Back
About RSIS
Introduction
Building the Foundations
Welcome Message
Board of Governors
Staff Profiles
Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
Dean’s Office
Management
Distinguished Fellows
Faculty and Research
Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
Visiting Fellows
Adjunct Fellows
Administrative Staff
Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
RSIS Endowment Fund
Endowed Professorships
Career Opportunities
Getting to RSIS
Research
Research Centres
Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
Centre of Excellence for National Security
Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
Research Programmes
National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)
Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
Other Research
Future Issues and Technology Cluster
Research@RSIS
Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
Graduate Education
Graduate Programmes Office
Exchange Partners and Programmes
How to Apply
Financial Assistance
Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
RSIS Alumni
Outreach
Global Networks
About Global Networks
RSIS Alumni
Executive Education
About Executive Education
SRP Executive Programme
Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
International Programmes
About International Programmes
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)
International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
Publications
RSIS Publications
Annual Reviews
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
RSIS Commentary Series
Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
Commemorative / Event Reports
Future Issues
IDSS Papers
Interreligious Relations
Monographs
NTS Insight
Policy Reports
Working Papers
External Publications
Authored Books
Journal Articles
Edited Books
Chapters in Edited Books
Policy Reports
Working Papers
Op-Eds
Glossary of Abbreviations
Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
RSIS Publications for the Year
External Publications for the Year
Media
Cohesive Societies
Sustainable Security
Other Resource Pages
News Releases
Speeches
Video/Audio Channel
External Podcasts
Events
Contact Us
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University
  • About RSIS
      IntroductionBuilding the FoundationsWelcome MessageBoard of GovernorsHonours and Awards for RSIS Staff and StudentsRSIS Endowment FundEndowed ProfessorshipsCareer OpportunitiesGetting to RSIS
      Staff ProfilesExecutive Deputy Chairman’s OfficeDean’s OfficeManagementDistinguished FellowsFaculty and ResearchAssociate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research AnalystsVisiting FellowsAdjunct FellowsAdministrative Staff
  • Research
      Research CentresCentre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)Centre of Excellence for National SecurityInstitute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      Research ProgrammesNational Security Studies Programme (NSSP)Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      Other ResearchFuture Issues and Technology ClusterResearch@RSISScience and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      Graduate Programmes OfficeExchange Partners and ProgrammesHow to ApplyFinancial AssistanceMeet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other eventsRSIS Alumni
  • Outreach
      Global NetworksAbout Global NetworksRSIS Alumni
      Executive EducationAbout Executive EducationSRP Executive ProgrammeTerrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
      International ProgrammesAbout International ProgrammesAsia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
  • Publications
      RSIS PublicationsAnnual ReviewsBooksBulletins and NewslettersRSIS Commentary SeriesCounter Terrorist Trends and AnalysesCommemorative / Event ReportsFuture IssuesIDSS PapersInterreligious RelationsMonographsNTS InsightPolicy ReportsWorking Papers
      External PublicationsAuthored BooksJournal ArticlesEdited BooksChapters in Edited BooksPolicy ReportsWorking PapersOp-Eds
      Glossary of AbbreviationsPolicy-relevant Articles Given RSIS AwardRSIS Publications for the YearExternal Publications for the Year
  • Media
      Cohesive SocietiesSustainable SecurityOther Resource PagesNews ReleasesSpeechesVideo/Audio ChannelExternal Podcasts
  • Events
  • Contact Us
    • Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
      rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
      rsis.sg
      rsissg
      RSIS
      RSS
      Subscribe to RSIS Publications
      Subscribe to RSIS Events

      Getting to RSIS

      Nanyang Technological University
      Block S4, Level B3,
      50 Nanyang Avenue,
      Singapore 639798

      Click here for direction to RSIS

      Get in Touch

    Connect
    Search
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • How to Build Cohesive Societies
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • RSIS Commentary Series
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • Future Issues
    • IDSS Papers
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers

    CO19123 | How to Build Cohesive Societies
    Paul Hedges

    24 June 2019

    download pdf

    SYNOPSIS

    The International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) in Singapore brought together academics, thought leaders, policy makers, youth leaders, and practitioners and pointed towards ways we can build cohesive societies.

    COMMENTARY

    FROM 19-21 June 2019, the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) held in Singapore explored good practice, strategies, and methods for building cohesive communities. While stressing the need to be respectful of context, some underlying principles were advanced.

    These included the need for religious and cultural literacy, to overcome inequalities and injustices in society, to provide compelling narratives, good leadership at all levels, the need for interfaith action, and the importance of including youth and women. But what is a Cohesive Society?

    Forging a Cohesive Society: Key Factors

    It is often easier to see what is wrong with a society than what makes one strong, cohesive, and stable. Three requirements are needed for a cohesive society. First, trust and respect. We need genuine bonds between people, and the need to see others as humans rather than tools to be utilised.

    Second, unity in diversity as every society has diversity and this must be accepted and embraced. Third, resilient identities so that we do not embrace diversity superficially or only tolerate our neighbours, but build bonds that can resist the tensions of exclusive narratives and the threat of violence.

