The Australian Baha’i Community warmly invites representatives of NGOs, religious and cultural communities, members of the media, academia, gender equality organisations, youth networks, think tanks, institutions and government to attend the 2021 National Social Cohesion and Inclusion Conference held online on 12 October 2021 from 10 am - 1 pm AEDT.

The conference will explore the settings, approaches, methods and experiences that will guide our country to foster greater social cohesion and inclusion into the future. It is an opportunity for all to reflect on advances, lessons learnt and obstacles to social cohesion in Australia.

This past year the global health crisis has affected us all and caused many to reflect on our way of life. We have grown increasingly conscious of how interconnected we are. How does this heightened sense of interconnectedness find expression in our efforts to be a more inclusive and socially cohesive society? How do we move from an acceptance of diversity towards harmonisation? How do we invite the participation of growing numbers in a collective conversation? The conference will provide a space to explore themes such as these.

Keynote speaker:
Pastor Ray Minniecon - Pastor, St. John’s Anglican Church & CEO, Bunji Consultancies

Presenters and panellists:
Joseph La Posta - CEO, Multicultural NSW - Religious Communities Forum

Penny Taylor - Race Relations Researcher, University of Tasmania

Maria Koleth & Rosalie Atie - Policy Officers, Australian Human Rights Commission, Race Discrimination Team

Ryan Epondulan - Youth and Networking Coordinator, Youth PoWR - Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations,

Mateen Navidi - Project Coordinator, Fred Murray Community Centre

Conference session details:

Session 1: Oneness, Inclusion & Diversity (Opening & Keynote Address, and Q&A)
Session 2: Creating Spaces for Constructive and Unifying Dialogue (Panel Discussion and Q&A)
Session 3: Sharing Insights and Experiences (Workshop & Plenary)

For further updates, visit the conference webpage.

See highlights from the 2020 National Social Cohesion and Inclusion Conference