More than 160 leaders from government, business, academia and community organisations gathered in Parramatta this week for the Think Social Cohesion National Summit, with discussions centred on strengthening belonging, participation and trust across Australia’s diverse communities.
The summit, hosted by SydWest, SSI and the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), brought together policymakers, researchers and community leaders to examine how social cohesion can be strengthened at a time of increasing cultural diversity.
Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic used his keynote address to defend multiculturalism as a practical foundation of modern Australia.
“This country, for its success, needed multiculturalism. This was not a woke experiment. It is not something that is politically correct. It was a critical ingredient for the country’s success,” he said.
Husic argued that multiculturalism had been built through necessity and contribution rather than chance, describing it as central to Australia’s economic and social development.
The summit is expected to produce a Social Cohesion Roadmap, drawing on keynote addresses, panel discussions and more than 300 live online contributions from participants during the event.
Five themes emerged repeatedly throughout the day: rights and responsibility, reach, participation, accountability, and strengthening Australia’s multicultural narrative.
SydWest chief executive Elfa Moraitakis said the discussions suggested Australia had no shortage of ideas, but needed a clearer framework for collective action.
SSI chief executive Violet Roumeliotis AM focused on economic participation, arguing that people are more likely to feel a sense of belonging when they have the opportunity to contribute.
SCOA chief executive Maria Dimopoulos AM said meaningful participation depended on communities seeing themselves reflected in policy, practice and outcomes.
Former Tasmanian premier and Australian Multicultural Council chair Peter Gutwein called for the federal parliament to formally reaffirm Australia as a multicultural nation, reviving a recommendation from the Multicultural Framework Review.
“That opportunity still exists at a national level. I would love to see the parliament debate and pass a motion in those terms,” Gutwein said.
The summit also heard from Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Allegra Spender MP and Louise Perry, interim chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
Perry told delegates that the Multicultural Victoria Bill had entered the Victorian Parliament on the day of the summit. The bill would establish a new statutory body to lead Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith portfolio.
Organisers said the event was designed to be highly participatory, with delegates contributing ideas throughout the day and organisers synthesising feedback in real time. The process was intended to ensure that discussion outcomes were shaped by participants rather than only by speakers.
Among the policy issues raised were migration, racism, civic participation, democratic trust and economic inclusion. Participants also discussed recognition of overseas qualifications, engagement through schools and workplaces, and mechanisms to show how community consultation influences government decision-making.
One of the strongest themes was accountability. Organisers committed to providing delegates with a report within 28 days outlining how their contributions had informed the roadmap and the next stage of consultation.
The Social Cohesion Roadmap will now be refined through further engagement across sectors and communities, with a conference report to be distributed to attendees as work continues on the final recommendations.
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