SHiFT is committed to working to eradicate all forms of discrimination and oppression.
As an organisation working within youth justice, we are keenly aware of the over-representation of children who are of Black, Brown or Mixed Heritage within the youth justice system. We know that our leadership, staff, and the children within our SHiFT Practices do not always reflect the communities in which we live and work, or the local populations of the youth criminal justice system. The impact of this is to perpetuate racism and discrimination.
SHiFT rejects all forms of racism and is committed to the elimination of racial discrimination. We are determined to play our part in dismantling the structural racism that is present both within and outside of our own organisation.
SHiFT is on a journey to learn and grow as an anti-racist organisation and community of practice. The journey we’re on includes interrogating our own biases, assumptions and aggressions which can cause harm to minoritised communities. It also includes talking about race, bravely and frequently, even when – especially when – it's uncomfortable.
SHiFT is being challenged and affirmed along the way by critical friends.
Working with those critical friends, in 2023 we’re building on allyship training by holding reflective conversation events across the SHiFT community, leading to us coming back together to create an Anti-Racist Charter and action plan to be launched in 2024. We will publish the Charter and action plan on our website and hold ourselves accountable for delivering on them.