Social Cohesion

Note: This report is submitted on behalf of Australian Red Cross only

The Australian Government and various State Governments are working together with ARC in fulfilment of this pledge:

• ARC is one year into a co-designed two year $800,000 project ‘Here to Contribute’ delivered in partnership with the Federal Government’s Department of Social Services (DSS) that works to promote social cohesion and understanding between communities across Australia. This will be achieved through working with civil society and recently arrived vulnerable migrants (in their first five years) in four key areas: School and community education and awareness raising; life & livelihood – transition into work through mentoring, work placements/ internships & collaboration with employers; next generation youth leadership opportunity brokerage; and connecting women.
• ARC is one of six sponsor organisations working with The Attorney General’s Department on a Resilience Collective – named Impact 180. Impact180 is one of Australia’s few national collective impact initiatives, generated by government, business and community. Our shared purpose is to influence the conditions to build social cohesion. We will do this by mobilising cross sector collaboration to create acceptance, belonging, worth, participation and social justice across Australia. This will reduce the likelihood of social alienation, intolerance, violent extremism and lack of trust in institutions.
• In New South Wales (NSW) ARC is delivering a major three year project to build community resilience with young migrant people at risk funded by the State Government’s Department Multicultural NSW.
• In Victoria ARC is delivering a social cohesion program funded by the State Government’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship.
• ARC utilises organisation wide collaboration to progress social cohesion with involvement of government and corporate partners to build civil and workplace participation.
• Opportunity exists to explore ongoing sustainability and funding through leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility
• Increasingly we aim to produce compelling communications for distribution through social channels to promote positive stories of contribution and participation.

In addition to our joint work, ARC is also a contributing member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) global working on social inclusion.