Campaigners seeking greater awareness of racism and its causes have been boosted by the response they have received from politicians and teachers.

The Hardy Commission was set up in the island earlier this year to challenge racism and hateful ideologies.

It has called for more discussion and teaching in Manx schools to increase awareness of the island’s own connections with historic colonialism and slavery, to help inform that discussion.

There has been a positive response from Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson, who has promised a review of the teaching of race-related issues, while a number of teachers have told the commission already they welcome the input. Productive talks have also been held with Manx National Heritage.

Ellen Wiltshire and Vinci Pabellan are two of the volunteers at the commission.

They recognised that issues of race were already taught in schools and said the commission hoped to see that focus include the history behind such matters.

Ellen, 23, who is due to start a masters degree in Newcastle University later this year, said most of the reaction they had received was supportive.

’We have had really positive feedback from MHKs and the Education Minister,’ she said.

However, not everyone on social media had been so welcoming.

’There were some obvious comments and their opinions are not going to change,’ she said. ’We accept that.

’The hardest people to reach, in some ways, are those who do not consider themselves to be racist, generally don’t have any issues with people of different communities but don’t understand why their lives have not been more difficult in the exact same place and the exact same jobs.’

She added: ’We want to see a more universal education about race issues, citizenship type of education.’

The commission recognises that schools to already tackle race and wants to support a more ’decolonised approach’ to history,

Ellen said one of the things the commission members realised, when they sat down to discuss education on race matters, was that they had not had a uniform experience in their own time at secondary school.

For instance, some remembered learning about slavery, while others did not.

But members have already met teachers who are keen to work with the commission to look at ways to address gaps in the way history is taught, said Vinci, 23, who is studying medicine.

’They were looking for some pointers on who to talk to and things like that,’ he added.

The commission organised a letter campaign calling on MHKs to act. More than 200 letters have now been handed over.

The letters call for the Department of Education to ’directly address the racism and inequality faced in modern society, which inevitably stem from historical injustices’.

They state: ’The curriculum must encourage discussion of prejudice, discrimination and white supremacy in particular.

’This must be a constructive learning environment, rather than one of shame or dictation, as some choose to characterise these conversations.

’These lessons would equip our students for the difficult (yet productive) discussions they will have around issues such as race and to deconstruct the prejudices they will encounter in their lives.’