Take place-based, targeted action

Overview

In order to build social cohesion effectively, activities need a local focus. They should be tailored to the specific needs of the community and should involve partnerships between multiple stakeholders. This means local governments should:

In 2013, the Australian Multicultural Council consulted with stakeholders in thirteen jurisdictions across metropolitan and rural locations in South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, NSW and Queensland to observe and understand social cohesion efforts at the local level. The key finding was that 'social cohesion efforts in Australia could be described as program rich, but policy and coordination poor'.

On the basis of the study, the Council recommended that future opportunities to strengthen social cohesion should include a focus on:

  • Supporting community capabilities through strengthening and empowering local coordination and leadership, developing community engagement and protocols for rapid and coordinated action
  • Engaging young people
  • Developing community structures, including a more strategic approach to research and evaluation and opportunities to develop a more coordinated approach to funding through a proposed national social cohesion framework
  • Fostering a sense of belonging and trust within and between communities through targeting at-risk communities, developing a strategic approach to interfaith and intercultural dialogue and building shared spaces and communities of practice. 

Source: Australian Multicultural Council (2013). The Australian Community: The Australian Multicultural Council's report on multiculturalism and social cohesion in Australian neighbourhoods.

Build the capacity of the community

When members of the community work with local government they volunteer their time with the expectation they will be recognised for their contribution. They are generally motivated by the aspiration of making where they live a better place. Therefore, it is important for communities to understand they are valued partners and that local government will listen to them.

Capacity building activities are important to develop trust and make any community engagement more efficient and effective for all stakeholders. Outcomes of such activities can include:

  • Improved alignment of interests between local government and the community
  • Trust instead of cynicism
  • Increased willingness of community groups to partner with each other
  • A stronger sense of confidence in local government processes and elected decision-makers
  • Improved social cohesion.

Local governments should evaluate the readiness to participate of groups from different cultural backgrounds – both from the majority and from minority groups – and then plan to appropriately resource capacity building activities. 

Depending on the needs of the community, these activities may be designed to:

  • Improve understanding: Help people understand other points of view, designing processes that help them move from self/sectional interest to general/community interest such as deliberative processes and participative action research. This helps build empathy and shapes participation around common needs and interests
  • Improve knowledge and skills: Provide a range of information to better inform the community about what they can do to support social cohesion, such as taking bystander action against racism
  • Partner in implementation: Work with relevant sections of the community and other key partners to help them develop and implement social cohesion initiatives 
  • Support community participation: Local governments can increase participation rates by providing monetary support, childcare and/or interpreters where appropriate and ensuring that activities are accessible to people with disabilities.

In addition, specific capacity building activities could focus on:

  • Language training especially where English is a second language
  • Building awareness of new or emerging communities where little is known about such communities and interfaith/intercultural dialogue is important
  • Awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to create an understanding within new or emerging communities about the role, cultures and traditions of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

About 59% of the residents of Toowoomba Regional Council have diverse backgrounds and the 2011 Census showed that 10.4% of residents were born overseas. The region is one of the areas in Queensland selected to pilot the Women at Risk refugee scheme which supports newly arrived women and their families. Toowoomba became a Refugee Welcome Zone in 2013.

Initiatives to welcome refugees include:

  • Informal English language conversational classes for people from non-English speaking backgrounds at the Toowoomba Library
  • Formal structured classes at the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE, University of Southern Queensland and Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Settlement Services
  • Pure Land Learning College Goodwill Committee which aims to build bridges across communities through interfaith dialogue and sharing and education forums for youth and the general community. This initiative includes multicultural exchanges and educational tours.

Source: Refugee Council of Australia (2013). Refugee Welcome Zones: Local councils building a culture of welcome for refugees.

Auburn is one of the most culturally diverse places in Sydney, with more than 67 languages spoken by residents from 124 countries. Auburn is also the destination for many new migrants and refugees.

Auburn has a vibrant community sector and a high rate of volunteering. There are over 170 community organisations, 75% of which are run by volunteers without any regular source of funding. Many cater for specific groups and are run by small and emerging migrant and refugee communities.

To build the capacity of local community organisations and groups Council provides a range of training programs, information sessions and workshops. These make organisations and groups stronger, independent and well-managed.

Examples include training on the role of management committee members, financial management, conflict resolution, grant writing and advocacy. Council also helps organisations to obtain low cost public liability insurance. 

