Racism watchdog warns of coded message in cohesion call
Australia’s racial discrimination commissioner has warned that the phrase ‘social cohesion’ is being used as a code for assimilation and is undermining progress towards a harmonious society.
Giridharan Sivaraman first raised the alarm over the overuse of the term after an Australian Human Rights Commission report published in July 2024 found that governments at all levels were choosing to address ‘social cohesion’ rather than ‘racism’.
Politicians’ calls for social harmony were intensified in December when two gunmen opened fire on a Chanukah event at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.
But choosing the term over racism, which includes antisemitism, can have serious consequences.
“The irony is that by raising the need for social harmony you are not talking about racism and are undermining progress towards a harmonious society,” Mr Sivaraman told AAP.
“Social conformity is sometimes used as a way to lead to racism in the sense that it is code for assimilation and for people to change part of their identity when they don’t conform to what is considered acceptable in Australia.
“I’ve had people say to me, ‘don’t talk about racism because you’re disrupting social harmony,’ which actually prevents you from talking about the problem because talking about the problem is seen as destructive.”
The Commissioner avoids the term ‘social cohesion’ whenever possible, as it is a vague and often amorphous and outdated concept.
But it has become a buzzword among major political parties.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who briefly appointed a special envoy for social cohesion, has used the term almost 70 times since the commission published its report and more than 35 times since the mass shooting.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has said “social harmony” in a similar vein at least 24 times since taking office in May 2025.
Mr Sivaraman said Australians found it difficult to talk about racism.
“The person who calls out racism tends to be attacked more than the perpetrator,” he said.
“In an environment where it’s really hard to talk about this issue, where racial literacy is really low, where people think talking about racism is somehow divisive, people are starting to use terms like social cohesion.”
The federal government’s royal commission, announced after significant pressure following the Bondi attack, is a clear example of this problem, the commissioner said.
The terms of reference are about antisemitism and social cohesion rather than antisemitism and other forms of racism.
The Prime Minister also announced special envoys to address Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in July and September 2024.
While Mr. Sivaraman has productive working relationships with both ambassadors, he believes the policy should help everyone, noting that stereotypes are specific to different groups.
“We don’t want communities to feel like they’re being pitted against each other, and we don’t want to create a hierarchy of racism,” he said, calling on the government to implement the National Anti-Racism Framework.
“The beauty of anti-racist work is that when you make systems and institutions more transparent, responsive, and accountable, you make them better not just for race, but for everyone, regardless of class, gender, age, or disability.”
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