Building Social Cohesion in a Multicultural Country

In this year’s Red Cross Oration, Kate Jenkins AO, President of the Australian Red Cross, draws on her extensive leadership in human rights, governance and social reform to explore the social, cultural and humanitarian dimensions of cohesion in a multicultural society.

The Oration includes a panel exploring how communities, services and institutions support new arrivals, alongside the power of lived experience, storytelling, arts and cultural exchange to reduce fear, build trust and strengthen connection.

At a time of increasing global uncertainty, this year’s Red Cross Oration asks a vital question: how can diversity become a source of strength for our communities, rather than division?