    These requirements are simple and practical things, but must be developed in culturally sensitive ways in each society.

    Religious and Cultural Literacy 

    If we do not know our neighbours, we may find it hard to appreciate their customs. This does not need intensive study. Talking to your neighbour about their faith tradition, or their reasons for not having a faith tradition, can overcome basic misunderstandings. A conversation can go a long way.

    Potholes

    During people’s lives, many events can occur which throw them into the paths to extremism, radicalisation, and militancy. Christian Picciolini, the former Neo-Nazi who now works in rehabilitating others, introduced the much-appreciated phrase “potholes” to describe this.

    This can be a sense of inequality, alienation from social and political processes, a lack of connection with parents, or wealth and privilege which isolates us from others. Tackling exclusive narratives and the fractures that break societies means tackling these and other injustices and inequalities.

    Narratives, Emotions, Arguments 

    Lord John Alderdice, the Northern Ireland politician from the House of Lords, gave an important reminder that how we feel is key to how we think. The potholes that build our sense of being humiliated, isolated, or whatever else are hooks that extremists use.

    Extremists give people, especially young people, a sense of purpose, a community to belong to, and narratives that help them make sense of their lives. As such, alternative narratives must be better stories.

    We cannot simply make cold, rational arguments or tell people they are wrong (however true this is), without also – and often first – telling stories and making them feel the sense of belonging and purpose. The story of inclusion and cohesive societies must be better than the story of exclusion and fractured societies.

    Leadership

    Showing how we include minorities, understand people, do respectful dialogue, and build cohesion needs leaders who model this. There can be no room for populist demagogues who model discourses of hatred, exclusion, and lack of respect. This poisons the common space.

    Moreover, this is leadership at all levels. The grassroots leader who shows respect to her or his neighbour is as important as a politician such as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who responded so well in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks.

    The leadership from the political level to the grassroots can also increase effectiveness when it works in tandem. This means leading comes from all these layers: it can never only be top-down.

    Interfaith

    Around 84% of the world’s population is religious, a percentage expected to increase by 2050. Therefore, including religion as part of activities in cohesion is integral. But, in a diverse society, this must be interfaith activities and include interfaith voices. In dialogue, shared service, and community projects, religions can work together in important ways.

    Women and Youth 

    Women are half the population, and young people will take over from the current generations. The ICCS was preceded from 18-19 June by an integrated Young Leaders Programme, whose participants were then delegates through the main ICCS. However, it is not enough simply to run parallel or stand-alone youth projects.

    Young people come with a passion to change the world, a desire to help, and a need to be heard. They must, therefore, be part of the mainstream decision-making processes and conversations. Often speakers at the ICCS said that young people must be included, but this cannot simply be well-meaning words without action, which is making the changes to genuinely include young people as more than a token presence.

    Again, while every panel at the ICCS included women, more can be done. Often, successful ventures in dialogue, peacebuilding, and cohesion have worked better because they included women. Including only a token woman as a speaker is not enough, and like the youth they must be there as leaders and key players in all aspects of the process, with an aim for gender equity in representation.

    Moving Forward

    While many principles of cohesive societies are relatively simple, to put them into practice and to practise them well is difficult and arduous. Barriers must be overcome, potholes filled in, and narratives created, recreated, and told many times in different ways to various audiences.

    Nevertheless, learning from global best practice, linking worldwide networks of practitioners, thinkers, and policy makers, and taking inspiration from the work and words of others, means that we can after the ICCS all do better in our own fields.

    The event has had local, regional, and global reverberations. While, on its own, it cannot solve every problem, Singapore has hosted a potentially landmark event in the story of building cohesive societies.

    About the Author

    Paul Hedges PhD is Associate Professor in Interreligious Studies for the Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series on the International Conference on Cohesive Societies in Singapore on 19-21 June 2019 which was organised by RSIS and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).

    Categories: RSIS Commentary Series / Country and Region Studies / Religion in Contemporary Society / Singapore and Homeland Security / South Asia / Southeast Asia and ASEAN / Global
    comments powered by Disqus

    SYNOPSIS

    The International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) in Singapore brought together academics, thought leaders, policy makers, youth leaders, and practitioners and pointed towards ways we can build cohesive societies.

    COMMENTARY

    FROM 19-21 June 2019, the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) held in Singapore explored good practice, strategies, and methods for building cohesive communities. While stressing the need to be respectful of context, some underlying principles were advanced.

    These included the need for religious and cultural literacy, to overcome inequalities and injustices in society, to provide compelling narratives, good leadership at all levels, the need for interfaith action, and the importance of including youth and women. But what is a Cohesive Society?

    Forging a Cohesive Society: Key Factors

    It is often easier to see what is wrong with a society than what makes one strong, cohesive, and stable. Three requirements are needed for a cohesive society. First, trust and respect. We need genuine bonds between people, and the need to see others as humans rather than tools to be utilised.

