I'd like to nominate runner as someone who has tirelessly and consistently worked to reduce Australian racism, at least from his efforts at OLO.

Who knows how many closet racists have read his drivel and undergone an 'oh sh!t' moment when they realise that he represents their own sentiments writ large?

Keep it up, runner.

My proactive step was born out of the Howard government's treatment of refugees. I had done my letter writing to the papers and complained to the relevant pollies but felt I had to do something positive to counter some of the pretty negative stuff that was bubbling through my community.

So I went and did a course to teach English on day a week to a new arrival. Still at it nearly three years on (the tutoring not the course) with the same chap. Probably should have moved to a new student but I have had a lot of pleasure teaching him and seeing him grow into the Australian society after a pretty rocky start.

Our families have met and dined together and I have learnt as much as I have taught.

Two weeks ago he drove his family to Uluru and was awestruck. His knowledge of Australian history is surpassing mine in more than a few areas.

I certainly recommend the teaching gig if anyone was thinking of doing something similar.

When I was in about Grade 1, an Aboriginal kid in my class at school visited me at my place. In one easy lesson, he taught me - with unerring confidence - how to kick a torpedo with a plastic footy. (It stuck with me ever since.) He was competently showing his adroitness by riding his bike in the back yard weaving around the fruit trees. At school, he was head and shoulders above everyone else at every type of individual or team sport.

One day when I was walking home from school, I passed by his house and peeked through a gap in his back fence. He'd wagged school that day and it was then I realised how different he was. The whole family, and probably extended family as well, was slipping their feet around in mud in some kind of ceremony in the back yard. I didn't think any more of it but it stuck with me.

When I left that state school about 2 years later, I never saw him again until about 10 years later when he was playing in a footy match with another local team. While he still had all the talents, I was struck by the amount and vehemence of vitriol flowing out of his mouth. And it wasn't just gamesmanship - it was real anger directed at his white opponents. While I obviously don't know what happened to him, it seems pretty clear that the racism, cultural differences and most probably marginalisation had taken their toll. He had definitely changed as a person - for the worse.

I was pretty shocked at how talent could be so destroyed by other factors. I remember Brian Goorjian's comments (a NBL basketball coach) extolling the natural athleticism of Aboriginals. These talents have been harnessed by Kevin Sheedy's Essendon Bombers in the AFL (they've got about 8 Aboriginals or part-Aboriginals in their list). The mentoring of Aboriginal talent should extend much further down the footy hierarchy to the grass roots. This would be a strong act that went some way to reversing discrimination and racism.

Rob Your last comment sows it up. Part indig; as against black indig.
There is a gigantic leap in genetics.
This is the problem we face with the tribal indig.
Their colture does not allow for them to integrate with white colture.
Maybe the solution lies with the women of the indig;
They must integrate or face a life of misery, surrounding a town of about 20,000 around 18% are indig.

May not seem related but I fight for workplace fairness. Also I read anything and everything I can from the eyes of others. I never really "get" another culture but a little bit can change a viewpoint very quickly.

I do not see any racism really. However I do see a lack of understanding and tolerance of culture. I can also say I have Indigenous friends but they are westernised so I do not see any skin colour or need to tolerate different cultural aspects in my dealing with them. So really no great achievement, they are just regular people. I see the same with wealthy who are often very vocal with their "I am ashamed to be Australian" whenever the latest fake race row occurs. Most wealthy people live in expensive neighbourhoods so any interaction with people of different ethnic backgroud in easy as culturally they are westernised and successful.

I do however feel the squirm factor whenever Indigenous people are mentioned as I do have those friendships and feel embarrassed the same way I do when a naked lady appears on TV when my mother visits.

However from their eyes they are represented by everyone and anyone and never themselves so no side is better than the other. One trots out the stereotype to prove Australia is racist, then the other side presume the stereotype is true because the liberal press keep on about. One feeds the other. Same with many "debates" on asylum seekers. Sometimes the negative stereotype of an entire country is used to prove a person had a right to seek asylum then the other side use this stereotype to say why would we want such dysfunctional people here?

However our greatest cultural trait was that we were very egalitaran and this provided equal opportunity. We never did embrace the servitude mentality still evident in the US until recently. Our ability to give migrants equality was based on our workplace culture and I see that eroding away opening the opportunity for workplace exploitation. Then we will have something to cry about.

May not make any sense. To summarise I feel we obssess too much about cultural differences without any evidence of any real understanding and not enough about our positive cultural traits that we are losing. Most understanding of others comes from the workplace. Take away egalitarian cultural trait then workplace start to see who they can exploit and that leads to hostility from those that feel threatened and charges of racism from those exploited.

I keep hearing how business would have collapsed without all these workplace changes but then never have seen this country so rich. Really does not make sense business is so poor they cannot survive in such a climate. We have been dudded.