Collaborative approaches to counter the extremist right-wing and Islamophobia threats: A report of the NSW Conference held on 21 November 2019

This was the first countering violent extremism (CVE) government-funded conference in Australia and the world dedicated specifically to examining the impact of the extremist right-wing and Islamophobia on social cohesion after the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack in New Zealand. The academic presentations in the morning session highlighted the effectiveness of bottom-up and custom-made solutions, which also focused on structural inequalities and socio-economic disadvantages making the youth vulnerable to extremist ideologies.
The extremist right-wing and Islamophobia threats are deeper since the real target is democratic systems and social cohesion, yet their populistic discourse veils this real threat. The panellist in the second session highlighted the impact of extremism and its destructive nature developing with the sense of victimhood. They also suggested strengthening and connecting communities to achieve the common good, which is a safe and socially cohesive NSW for everyone. The conference sought to generate a collective sense of responsibility in safeguarding social, collaborative and coordinated efforts to counter the discussed problems.