes 33. Set national aspirational both to prepare BAME targets to close racial disparity people to be successful at gaps relating to employment, recruitment and to progress economic inactivity and wage into management roles, level. especially senior management roles; including but not limited to mentoring/shadowing/ networking/5050 shortlists.

From Rhetoric to Reality 9 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Working Wales Programme 40. Drive behaviour change in the private sector too, for 34. Embed racial equality example by requiring anyone into “Working Wales,” the tendering for a public sector forthcoming WG employability contract to show what steps programme they are taking to make their workplaces more inclusive, 35. Ensure ethnic monitoring as commented in the full both of participation rates recommendations of the and employment outcomes, Baroness McGregor-Smith including occupational sector review into ‘Race in the and rate of pay; Workplace’ 36. Ensure that providers recruit 41. Provide training and more BAME staff, particularly progression opportunities in areas where there are high targeted at minority ethnic concentrations of BAME employees, such as accessible people. and appropriate English and 37. Ensure training mentioned classes, above is at minimum made a qualification translation requirement for all providers opportunities, and UK of this programme, including Employee Rights training, training on specific issues as commented in the full facing BAME individuals recommendations of the such as underemployment, Baroness McGregor-Smith recognition of overseas review into ‘Race in the qualifications and language Workplace’ barriers. 42. Ensure access to appropriate 38. Leverage relationships with early learning and childcare for employers to implement minority ethnic families. positive actions to increase 43. Support BAME and migrant ethnic diversity in their workers’ rights by providing workforce and promote specific, applicable and progression of BAME representative support and employees. advice for BAME and migrant workers who are particularly Eliciting structural change vulnerable to exploitative employers. 39. Use commissioning and procurement powers to require positive action amongst service deliverers to achieve more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

From Rhetoric to Reality 10 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Representation of BAME people in Public and Political Life

44. Fund more Mentoring, training Public Life and shadowing programmes for BAME people into public life 48. Review criteria for public and learn from previous best appointments and include practice. a requirement for ‘lived experience’ of the issue to be 45. Investigate the current culture addressed by the public body. of public and political bodies at all levels (Welsh Parliament, 49. Ensure all public appointments local councils, leadership panels/shortlisting staff should boards, etc) to identify potential have anti-racism training barriers to diversity. for including but not limited to Equality and Diversity 46. Openly encourage political legislation, including recourse parties and political and to bullying and harassment, public bodies to consider intercultural sensitivity, anti- legal positive action to oppression, anti-discrimination, achieve equal outcomes power and privileged, fragility, which reflect the ethnic make- decolonising practices, and up of constituencies, for unconscious bias. example calling and endorsing for All BAME shortlists in 50. Collect and publish ethnicity constituencies that have a data relating to applications BAME population. (not only appointments) for public appointments. 47. Welsh Government should democratise its own links to 51. Expand the remit of the current BAME individuals and reduce Reflecting Wales in Running reliance on ‘the usual suspect’ Wales strategy to incorporate organisations or self-appointed other public bodies which individuals. are not regulated by the UK Commissioners office.

From Rhetoric to Reality 11 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Political Life 55. Within legal frameworks, apply quotas/twinning/zipping 52. Implement the processes together with recommendations from implementing positive action the ‘Diversity in Democracy’ in the selection process for programme to reduce barriers candidates for elected posts to BAME people becoming so that BAME candidates have local councillors and properly a fair opportunity to be put resource future programmes to forward. Such practices are achieve equality of outcome of already applied to increase BAME representation on local gender representation in the councils. Senedd but not applied yet for other under-represented 53. Call for Section 106 of the groups. Equality Act to be enacted or it’s power to be devolved to 56. Reserve regional places for Wales, and with this, collect BAME candidates especially and publish ethnicity data BAME women in order to get related to who stands for, who a better representation in the is nominated and who wins Senedd. Such practices are elections at local and national already applied to increase levels. gender representation in the Senedd but not applied yet 54. Actively address the structural, for other under-represented racial, cultural, interpersonal groups. and financial barriers to BAME people taking part in the political process by joining parties or standing for elections.

