I welcome the launch of the 2024-26 Local Anti-Racism Initiatives Grants Program.
First Peoples have fought against racism for generations in Victoria. We know First Peoples have the lived experience, local knowledge and expertise that can help to drive anti-racism in their local communities.
That’s why this program includes a dedicated funding stream for First Peoples’ applicants, acknowledging the historical and ongoing impacts of racism and colonisation on First Peoples communities.
The 2024-26 grants round will build on the success of the program in 2021, which funded 42 community-led projects, several of which were led by First Peoples organisations. Projects included campaigns celebrating Aboriginal identity, events that engaged the wider community on racism, and education programs that built individual and organisational capacity to address racism.
I encourage First Peoples organisations to take inspiration from previous initiatives, apply for funding in this grant round, and develop their own programs for their communities.
The Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP
Minister for Treaty and First Peoples
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