Australian multiculturalism was built through work and necessity rather than luck, and should never be dismissed as a woke concept, the federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic told one hundred and sixty invited leaders at the Think Social Cohesion National Summit in Parramatta yesterday.
Delivering the opening keynote, Mr Husic opened with a deliberately odd proposition. The Great Barrier Reef, he said, is not Australian multiculturalism. The reef sits inside Australia’s borders by a cartographer’s fluke. Multiculturalism does not.
“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.”
The Hon Ed Husic MP, Federal Member for Chifley
The summit was convened by SydWest, SSI and the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), and concluded that Australia does not lack ideas on social cohesion. It lacks a shared framework for acting on them. The day culminated in the emerging Social Cohesion Roadmap, developed from keynote addresses, panel discussions and more than 300 live contributions from participants throughout the day.
The day carried national and state significance. Delivering the afternoon keynote, Louise Perry, Interim Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, told the summit that the Multicultural Victoria Bill had entered the Victorian Parliament at ten past twelve that afternoon, establishing a new statutory body to lead the multicultural and multifaith portfolio in that state.
Unlike traditional conferences, delegates were not simply asked to listen. Every contribution submitted during the summit was synthesised in real time and fed back into the discussion, allowing participants to shape the day’s conclusions as they unfolded.
The summit also committed to an uncommon standard of accountability. Within 28 days, every delegate will receive a report outlining what changed because of their participation, reflecting one of the day’s strongest recurring themes. Listening is not complete until people can see what changed because they spoke.
The summit also produced a specific national proposal. Peter Gutwein, former Premier of Tasmania and Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council, identified the first recommendation of the Multicultural Framework Review, that the federal parliament come together to reaffirm and declare that Australia is a multicultural country, and called for it to be revisited.
“That opportunity still exists at a national level. I would love to see the parliament debate and pass a motion in those terms.”
Peter Gutwein, former Premier of Tasmania and Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council
An emerging Social Cohesion Roadmap
While discussions ranged across migration, belonging, racism, civic participation, economic inclusion and democratic trust, five interconnected priorities consistently emerged throughout the day.
Rights and responsibility. Social cohesion must rest on clear rights, enforceable responsibilities and accountable institutions. Participants called for stronger legal and policy foundations that move beyond aspiration towards measurable responsibility, with a duty bearer named for every commitment.
Reach. Cohesion work reaches people who are already willing to engage with it. The greater challenge is reaching those who are not. Participants identified neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, sporting clubs, third spaces, local media and local government as the infrastructure available for rebuilding trust and belonging.
Participation. Economic participation is central to social cohesion. Better recognition of overseas qualifications, stronger employment pathways and support for entrepreneurship enable people not only to belong but to contribute.
Accountability. Consultation without visible action weakens trust. Participants consistently argued that governments, institutions and organisations should demonstrate how community input influences decisions and measure the outcomes of those commitments.
Narrative. Australia needs renewed confidence in its national story. Rather than treating multiculturalism as something to defend, participants argued it should be recognised as one of Australia’s defining strengths and embedded more deeply across institutions and public life.
More than multiculturalism
Two themes echoed across every session.
The first was that social cohesion is not solely a multicultural or migration issue. It concerns every Australian and every institution.
The second was that Australia’s diversity should be understood as a national strength rather than a challenge to be managed.
Quotes
“Australia does not lack goodwill or ideas. Today’s summit demonstrated that what we have lacked is a shared framework for turning those ideas into collective action. This roadmap is intended to begin that work.”
Elfa Moraitakis
Chief Executive Officer
SydWest Multicultural Services
“People experience belonging when they are able to contribute. That means recognising skills, removing barriers to employment and enterprise, and ensuring participation becomes both an economic and a social priority.”
Violet Roumeliotis AM
Chief Executive Officer
Settlement Services International
“The settlement sector knows that listening is only the beginning. Real participation happens when communities can see themselves reflected in policy, practice and outcomes.”
Maria Dimopoulos AM
Chief Executive Officer
Settlement Council of Australia
The summit
The summit was hosted at Business Western Sydney in Parramatta and chaired by Janice Petersen of SBS, the summit’s media partner.
Opening keynote speaker Ed Husic MP argued that Australian multiculturalism was never a fluke and was built through work, leadership and necessity. Louise Perry, Interim Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, delivered the afternoon keynote. Framing addresses were delivered by Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Allegra Spender MP, Member for Wentworth.
Panellists across the day included Jesse J. Fleay, Joe Ball, Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, Violet Roumeliotis AM, Professor Kevin Dunn, Taylor Hawkins, Amar Singh JP, Professor Nareen Young, Peter Gutwein, James Jegasothy, Peter Stahel, David Hua, Mariam Veiszadeh, Dor Akech Achiek, Nathan Hagarty MP and Sneha Chatterjee.
What happens next
The emerging Social Cohesion Roadmap represents the beginning rather than the conclusion of this work. Over the coming months:
- the roadmap will be refined through continued engagement across sectors and communities;
- a conference report will document the discussions, including areas of consensus and disagreement;
- commitments made during the summit will be monitored and revisited over the coming six months; and
- within 28 days, every delegate will receive a summary outlining what changed because they contributed.
About us:
The Think Social Cohesion National Summit is a collaboration between SydWest, SSI and the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA).
Contact details:
SSI Head of Corporate Affairs Hannah Gartrell | [email protected] or 0423 965 956
