The Australian Human Rights Commission has released Australia’s first comprehensive guide for local government to help build strong, socially cohesive communities.
Building Social Cohesion in our Communities was recently launched by Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly in Canberra.
“Local governments play a fundamental role in building racial harmony and cultural understanding,” Commissioner Soutphommasane said.
Developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission under the National Anti- Racism Strategy, with the assistance of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government, the resource will help local governments to work more closely with their communities and to respond to cultural challenges.
“This free online resource will help local government to prevent and respond to incidents of racism when they occur, address any issues that may arise between different groups, and help them to monitor and evaluate their progress,” Dr Soutphommasane said.
Australian Local Government Association President, Mayor Troy Pickard said the resource was very important for the sector.
“This important comprehensive guide from the Commission makes the link between racism, intercommunity conflict and building social cohesion, and provides a useful tool for the sector to utilise.”
More information is avaliable at www.acelg.org.au/socialcohesion