From Rhetoric to Reality 12 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales Health Inequalities & Covid-19

57. Publicly recognise that the 61. Monitor the impact of the disproportionate impact of Covid19 risk assessment tool Covid-19 on BAME people and any unintended impacts on in Wales is due to clear cut BAME people socio-economic disparities created and perpetuated by the 62. Ensure all health and social systemic racism that governs care staff receive in depth all areas of society we live anti-racism training as detailed in today, thus rejecting any above to prevent inequalities discourse of health inequalities from persisting from the being down to genetic ground up makeup/predisposition of an 63. Improve support and complaint entire race or ethnic group structures for health and social 58. Continue to work with care staff experiencing racial/ Public Health Wales and ethnic/religious discrimination. Health Boards to improve 64. Invest in a comprehensive data collection on health and multi-sectoral approach and ethnicity to inform to address mental health understanding and prevention promotion, prevention, of future disproportionate treatment, discrimination, health outcomes for ethnic exclusion, care and recovery minorities which is culturally sensitive 59. Implement without delay the and meets the needs of BAME recommendations of the Welsh communities including young Government BAME Covid people. Advisory Group

60. Increase pay of the lowest paid health and social care workers who are disproportionately BAME

From Rhetoric to Reality 13 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Housing

65. Implement the 67. Include specific section on recommendations of Tai Pawb the housing needs of BAME in relation to refugee housing communities in Local Housing and work with Tai Pawb, Market Assessments so that local authorities, registered housing developed in the social landlords and refugee forthcoming period of Welsh organisations to ensure there is Government reflects the larger adequate move-on, supported house sizes needed for some housing provision for refugees BAME communities. and destitute asylum seekers in each dispersal area. 68. Increase the volume of affordable and social housing 66. Mandate Local Authorities built. to review their and relevant housing authority allocation 69. Commission research to policies with the aim of look at affordability concerns reducing overcrowding, specific to BAME communities including higher points awards and large families in being given to applicants in overcrowded housing and overcrowded accommodation put in measures to address so that re-housing is swifter. these, including influencing UK government to abolish Benefit Cap which is impacting on some BAME communities disproportionately due to large family sizes.

From Rhetoric to Reality 14 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Endorsed by (to date):

Organisations:

Action for Children National Training Federation Wales African Community Centre ProMo Cymru Aurora Trinity Collective Show Racism the Red Card British Association of Social Workers Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel (SSAP) Wales (BASW) Centre for Voluntary Services BeDiverse Training (SCVS) Citizens Advice Swansea/NPT Swansea Music Art Digital Chwarae Teg Tai Pawb Clinks The Mentor Ring Community House Eton Road Theatre Genedlaethol Cymru Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Victim Support Services (CWVYS) Welsh Centre for Voluntary Action Diverse Cymru (WCVA) Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team (EYST) Food Adventure Ltd Welsh Women’s Aid FW Consultancy Women Connect First Hindu Cohesion Mandal Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales Iberian and Latin American Association in Wales Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND)

From Rhetoric to Reality 15 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales BAME Routes to Public Life Mentoring Scheme Guide for Mentees and Mentors

Individuals:

Abyd Quinn Aziz, Joshua Robertson, RAW member RAW Steering Group Member Joy Kent, RAW Supporter Amina Jamaluddin, RAW Supporter Kevin Smith, RAW Member Colin Heyman, RAW Supporter Cllr Louse Gibbard, RAW Supporter Colin Riordan, Individual Nasir Adam, RAW Member Eleanor Harding, RAW Supporter Natalie Braunton, RAW Supporter Emertha Uwanyirigira, Individual Paul Keeping, RAW Supporter Gareth Sims, Lawyer, Rachael Delacourt, RAW Supporter RAW Steering Group Member Rachel Pedley, RAW Supporter Gonzalo Silvestre Corcoles, RAW Member Reehana Joiya, Individual Graeme Farrow, Raw Supporter Robyn Scharaga, RAW Member Irram Irshad, RAW Member Roisin Jacobson, RAW Member Jami Abramson, RAW Member Sarah Wills, RAW Supporter Jennifer Geroni, RAW Supporter Dr Sibani Roy, RAW Member Jessica Rees, RAW Member Tripti Megeri, RAW Member Jo Harry, RAW Supporter Yvonne Murphy, RAW Supporter

Active Member Contributors:

Abyd Quinn Aziz, RAW Steering Group Maria Mesa, Women Connect First Ali Abdi, Citizens Wales Nirushan Sudarsan, Victim Support Andrea Cleaver, Welsh Refugee Council Professor Robert Moore, Regional Equality Network (NWREN) Faith Walker, FW Consultancy Rocio Cifuentes, Ethnic Minorities and Gareth Sims, RAW Steering Group Youth Support Team (EYST) Ginger Wiegand, Ethnic Minorities and Sahar Al-Faifi, Muslim Engagement and Youth Support Team (EYST) Development (MEND) Hilary Brown, Virgo Consultancy Samina Khan, and Vale College Dr Howard, RAW Member Dr Sibani Roy, Networking for World Humie Webbe, National training Awareness of Multicultural Integration Federation Wales (NTFW) (NWAMI) Jami Abramson, RAW member Shahien Taj, Henna Foundation Jessica Rees, Victim Support Suzanne Duval, Diverse Cymru Joshua Robertson, RAW member Leila Usmani, RAW member

From Rhetoric to Reality 16 Our Manifesto for an Anti-Racist Wales www.racealliance.wales

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