Introducing the Harmony Taskforce project: exploring young people’s insights about social cohesion in Australia
The Harmony Taskforce project, developed by Courage to Care and funded by Multicultural NSW, set out to find out what young people think and feel about social cohesion in Australia.
Iota Impact partnered with Courage to Care to facilitate the conversations - bringing together a group of young people to explore their thoughts and opinions about societal cohesion, civic responsibility and social harmony.
The service offering:
Facilitation
Background:
Courage to Care NSW (C2C) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to communicating the importance of moral courage and resilience in the face of prejudice and discrimination.
They strive to combat discrimination in all forms by inspiring and empowering individuals to become ‘upstander’ rather than a bystander through educational programs in schools and public exhibitions.
Courage to Care understands the crucial value of involving our young people in the design and improvement of its programs, and with funding from COMPACT Social Cohesion & Community Resilience Grants created the Harmony Taskforce project - designed to take the pulse of young people in NSW - to take stock of the to take stock of the attitudes, social divisions and prejudices which have been amplified during the two difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outcome:
The Taskforce engaged a cohort of young ambassadors who responded to a public call-out - participants were from metropolitan/regional NSW, and had experienced discrimination in their lives.
Maria facilitated the conversations using Zoom and an in-person workshop to explore and better understand:
Current issues and social divisions affecting young people in NSW, and
Contemporary examples which focus on inspiring and empowering students to act as “upstanders” and stand up against discrimination, bullying, prejudice, and hate
Improved messaging and to ensure the sense of social responsibility is successfully conveyed in Courage to Care in-school sessions.
A critical part of this project was the ability to have open and trusting conversations about sensitive and difficult topics like personal experiences of racism, hate crimes and discrimination and injustice.
Improving the current Courage to Care school education program
As a result of the Harmony Taskforce, Courage to Care have updated their school education program to include contemporary examples of how to be an ‘upstander’ - examples which were developed by the participants of the Harmony Taskforce. The improved program is offered to all secondary schools across NSW.
“Courage to Care needed a consultant that could take a project and make it happen. Maria is this person - and led the Harmony Taskforce project with genuine interest and confidence. I appreciated how she interpreted sensitive subject matter in a relatable way and did so with warmth and care for the young people participating in the Taskforce”.
CEO, Courage to Care