The How to Run a Community Group guide is written in six languages. The guide helps community organisations in NSW set up and manage their activities. 

Source: Auburn City Council (2010). Capacity building.

Council has a dedicated Community Capacity Building Team which is part of the Social and Community Services Unit. The team has Community Place Development Officers, Community Capacity Building Officers and a Community Grants Officer.

The three Community Place Development Officers (CPDO) work closely with residents, networks, schools and organisations on a range of projects and activities. Their work includes assisting in strategic and project planning, helping to establish networks, professional mentoring, grant support and facilitation. 

For example, a school with a high culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) student population was concerned about students with disabilities and their families not accessing external support because of communication and cultural barriers. The school wanted to run an activity that would engage with families and provide them with accessible information on support available. The CPDO worked closely with the school to help make connections with relevant service providers and held an information day for CALD families at which service providers were available to assist.

Two Community Capacity Building Officers (CCBO) work with communities on issues that are significant across the city, for example, interagency support to address homelessness. A third is focused on social enterprise, whilst a fourth is dedicated to strategic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples' matters and is a designated ATSI position.

The CCBO-ATSI supports local Aboriginal organisations and individuals by providing assistance in governance and grant support and in building partnerships with Council. The role also facilitates the coordination of local services through the Parramatta Koori Interagency. The CCBO-ATSI also provides support to Council by coordinating the work of different units within Council on ATSI-related policy development and implementation, such as the ATSI Employment Strategy and a cultural protocols document, and by informing the work of all of Council in ATSI matters.

The Community Capacity Building Team is supported by an Administration Officer who organises team meetings, takes minutes, updates reports, assists the Grants Officer and undertakes research on smaller projects.

Source: Parramatta City Council (2015). Community capacity building team.

Be proactive and responsive

Local governments can be most effective when they take a strategic, proactive approach to building social cohesion. This is important not only for ongoing community strengthening but also to ensure they are ready to respond to a challenging situation affecting the community. Such situations may include:

  • An incident occurring overseas, such as a terrorist attack, which affects the local community directly or indirectly
  • A high profile incident involving a particular ethnic or cultural group within Australia
  • A racist incident in the local community.

Local government can use community partnerships to develop a plan of action which can be quickly activated in times of crisis. This plan would detail specific actions to take with affected groups and, importantly, include communications and media responses. 

Such a plan would be informed by regular environmental scanning of international, national and local events, and should be adjusted as required to enable prompt and appropriate responses when required.

The Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong was established in 1989 to promote peace and harmony amongst faiths and spiritual organisations within the municipality. This was the first network of its kind in Australia. It meets monthly at the council offices and its program includes: 

  • An annual gathering of the different faith communities
  • A comprehensive schools program
  • Tours of various places of worship within the city
  • Resources for public events and multi-faith gatherings for significant events.

Source: Interfaith Network (2014). The Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong.

Be targeted

Changing patterns of migration and settlement are creating increasingly diverse communities. In order to be effective, local governments need to design targeted programs tailored to the specific needs and conditions of their communities. This means:

  • Do not forget members of the majority or 'mainstream' culture, as they may need support to understand change and reassurance that the core identity of their community will be maintained
  • Support new and emerging communities to settle in the community
  • Tailor initiatives to account for differences between metropolitan, rural, remote and regional areas
  • Consider different responses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as their heritage, identity and needs are different to those of groups with migrant ancestry
  • Create forums for interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

Leaders of local faith-based communities formed the council to increase acceptance, harmony and inclusion of religious differences in the community, given the changing social and faith mix in Bendigo. It includes representatives from Catholic, Islam, Sikh, Buddhist, Uniting Church, Judaism and Anglican faiths.

The Interfaith Council released a formal Statement of Intent with a commitment to increase dialogue between different faith groups with the aim of creating awareness and understanding in order to promote respect an inclusive coexistence.

Source: City of Greater Bendigo (2014). Bendigo Interfaith Council to present Statement of Intent.

Promote participation for all in local democracy

As communities become more diverse, forums of civic engagement and leadership need to reflect their communities in order to effectively represent them. In some areas this may be a long-term goal as newly arrived groups may have a range of other priorities and may not have the capacity to become involved in governance activities.

