Harmony Day

Since 1999, more than 80,000 Harmony Week events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.

Emeritus professor Andrew Jakubowicz was critical of the 13-year governmental suppression of the original Eureka study, and the subsequent lack of research or focus on attempts to eliminate racism.

[9] Academic Christina Ho of the University of Technology Sydney says that Harmony Day does not deal with confronting aspects of racism such as police brutality, Aboriginal deaths in custody, and other forms of discrimination.

The Secretary for the New South Wales Fabians, a left-wing think tank, argued that the day dilutes the UN marked event of its intended meaning, and that it avoids discussion of the structural barriers of racial discrimination.

[10] FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia), the national peak body representing people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,[11] want the name changed back to the original one given by the UN – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – to open discussion, acknowledge that racism exists, and to focus on all working together to eliminate it, while also celebrating the diversity of cultures that Australia has.

[1] In March 2023, Australian Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi wrote to Multicultural Affairs Minister Andrew Giles, saying that the government should revert to the original "name purpose and approach" of the day and that the current celebration "whitewashes this historic and ongoing racism in Australia".