Australian commission hears initiatives to counter hatred and divisions
Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is holding its final week of public hearings, heard from academics, human rights advocates and representatives of civil society organizations. As ABC News Australia reports, participants spoke about the importance of direct human interaction and shared values in countering divisions and hatred.
Working with children and students
The head of a childcare centre, who spoke under a pseudonym, said the institution introduces preschool children to different cultures and traditions before they can develop prejudices. Every Friday, the children take part in baking challah, traditional Jewish bread, and take it home to share with their families. According to her, this practice shows children shared values, including the custom of sharing food with family.
Cognitive scientist Farid Zaid and historian Daniel Geller presented the Brave Conversations initiative, which teaches university students to discuss difficult topics safely. Zaid said the project helps participants distinguish between emotional strain and discomfort and remain in the conversation when it becomes challenging. Geller noted that in-person workshops are not a quick solution to problems, but are intended to teach people to thoughtfully overcome together tensions that may not disappear.
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Interfaith contacts
Rabbi Zalman Kastel, founder of the educational nonprofit organization Together for Humanity, spoke about building interfaith connections in schools. He described political impartiality, inclusiveness and attention to all communities as important. According to him, young people respond to examples in which a Muslim woman speaks about antisemitism, a Jewish rabbi speaks about Islamophobia, and Indigenous representatives speak about other people’s prejudices.
Sandy Kurupidis of the Victorian Multicultural Commission said that following the attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza, regular interaction between Muslim and Jewish communities has effectively ceased. According to him, it previously took place, among other ways, through school visits and exchanges, but many Jewish schools do not currently feel safe.
Community concerns
Mohamed Hassan, president of the Somali Society of New South Wales, said that the approach to social cohesion may provoke controversy if it is presented primarily as a demand for a particular community to integrate or change. Giridharan Sivaraman, a representative of the Australian Human Rights Commission, added that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities view the concept with caution because of issues of self-determination, sovereignty and connection to land.
