Plans to create 'more tolerant and inclusive society' in Cornwall
All racist and discriminatory behaviour has been condemned by the Council
Officials in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly say they want to create a more tolerant and inclusive society.
All racist and discriminatory behaviour in the Duchy has been condemned in a statement by the Chair of the Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly Leadership Board, Cllr Julian German.
Cllr German said: “The Board has agreed to all work together to tackle the issues and challenges that we face. As the statement says, ‘now is not the time for empty words, but for genuine changes’ and we have pledged to strengthen our hate crime reporting programme and to listen to the voices of all our communities to really understand the root of the issues.
“As high-profile leaders across Cornwall we all have a responsibility to lead by example and be the change that we want to see. This is just the first step though, and we have a long way to go to end racism in Cornwall.”
Earlier this month a new forum was launched on the council’s engagement platform, Let’s Talk Cornwall, specifically asking for people to give their views on how to tackle racism and for their ideas on cultural celebrations.
To join in with the discussion visit the Let’s Talk Cornwall website.
Cllr German added: “As I’ve already said, we need to understand the root of the issues that people are facing and we need to hear about your experiences so that we can start to address them and make the changes that are needed. I’d urge as many people as possible to go online and give their views.”
While Cornwall has seen an increase of around 25% in reported hate crimes in the last 12 months, it is widely thought that many crimes still go unreported.
For anyone who would like to find out more about the support available for anyone subjected to a hate crime, or to report a hate crime please visit the Safer Cornwall website.