1. Executive summary 1.1 Project context The 2023 Mapping Social Cohesion Report found that social cohesion is under pressure and declining in Australia, citing declines in a sense of national pride and belonging, increasing financial strain and a weakening sense of social inclusion and justice as signs of further weakening of the social fabric of the nation.11 As part of five independent foundational research pieces to support the development of a new National Anti-Racism Framework, in 2023 the Commission engaged PwC Indigenous Consulting (PIC), with subject matter expertise from Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research (Jumbunna) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to identify and document existing national, state, territory, and local government programs and policies with relevance to antiracism. In 2022 the Federal Government committed $7.5m over four years to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC, the Commission) to support the development of the Framework and facilitate anti-racism public education and awareness initiatives. As part of the foundational research for the new Framework, the Commission sought to enhance their understanding of existing anti-racism work conducted or funded by the three tiers of government in Australia, identify opportunities for expansion of existing initiatives, and highlight the gaps in programs and policy that can be consolidated and addressed by a national Framework. The research findings presented here will be used by the Commission to support the development of the National Anti-Racism Framework. 1.2 Research approach A research framework was co-designed with the Race Discrimination team to establish a considered approach to identify and baseline relevant policies and programs of government (federal, state, local) over the past five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23. A mixed method approach was used to conduct the research for this project to consider data from different sources: quantitative (what could be measured via desktop research) and qualitative (what could be observed via key stakeholder interviews). Through the scoping phase for the National Anti-Racism, the Commission had identified the importance of centering First Nations peoples’ experiences. Both PIC and Jumbunna recognise that change happens when First Nations peoples are actively involved in the processes that will affect them, thus our approach to this project promoted First Nations ways of being, knowing and doing. 11 Scanlon Foundation (2023) O’Donnell, J, Mapping Social Cohesion 2023, page 6. 1