So what exactly is racism?

And more to the point, how does it happen, is it appropriate, is it worse in New Zealand or the UK; and possibly why even bother to try to start to explain

* I am explaining as it gets it off my chest - me, today!!

According to the dictionary definition racism is

• the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
• discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

The UN doesn't actually define racism, but instead

• the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. 

So, let's consider some recent media stories, both here in New Zealand and from the UK. In the UK there has been some interesting research on the make up of the prison population - in the 10 years from 1998 to 2008 (when the UK has been under a Labour government) the number of black inmates has doubled. There are now seven times the number of Afro-Caribbean prisoners than the percentage of similar people in the mainstream population; Muslims make up a stonking 12% of the prison population (despite being less than 3% of the general population. So, why is this? Are all black and Muslim people criminals, or, are they more likely to be singled out for custodial sentences - this would certainly link to the second definition. Similarly in New Zealand it is well recognised that Maori and Pacific Islanders are over represented in custodial statistics. Maybe there is some truth to the over representation by virtue of committing more crime - if you are in a situation that is perceived by you as hopeless, where your peers are in gangs, where the education, welfare and health systems have failed you, you are more likely to go off the rails - and of course minorities are over represented in these groups.

Meanwhile in the media in New Zealand we have witnessed not one, but two media 'personalities' engage in real 'racist' activity. The first is the Paul Henry case - he's gone, which is good news. The second is the Michael Laws case; he is another outspoken individual, another who has set race relations back many years. In both these cases the perpetrators were offensive to specific ethnic groups and both asserted that they were somehow superior - racism as per definition one. Hiding behind an excuse of 'but it's funny!' is weak - it may be a chuckle, but not when you are the population that is affected, offended or disadvantaged through no fault of your own.

Why has this whole debacle upset me so much? Well simply because I believe that left unchecked inequalities are harmful. I am extremely worried with the road New Zealand is going down, it is not healthy. Labeling individuals in the manner these public figures have done is not productive, it undermines any attempt to have a fairer society, arguably something the current government have failed to nurture. What is reassuring is that you can actually find some real empirical evidence of measures that do work, that help communities to have stronger, more egalitarian societies and in doing so rid populations of the scourge of racism.