To maximise the participation of all groups, local governments need to build awareness about the role of citizens in local democracy and develop mechanisms to support them to participate. Opportunities for participation can include:

  • Volunteering
  • Getting involved in community engagement activities
  • Community leadership programs
  • Registering on the electoral role and voting
  • Standing for election in local government elections.

The Local Government Association of South Australia initiated a program which encourages citizens from diverse backgrounds to register as candidates in the local government elections. The Association provides information via a series of election information sheets and encourages people to take up roles as council members noting:

Council members play a vital role in local community leadership…[and]…people from diverse cultural backgrounds and age groups often bring fresh outlooks and new ideas to councils which helps to inform a more responsive approach to decision making.

Source: Local Government Association of South Australia (2014). Multicultural South Australians speak up: Information for candidates in the council elections November 2014.

Newly arrived migrants may initially be less inclined to become involved in civic engagement. Their priorities are finding places to live, finding schools for their children and finding work. In addition, members of some groups may have been subject to political discrimination in their country of origin and may be suspicious of government systems.

In the short term local governments can build participation through informal community activities which over time may lead to these migrants becoming involved in local government committees or standing for public office.

Engage young people

Many local governments have youth engagement strategies which aim to understand the needs of young people and engage them as community members and leaders. Some local governments also have youth advisory committees as part of their governance structures.

The City has a high proportion of young people and many of them have Vietnamese and Chinese ancestry. The Strategy for Young People in Fairfield City 2013-2017 explicitly draws on the Federal Government's Social Inclusion Agenda.

Key priority areas within the Strategy are: belonging and participation; things to do and places to go; safety, health and wellbeing; education, training and employment; and collaborations and partnerships.

Source: Fairfield City Council (2013), Strategy for Young People in Fairfield City 2013-2017.

It is important for all young people to feel connected to their community whether they are:

  • From the majority culture
  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  • Refugees (young people make up approximately 50% of those granted refugee or humanitarian visas in Australia each year)
  • Children of migrant parents or grandparents.

In addition to providing safe public places for young people to interact, local governments can engage young people via sport, recreation and cultural programs with the aim of bringing diverse groups together to better understand each other and to prevent and respond to racism. 

Working with young people requires:

  • A strong duty of care
  • A safe environment for young people to express themselves
  • Staff and/or facilitators experienced in working with difficult issues, such as racism.

Katanning in southern Western Australia is a hub for agriculture and livestock including grain handling, livestock sales and abattoir and meat processing, together with support services for these industries. It has one of the most culturally diverse communities in regional Western Australia. Many migrants who have moved there speak little or no English and have found it difficult to integrate into the community. 

In order to assist with integration and support, the shire implemented a range of programs focusing on recreation for young people with support from the WA Department of Sport and Recreation. The employment of a CALD Inclusion Officer at the Katanning Leisure Centre was a key strategy in this program. Specific initiatives included Muslim women's swim programs, hip-hop dance classes and girls-only soccer.

Sources: Government of Western Australia (2010). Implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism Locally: A planning guide for Western Australian local governments, p27.

Shire of Katanning (2014). Katanning Prospectus: A Western Australian SuperTown.

Starting in 2012, One Parramatta was a 12-month project supported by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship through the Diversity and Social Cohesion Program and several sponsors in the private sector. It focused primarily on 18 to 25 year old males working in the Parramatta area and aimed to provide them with information about how to speak up when they witnessed racism and to encourage them to reflect on their behaviour towards people of different races, ethnic backgrounds and cultures. 

This project used videotaped films of people on the streets of Parramatta, local media coverage and an event held to coincide with Harmony Day. The films were shown in Parramatta cinemas over a 12-month period and surveys were undertaken to evaluate their impact. The surveys showed that 79% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they better understood racism after watching one of the films. Key lessons from the project include:

  • People change when they are pushed to reflect on their past behaviour
  • Forging partnerships with businesses and organisations increases the reach of the messages
  • People look for direct and specific information on what to do when they witness racism
  • Humour is one of the best ways to get people's attention
  • For direct impact, campaigns could be integrated with local events where racism might happen
  • There may be value in putting into practice a project like One Parramatta in other localities.

Source: All Together Now (2013). The One Parramatta Project – Erasing Racism in Parramatta.

