Grassroots efforts combat hate and foster social cohesion highlighted at Australian royal commission

Amidst the ongoing Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, a shift in tone has emerged as witnesses present optimistic accounts of grassroots work aimed at fostering social cohesion in Australia. As the commission enters its final week of public hearings, experts and community organizations have emphasized the crucial role of genuine human connection in combating societal division and hate.

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There's this beautiful smell of the fresh bread and then it gets taken home in a little bag and it gets shared with their family... but the values underneath that is something that we all share. That idea of sharing food with family.

A director of a unique childcare center, speaking under a pseudonym, shared how her facility begins instilling these values in very young children before biases can take root. The center incorporates Jewish traditions, such as challah baking, into its curriculum. Children learn to identify shared experiences and values across different cultures, with the woman explaining, "There's this beautiful smell of the fresh bread and then it gets taken home in a little bag and it gets shared with their family... but the values underneath that is something that we all share. That idea of sharing food with family."

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What I hope to offer today is something constructive. It's an opportunity to bring to the surface the shared human values that already connect us beneath our differences … it's the glue that connects us.

This approach, she noted, offers a practical solution to division. "What I hope to offer today is something constructive," she told the commission. "It's an opportunity to bring to the surface the shared human values that already connect us beneath our differences … it's the glue that connects us."

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I began just on my own introducing ways to help my students stay in the room when discomfort was presented to them, to show them that learning has to have an element of discomfort.

Additionally, the founders of the 'Brave Conversations' initiative presented their work in equipping university students with the skills to navigate difficult discussions. Cognitive scientist Farid Zaid and historian Daniel Heller explained that their project aims to help students differentiate between distress and discomfort, teaching them to "stay in the room" during challenging dialogues. They believe that when disagreements are handled constructively, they can foster connection, learning, and innovation.

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When disagreement is done well, it's a wonderful opportunity for connection, for learning, for growth, for innovation.