North Sydney Council cancels anti-racism workshop after complaints it was hosted by pro-Palestine activist
North Sydney Council has dropped a “anti-racism” workshop after realising it had indirectly hired an anti-racism company co-founded by pro-Palestine activist Elsa Tuet-Roseberg to host it.
NSW
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An anti-racism workshop hosted by a company co-founded by a pro-Palestinian activist who circulated the details of hundreds of Jewish Australians across the internet, has been cancelled after the North Sydney mayor intervened, saying: “I do not tolerate racism.”
Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg was one of many revealed in February to be among the most prolific sharers of details of more than 600 Jewish creatives from a leaked private WhatsApp group.
On Monday The Daily Telegraph revealed her company Hue: Colour the Conversation — an anti-racism advisory business she co-owns and co-founded — was recruited to help “facilitate” the training event advertised by North Sydney Council on November 14.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has denounced the involvement of the anti-racism firm “a sick joke” and had called for it to be dropped from the event.
“Council should be commended for listening to the concerns of the community and their representative bodies,” co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said.
“But there is a wider issue of self-styled “anti-racism experts” cashing in on the good intentions of public bodies and corporations and advancing an extreme political ideology which is completely at odds with actual tolerance and inclusivity.
“In their ignorant worldview, Jews are seen as uniformly white, wealthy and privileged and therefore perpetrators of racism and never victims of it. We hope others will take note of this incident.”
On Tuesday, North Sydney mayor Zoë Baker wrote to a disgruntled Jewish resident confirming the morning event would no longer run after discussions with CEOs of North Sydney Council, which was promoting the event.
The Lower North Shore Multicultural Network, which shares the same address as North Sydney Council chamber and receives council grants, recruited Hue to run the workshop.
“I advise that the event has been cancelled,” Ms Baker said in an email to a resident.
“I am informed that the Lower North Shore Multicultural Network received a grant to conduct anti-racism training/workshops from North Sydney Council. The Network subsequently engaged the consultants.
“The Lower North Shore Multicultural Network is a non-incorporated entity.
“I have asked Council’s CEO to review grant assessment procedures to ensure that this does not happen again and that any procurement includes due diligence on any provider.”
She went on: “Finally, I apologise for the distress and hurt that this has caused.
“On a very personal note, this is an issue close to my heart - my beloved stepfather and extended family are Jewish, having arrived in Sydney and settled in Yeo Street, Neutral Bay in 1954 and my husband is Caribbean English.
“I do not tolerate racism and anti-Semitism wherever I encounter it.”
North Sydney Council confirmed an investigation was underway into how small grants are awarded.
“The Lower North Shore Multicultural network was successful in securing a $2,000 grant from Council to run a workshop to engage residents and services around the issues of racism,”a North Sydney Council spokesperson said.
“Following concerns raised in relation to this workshop, Mayor Zoe Baker called for an investigation regarding the company facilitating this workshop and its serious misalignment with Council values. It can be confirmed that this event has since been cancelled.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcome the change.
“Council should be commended for listening to the concerns of the community and their representative bodies,” co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said.
“But there is a wider issue of self-styled anti-racism experts cashing in on the good intentions of public bodies and corporations and advancing an extreme political ideology which is completely at odds with actual tolerance and inclusivity.
“In their ignorant worldview, Jews are seen as uniformly white, wealthy and privileged and therefore perpetrators of racism and never victims of it. We hope others will take note of this incident.”
Billed by the council as Understanding Race and Racism, the interactive community session had been organised to “develop empathy, understanding of race-related issues, and improve safety and support for people of colour.”
The advert touted on the council’s website and Facebook page urged “join us for an understanding and racism workshop”, where bookings are essential.
One Jewish North Sydney long-time resident, said in a letter to North Sydney Council she was “appalled” that Hue had been chosen to facilitate the event.
“In case you are not aware of the context, the Australian Human Rights Commission recently suspended its contract for an anti-racism campaign with Hue because of the bias inherent in their materials, and because Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg, its co-founder, was found to have been involved in a campaign against 600 Jewish members of a leaked WhatsApp chat,” she wrote to council executives.
“The social media profiles of both Hue itself and both its founders are rife with highly politicised and controversial content targeting Jewish Australians.
“I absolutely cannot fathom why Council considers it appropriate to host an “anti-racism” workshop with a consulting firm that has shown itself to be so divisive that Australia’s top human rights organisation no longer considers it fit to be involved in anti-racism work,” she said.
“How does an event like this foster unity and community cohesion?
“It in fact has the opposite effect, marginalising and alienating your Jewish and Israeli residents and ratepayers,” she said.
The session facilitated by Sonia Sofat, co-Founder and director of Hue, the company jointly set up by Ms Rosenberg, will aim to deliver what it calls “groundbreaking anti-racism education and consultancy” on the day.
The event at The Crows Nest Centre was to focus on shared language and understanding racism, help equip attendees with skills tackle racism and deliver “meaningful” anti-racism work, and will discuss racism and impacts on First Nations people and people of colour and challenge stereotypes.
North Sydney Council maintained Ms Rosenberg was not involved, and distanced itself from the event, saying on Monday it is hosted by the multicultural network “which is comprised of multicultural not-for-profit organisations and government agencies,” a spokesman said.
Ms Tuet-Rosenberg was involved in a campaign against Jewish creatives releasing personal details of more than 600 naming people who have never publicly spoken out about the Hamas-Israel war and who have no direct links to Israel.
The campaign triggered a spate of anti-Semitic harassment and death threats which saw shops daubed with the words “No Jews”.
Ms Tuet-Rosenberg circulated links of the leaked transcripts to teachers, librarians and university professionals, among her hundreds of social media followers.
It’s not suggested she personally engaged in harassment or threatening behaviour.
Ms Tuet-Rosenberg, who is Jewish, categorised the WhatsApp members under titles “Artists” and “Sports Zios”, and told her followers they maintained their positions due to other Zionists “in management” and said their “Time’s up”.
Her background is in Melbourne and her mother is Jewish, her father Chinese and Muslim.
She told Liminal publication, an online anti-racist literary platform in November 2019.
“Interestingly, despite my Jewish family having the closest proximity to whiteness, they taught me the foundations of everything I’ve ever known about racism.
“Their experience of racism and their refugee background was the foundation to our social justice beliefs, and without them, I would not understand my place in the world under the systems of white supremacy.”
Of her Chinese Muslim father she said: “My dad, while also anti-racist, is not nearly as radical or emotionally supportive for me in my experiences of racism.
“He copes differently, and that’s okay.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry called on Hue to be dropped from the November 14 event.
“This is a gross violation of the trust ratepayers put in the council to deliver essential services and act responsibly with public money,” co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said.
“To have such a person anywhere near anti-racism training is tantamount to a sick joke.”
Instagram page branded Bayside Councillors “BIGOTS! MARIBYRNONG MAGGOTS & INNER WEST W*****S!” for voting on the ceasefire motion.
Ms Rosenberg has been contacted for comment.
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