Racism. Get Up. Speak Out is a series of cultural community projects informed by the National Anti-Racism Strategy. The campaign seeks to value cultural diversity within the Greater Dandenong community and works to counter racism through promotion and acknowledgement of positive community behaviour. 

One project involved a theatre workshop with a group of local refugee and migrant youth and school children to explore racism. Planning for the workshop involved setting up a safe environment, contracting in experienced facilitators and ensuring all involved had a strong duty of care to these young people.

During the workshop, the facilitators devised a scenario involving racism. The scene was then replayed and the audience was invited to stop the action, replace the character they felt was 'lacking power' and improvise a solution. The facilitators then worked with the group in this safe environment to help them 'step in' and test ideas. 

The group then performed for a selection of local secondary schools In partnership with Southern Ethnic Advisory and Advocacy Council (SEAAC) and the Noble Park English Language School. The audience members participated in making a change to discriminatory situations that reflected their experiences in the real world. Approximately 150 students from five local schools participated.

The play format has been so successful that both partners have elected to continue, fund and expand the project using the same local artists as facilitators. 

Immediate outcomes from the performances included increased awareness and understanding about what racism looks like and how to deal with it. In addition, the participants felt more empowered to speak out against casual racism and realised how if one person speaks out, and others support them in public situations, the impact can be significant.

Sources: City of Greater Dandenong (n.d). Speaking out can make a difference.

Personal communication with Arts and Cultural Development Projects Leader, City of Greater Dandenong (2015).

In many of Logan's schools almost 50% of the students are Pacific Islanders. The progression through school soon reveals a problematic journey for young men and Year 12 classes in many schools tend to have more girls than boys. What happens to boys is of concern to families and the community.

In 2014, Logan City Council invested in a $40,000 partnership with Queensland Rugby Union to deliver the Pacific Islander Community Engagement Project (PICEP). The core focus of the PICEP is to improve the attendance and educational performance of Pacific Islander students and provide capacity building volunteer education courses to the wider Pacific Islander community across the Logan region.

The project is designed to use sport to build meaningful and more cohesive relationships between Pacific Islander communities and other cultural groups in Logan.

The aim is to create lasting benefits for the Logan community and to bring people together to share and enjoy cultural diversity, build social cohesion and harmony and promote cultural exchange in Logan through a partnership approach. 

Source: Logan City Council (2014). Queensland Rugby Union partners with Logan City.

Midnight Basketball is a national eight-week program which has attracted over 100 young people in the City of Greater Geraldton. It has a focus on social inclusion and building positive outcomes for at-risk youth. The city's first program had around 93% Aboriginal participants and the second around 83%. After a meal and a life skills workshop the participants play basketball games which builds a sense of camaraderie and team spirit.

The program requires about 40 volunteers (15 each night) and trained youth workers to support any early intervention required. The program has been successful at creating a sense self worth and community amongst young people and empowering them to take action under the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign. In addition, the volunteers have increased awareness and knowledge about the challenges faced by young people in their area.

Sources: Midnight Basketball (n.d.). Midnight Basketball: Home Page.

Personal communication with Coordinator Community Development, City of Greater Geraldton (2015).

A national Certificate IV training package for Australian multicultural youth providers: The handbooks for trainers and participants are available for free. See Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network, Navitas English, AMES, the Multicultural Development Association and Margaret Piper and Associates (2014). Engage Respectfully with Young People (from Refugee Backgrounds).

Report on impact of racism on young people: This includes contexts in which it racism experienced and strategies to combat racism. See: Centre for Multicultural Youth (2014). Everyday Reality: Racism and Young People.

Support bystander action

Whilst most people would say that racism is unacceptable, many do not take action when they see it.

Local government can play an important role in building a community which does not tolerate racism by supporting its members to respond safely and effectively when they encounter racism. Research on effective bystander interventions suggests that programs designed to increase bystander action against racism should:

  • Be implemented in specific settings such as workplaces and sports clubs 
  • Build on people’s existing knowledge and skills
  • Address the social conditions that can lead to discrimination and intolerance 
  • Establish a climate where support for bystander action is strong and visible.1

Following the development of the City of Darebin Anti-Racism Strategy 2012-2015, the Council launched the Say No to Racism project. This aims to address racism via the role of bystanders. It includes a training package with a written manual and DVD for the community to use to take action when they witness racism and to increase awareness and empathy about the impacts of racism.

