News & Events Event Reports

Global Crises, Local Impacts: Threats to Social Cohesion and How Cities Can Respond (May 2024)

Publication Date:

11/06/2024

Content Type:

Event Reports

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Tags:

antisemitismGlobal CrisesIslamophobiaIsrael-GazaLocal ImpactsOnline hateSocial Cohesion

— 3 minutes reading time

Event Details

Description: Given the range of threats facing cities in Europe and North America as a result of global crises – from COVID-19 and migration to the war in Ukraine, climate change and, most immediately, the Israel-Gaza conflict – Strong Cities launched a webinar series inviting mayors and other city officials, as well as experts from counter-hate research and other organisations, to discuss what cities are facing and how local leaders can most effectively manage inter-communal tensions resulting from these crises. This is the sixth in the series of monthly webinars.

Where & When: 23 May 2024, virtual  

Cities Represented:

• Albuquerque (New Mexico, USA)
• Leeds (United Kingdom)
• Wroclaw (Poland)

Key Takeaways

For Mayors & Cities

• Some communities are hurting – and some cities are divided – more than ever before, with rising incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Despite the perennial challenges stemming from the broader Israel-Palestine conflict, the events of 7 October and the ensuing fallout have led to greater trauma and divisions between local communities in the West than previous flareups during the decades-long conflict. Traditionally moderating voices are becoming increasingly vociferous and the terminology used by some activists is triggering to traumatised communities, which hinders the search for mutual understanding.
• Campus protests contribute to this polarisation and social media is exacerbating the divide, with foreign actors exploiting events for their own purposes. Protests have largely remained non-violent, but violent incidents with counter-protesters and police clearing encampments have allowed foreign hostile actors to promote narratives online that, for example, the United States government is hypocritical and in chaos. Compounded by unverified narratives seeking to delegitimise the protests, social media is a vector for divisiveness that permeates to local communities and exacerbates tensions.
• City governments and local leaders need to be proactive in response to both online and offline (real-life) tensions. As it becomes clear that global crises will have local impacts, city leaders and local governments should take proactive steps to ensure that agency staff and community organisations have the requisite tools to deal with hate and extremism. Behavioural health approaches to community safety are key, as is adapting existing structures – e.g., for radicalisation or gun violence – to meet the current context and offer services accordingly. Online, some cities are tracking threats on social media and taking appropriate legal action to shut down hate speech, while also encouraging residents to share cloud-based video with authorities to facilitate investigations.
• Local governments need to allow for free expression, even if controversial; however, authorities must ensure that it is done safely and without crossing the line into illegal behaviour. Strengthening peaceful protest and the expression of radical ideas through democratic and pro-social means is a key protective factor to avoid radicalisation and mobilisation to violence. Cities can minimise the risk of radicalisation by strengthening the democratic spaces where non-violent protest can take place and where social action can have a real impact. Cities often work with leaders of protests and activists to ensure that demonstrations can proceed, but in a way that does not jeopardise public safety and avoids a police response. It is only when protests engage in illegal activity – e.g., indefinitely blocking public spaces, engaging in illegal hate speech – that authorities should take more direct action.
• There is a particular problem of hate and extremism – alongside violence – emerging from youth and school systems need to prepare accordingly. Despite the focus on protests on university campuses, tensions related to the Israel-Gaza crisis are particularly acute at the high school level. Some cities are working with school administrators to facilitate dialogue sessions to allow high school students to process their feelings constructively. And where issues of hate and bullying are on the rise, behavioural health workers can intervene to ensure that situations do not escalate into violence.

Next Steps

The next session of this monthly webinar series will feature experts and city representatives from both Europe and North America and is scheduled for 26 June 2024. It will focus on the importance of promoting and maintaining civil discourse, especially in times of crisis.

Additional Resources

• Global Crises, Local Impacts Initiative webpage, Strong Cities Network (undated)
• Global Crises, Local Impacts: Key Findings & Recommendations to Date, Strong Cities Network (April 2024)
• A Guide for City-Led Response, Strong Cities Network (updated May 2024)
• A Guide for Cities: Preventing Hate, Extremism & Polarisation, Strong Cities Network (updated May 2024)
• A Guide for Mayors: Preventing and Responding to Hate, Extremism and Polarisation, Strong Cities Network (updated May 2024)
• Resources for Cities: Addressing Hate & Extremism, Strong Cities Network (updated May 2024)
• Navigating Local Impacts of Global Crises: Ten Considerations for Mayors and Cities – Lessons from the Israel-Gaza Crisis, Strong Cities Network (December 2023)

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