Our Purpose
At A Fairer World
We seek… a future where everyone belongs, and inclusive communities thrive.
Our purpose is… to drive positive change by encouraging communities to recognise and celebrate diversity and build inclusive communities.
We do this by… engaging with individuals and forming strong alliances to amplify voices of inclusion and belonging… one story at a time.
Our Values
Uniqueness: We celebrate individuality, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering an inclusive environment.
Creativity: We use imaginative approaches to inspire change and promote understanding.
Authenticity: We ensure our actions and words are genuine, transparent, and trustworthy.
Kindness: We treat everyone with compassion, empathy, and respect, creating a caring community.
Courage: We challenge the status quo and stand up for what’s right, even in the face of adversity.
Our Strategic Plan
Our strategic plan focuses on three key goals to advance our mission of fostering diversity and inclusion:
Learn
Goal: Empower individuals and organisations as leaders in diversity and inclusion education that fosters awareness, knowledge, and meaningful action.
Connect
Goal: Build and sustain strong, inclusive relationships with allies and partners, fostering collaboration and a shared commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Act
Goal: Drive systemic change by advocating for policy reforms, amplifying diverse voices, and create brand recognition through growing allies to maximise impact
Our History
Originally founded as the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning (TCGL) in 1985, we are an incorporated not-for-profit organisation dedicated to educating for a fairer world. For over 26 years, TCGL empowered schools and the Tasmanian community to take action for social justice, peace, and a sustainable future by providing access to education programs, training, resources, and networks. Our primary focus was supporting teachers in implementing key aspects of the state and national curricula related to responsible citizenship, sustainability, values, and global perspectives.
In 2012, we rebranded and refocused our mission, becoming A Fairer World, a values-based community organisation. We continue to provide opportunities for schools, workplaces, and the Tasmanian community to learn, connect, and act together for positive social change. Our aim is to inspire individuals and groups to work towards creating a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.
Human Libraries
Human libraries are a hugely successful international human rights initiative, created to promote understanding and breakdown misconceptions at a grassroots level.
Danish beginnings
The living library concept was first developed in 2000 by the Danish non-government youth organisation, Stop the Violence. In 2003, the living library became part of the Council of Europe’s programme.
Primarily, the aim of a library with living ‘books’ was “…to create constructive personal dialogues between people who would normally not have the opportunity to speak to each other and thus challenge common prejudices and stereotypes.”
The Human Library (the name was changed from Living Libraries in 2010) has since spread to over 85 countries and is coordinated by the international Human Library organisation based in Denmark.
Australian origins
The first Australian living library was initiated in 2006 by Lismore resident Sabina Baltruweit with support from Lismore City Council.
From 2007-2010 the Department of Immigration and Citizenship funded the creation of Living Libraries Australia as “a national strategy for connecting and strengthening local communities through conversation”. The funding provided for the development of a website and resource kits.
The Tasmanian experience
The Launceston Living Library was created in 2008 as an initiative of the Launceston City Council in partnership with LINC Tasmania and the community at large to promote diversity and perceived safety issues in Launceston. It has been a successful project that continues to run a monthly program with around 20 living books currently catalogued.
In 2013, the Hobart Human Library was formed by a group of organisations including A Fairer World, Hobart Women’s Shelter, Amnesty International, the Community Friends and Networks Programme of the University of Tasmania, and Anglicare Tasmania. The Hobart Human Library further developed the human library experience to be a facilitated professional workshop which could be delivered at schools, workplaces, conferences and community events.