Source: Myriad Consultants (2014). The role of local government in settlement and multiculturalism. Background paper prepared for the Victorian Local Government Multicultural Issues Network and Municipal Association of Victoria. pp.41-42.

Research from VicHealth: This resource provides considerable background about where racial discrimination occurs and how bystanders can take action. See: Choosing to act: Bystander action to prevent race-based discrimination and support cultural diversity in the Victorian community.

Australian Human Rights Commission: Adapt the Tips for Bystanders to use with your community.

VicHealth video on bystander action: Use this video on bystander action in campaigns.

Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission: This video has practical advice for bystanders. Although Queensland focused, it could be adapted for other jurisdictions.

Develop media and communications

Local governments can develop targeted communications strategies to build social cohesion as part of community engagement activities.

This can include developing different types of messaging across multiple channels including traditional forms of media such as newspapers, as well as websites, social media platforms and apps. Regardless of the mode of communication, messaging should be culturally inclusive and reflect the diversity of the community.

Depending on the reason for the communications strategy, key messages could include:

  • Cultural diversity has benefits for the community
  • Racism is unacceptable in the community
  • Everyone can take bystander action if they encounter racism.

Some messages are best delivered in partnership with specific community groups or with the police.

The Council formally became a supporter of the Racism: It Stops With Me. campaign in July 2014. To promote the campaign, the Council held a large community event for residents in the Hargreaves Mall where they could make a pledge in support of the national campaign. The Mayor also made an official pledge and speech.

At the launch, and then more generally, Council also promoted a social media campaign, where people, educational institutes, sports groups, local politicians and businesses took selfies or group photos while they were taking the pledge and posted on Twitter at: #itstopswithmebendigo. Bendigo Bank organised a photo of 250 of its staff to make a sign and take the pledge.

Source: Human Rights Commission (2015). Racism. It Stops With Me evaluation report: Draft report.

As part of the Get Up. Speak Out campaign Council used a number of communications methods/messages including:

  • A website: Included information about the campaign and links to support the National Anti-Racism Strategy. It also provided a range of strategies for people to use so that they can Get Up. Speak Out when they see racism.
  • Community stories: Local community members were invited to share their stories, talk about about racism in the community and highlight the positive actions they have taken when witnessing racism. The stories were: shared as a series of postcards, posters, and banners; presented online; and published in partnership with the Dandenong Leader (a local paper with a readership of 47,000). Some of stories were translated into some of the main community languages.
  • Documentary series: Building on the published community stories, racism was explored through a confronting and moving series of five mini-documentaries. In these documentaries it was clear that different sections of the community and different individuals e.g. Maori, Afghani, Aboriginal and Sudanese, experience discrimination in very different ways. The documentaries were shown at all council centres and on SBS and NITV. They have also been screened at Federation Square in central Melbourne and at schools, especially on Harmony Day and during Refugee Week. They have been submitted to film festivals and uploaded to YouTube.
  • Support from the local paper: Council partnered with the Dandenong Leader, which became an important supporter of the campaign, publishing editorials about reducing racism. The Dandenong Leader also ran articles in which well-known members of the community told their stories supported the campaign.

The campaign also raised awareness with staff within Council about racism. In addition, the communications strategy empowered staff to deal proactively with issues around racism as they had a framework and appropriate language with which to have a conversation with the community. This capacity building is now part of staff induction.

Sources: Human Rights Commission (2015). Racism. It Stops With Me evaluation report: Draft report.

City of Greater Dandenong (n.d). Racism. Get up. Speak out. Home page.

Personal communication with Arts and Cultural Development Projects Leader, City of Greater Dandenong (2015)

As part of the Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) Project, the See Beyond Race campaign aimed to break down cultural prejudices and stereotypes by providing insights into the professions, hobbies and family lives of five local residents.

The social marketing campaign was developed in response to research which showed that although the majority of residents felt positive about living in a culturally diverse community, prejudiced attitudes still remained.

The campaign encouraged people to look beyond race and get to know the people who work and live alongside them. The campaign was showcased in the local newspaper, on the inside and outside of local buses, at bus shelters and in Westfield Plenty Valley food court between May and August 2011.

To extend the reach of the campaign, See Beyond Race promotional material and information was distributed to households, businesses, schools, childcare centres, sports clubs and libraries.

Source: City of Whittlesea (2014). See Beyond Race campaign.

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