Can I get help to stop racism in my local community centre?

Based on your experience in Melbourne regarding the prejudiced comments and the targeting of the new member of Middle Eastern descent, the Australian Human Rights Commission is the relevant body. Under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Commission is tasked with several functions that align with your request for education rather than litigation. The Commission is empowered "to develop, conduct and foster research and educational programs and other programs for the purpose of: (i) combating racial discrimination and prejudices that lead to racial discrimination; (ii) promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among racial and ethnic groups" [cite:au-racial-discrimination-1975-sec20]. This means they can create the types of workshops and educational initiatives you are looking for to address the hostile atmosphere at your community centre. Additionally, the Commission has the authority "to prepare, and to publish... guidelines for the avoidance of infringements" [cite:au-racial-discrimination-1975-sec20]. These guidelines could provide the community centre with a framework for how to handle such behavior properly. While the Commission can promote understanding and provide guidelines, the law provided does not explicitly state whether they will intervene directly in a specific local community centre's internal management or force Sarah, the manager, to change her policies unless a formal complaint is lodged or a specific inquiry is triggered. The law focuses on the Commission's ability to promote compliance and education generally [cite:au-racial-discrimination-1975-sec20]. It is also worth noting that while the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 covers different types of discrimination, such as harassment based on sex or gender identity [cite:au-sex-discrimination-1984-sec48], your current concerns specifically involve ethnic background and racial prejudice, which falls under the Racial Discrimination Act.