    Second, unity in diversity as every society has diversity and this must be accepted and embraced. Third, resilient identities so that we do not embrace diversity superficially or only tolerate our neighbours, but build bonds that can resist the tensions of exclusive narratives and the threat of violence.

    These requirements are simple and practical things, but must be developed in culturally sensitive ways in each society.

    Religious and Cultural Literacy 

    If we do not know our neighbours, we may find it hard to appreciate their customs. This does not need intensive study. Talking to your neighbour about their faith tradition, or their reasons for not having a faith tradition, can overcome basic misunderstandings. A conversation can go a long way.

    Potholes

    During people’s lives, many events can occur which throw them into the paths to extremism, radicalisation, and militancy. Christian Picciolini, the former Neo-Nazi who now works in rehabilitating others, introduced the much-appreciated phrase “potholes” to describe this.

    This can be a sense of inequality, alienation from social and political processes, a lack of connection with parents, or wealth and privilege which isolates us from others. Tackling exclusive narratives and the fractures that break societies means tackling these and other injustices and inequalities.

    Narratives, Emotions, Arguments 

    Lord John Alderdice, the Northern Ireland politician from the House of Lords, gave an important reminder that how we feel is key to how we think. The potholes that build our sense of being humiliated, isolated, or whatever else are hooks that extremists use.

    Extremists give people, especially young people, a sense of purpose, a community to belong to, and narratives that help them make sense of their lives. As such, alternative narratives must be better stories.

    We cannot simply make cold, rational arguments or tell people they are wrong (however true this is), without also – and often first – telling stories and making them feel the sense of belonging and purpose. The story of inclusion and cohesive societies must be better than the story of exclusion and fractured societies.

    Leadership

    Showing how we include minorities, understand people, do respectful dialogue, and build cohesion needs leaders who model this. There can be no room for populist demagogues who model discourses of hatred, exclusion, and lack of respect. This poisons the common space.

    Moreover, this is leadership at all levels. The grassroots leader who shows respect to her or his neighbour is as important as a politician such as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who responded so well in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks.

    The leadership from the political level to the grassroots can also increase effectiveness when it works in tandem. This means leading comes from all these layers: it can never only be top-down.

    Interfaith

    Around 84% of the world’s population is religious, a percentage expected to increase by 2050. Therefore, including religion as part of activities in cohesion is integral. But, in a diverse society, this must be interfaith activities and include interfaith voices. In dialogue, shared service, and community projects, religions can work together in important ways.

    Women and Youth 

    Women are half the population, and young people will take over from the current generations. The ICCS was preceded from 18-19 June by an integrated Young Leaders Programme, whose participants were then delegates through the main ICCS. However, it is not enough simply to run parallel or stand-alone youth projects.

    Young people come with a passion to change the world, a desire to help, and a need to be heard. They must, therefore, be part of the mainstream decision-making processes and conversations. Often speakers at the ICCS said that young people must be included, but this cannot simply be well-meaning words without action, which is making the changes to genuinely include young people as more than a token presence.

    Again, while every panel at the ICCS included women, more can be done. Often, successful ventures in dialogue, peacebuilding, and cohesion have worked better because they included women. Including only a token woman as a speaker is not enough, and like the youth they must be there as leaders and key players in all aspects of the process, with an aim for gender equity in representation.

    Moving Forward

    While many principles of cohesive societies are relatively simple, to put them into practice and to practise them well is difficult and arduous. Barriers must be overcome, potholes filled in, and narratives created, recreated, and told many times in different ways to various audiences.

    Nevertheless, learning from global best practice, linking worldwide networks of practitioners, thinkers, and policy makers, and taking inspiration from the work and words of others, means that we can after the ICCS all do better in our own fields.

    The event has had local, regional, and global reverberations. While, on its own, it cannot solve every problem, Singapore has hosted a potentially landmark event in the story of building cohesive societies.

    About the Author

    Paul Hedges PhD is Associate Professor in Interreligious Studies for the Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series on the International Conference on Cohesive Societies in Singapore on 19-21 June 2019 which was organised by RSIS and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).

    Categories: RSIS Commentary Series / Country and Region Studies / Religion in Contemporary Society / Singapore and Homeland Security

    Popular Links

    About RSISResearch ProgrammesGraduate EducationPublicationsEventsAdmissionsCareersVideo/Audio ChannelRSIS Intranet

    Connect with Us

    rsis.ntu
    rsis_ntu
    rsisntu
    rsisvideocast
    school/rsis-ntu
    rsis.sg
    rsissg
    RSIS
    RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    Getting to RSIS

    Nanyang Technological University
    Block S4, Level B3,
    50 Nanyang Avenue,
    Singapore 639798

    Click here for direction to RSIS

    Get in Touch

      Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
      Privacy Statement / Terms of Use
      Help us improve

        Rate your experience with this website
        123456
        Not satisfiedVery satisfied
        What did you like?
        0/255 characters
        What can be improved?
        0/255 characters
        Your email
        Please enter a valid email.
        Thank you for your feedback.
        This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
        OK
        Latest Book
        more info