Courage to Care launches appeal to educate 20,000 more students on the dangers of hate speech.
We are living in dangerous and troubling times. Fear, hurt and anxiety are a daily reality for so many of us and it’s not hard to see why.
Racism and hate speech have surged to unprecedented levels — with reports of serious antisemitic incidents increasing by a staggering 738% since October 7, and antisemitism on social media increasing five-fold[1]. Jewish leaders warn this figure is only ‘the tip of the iceberg[2]’.
There’s no doubt that contentious local and geopolitical debates are eroding the social cohesion, straining the fabric of our communities[3]. We know that a cohesive society works towards the wellbeing of all its members, fighting exclusion and marginalisation and creating a sense of belonging. Without this, the wellbeing of all in our communities are under threat[4].
How, in 2024, did racial violence, intimidation, exclusion and marginalisation suddenly become so commonplace?
Worryingly, it’s a question we’ve asked ourselves before. In fact, we’ve been asking it for over 80 years — in reference to the Holocaust.
At Courage to Care, we know the answer all too well. The Holocaust was the result of people standing by. Saying nothing. Doing nothing. And these dangers are the precise messages we teach in Victorian schools — week in week out — at our Upstander Programs: It starts with words.
To convey this critical Upstander message with impact, we are blessed to have our treasured Holocaust Survivor Speakers share their inspiring stories with students. Stories of how they were saved by Upstanders — courageous people who stood up for them in the most challenging of circumstances.
What better way to empower and inspire students to explore how they too can become Upstanders in their schools and communities? And it works, with 86% of students demonstrating an increase in Upstander behaviour following their participation[5].
We are at a pivotal point in history. Never again is now.
That’s why we’re determined to deliver Upstander Programs into significantly more schools, educating more of our community’s future leaders than ever before.
Today, we launch our annual fundraising appeal. We can create a generation of Upstanders. But we can’t do it without help of our wonderful community.
Our Upstander Programs teach that every one of us can make a difference. We stand against ALL forms of discrimination and hate. And that through the power of education, we can create true generational change.
We invite you to join us in our mission and help achieve our critical goal of educating an additional 20,000 students this year.
To do so, we need to raise an additional $100,000. Every donation over $2 is tax deductible. And your gift today will go directly to educating our community’s future leaders, creating a generation of Upstanders.
Every gift, big and small, makes an enormous difference. We thank you to each and every one of you for your support.
[1] The Jewish Independent, 27 March 2024
[2] The Australian, 4 December 2023
[3] Scanlon Foundation Research Institute: Mapping Social Cohesion 2023 Report
[4] The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
[5] Grosvenor Public Sector Advisory