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Panel | Converging threats: building social cohesion in the context of multiple disasters, disinformation and extremism
The top global risks identified by the World Economic Forum in 2025 included disinformation and misinformation, extreme weather events and social polarization. These risks are all linked and the emergency management sector needs to focus on how these risks are converging. Two major social patterns already recognized in disaster contexts include increased social cohesion and conversely social deterioration. Both are closely linked to individual and community levels of psychosocial resilience and wellbeing. Less is known about the potential for social cohesion to be deliberately compromised by extremists in the context of multiple disasters.
The panel will examine the emergence of two trust realities which have significant implications for emergency management and psychosocial resilience and wellbeing. Distrust in government and government information is often based on social and economic inequality. Those who are less wealthy, less well-educated and from non-English speaking backgrounds often have less trust in government and find it harder to navigate government systems. There is also a tendency for government officials to extend more trust to those communities who understand how government works, and who use the technical language of government policy, funding and budgets. Where communities have a lack of faith in media and government, they seek out alternative sources of information and are open to disinformation, misinformation and conspiracies. We need to better understand these trends and how distrusting official information for some becomes a rational choice.
It is critical to increase government, service provider and community capacity to recognize and offset those risk factors by building trust, critical thinking and social connectedness. The panel speakers will draw on their expertise in community approaches, government intervention, research evidence and service initiatives to co-generate practical strategies with audience members about how to sustain psychosocial resilience and wellbeing in the changing disaster and social landscape in Australia.
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