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Strong Cities Launches a New Working Group for City Managers to Strengthen Local Hate Prevention

Publication Date:

15/09/2026

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News

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Chief Administrative OfficersCity ManagersEradicate Hatehate preventionwhole-of-city approaches

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On 15 September, the Strong Cities Network, in partnership with Eradicate Hate, launched the City Managers Working Group, a new initiative to strengthen the role of city managers and chief administrative officers (CAOs) in whole-of-city approaches to preventing and responding to all forms of hate.

As a critical link between local elected leaders, city departments, staff and community partners, city managers and CAOs are uniquely positioned to mobilise and sustain whole-of-city approaches, strengthen trust and civility and ensure local governments and communities are better prepared to respond to emerging challenges.

The 2026 Eradicate Hate Global Summit hosted the inaugural meeting of the Working Group, bringing together municipal leaders from across Canada and the United States, alongside representatives from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) and the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA).

Discussions explored the challenges facing city administrators, including rising threats and harassment targeting local elected leaders and staff, disruptions at public meetings, misinformation, the local impacts of global crises and budget cuts. Participants identified priorities and needs for strengthening hate prevention at the local level and shared promising practices and innovative partnerships from their own communities.

Insights from the inaugural meeting, together with further Working Group consultations throughout 2026 and into 2027, will inform a forthcoming toolkit offering practical solutions, scalable guidance, case studies, tools and resources. It will support city managers, CAOs and their staff to better integrate prevention, preparedness, response and recovery into existing municipal systems.

Co-chaired by Lori Curtis Luther, City Manager of Overland Park (Kansas, USA), and Eric Rosand, Global Chair of the Strong Cities Network, the Working Group will hold monthly consultations, culminating in the launch of the new toolkit at the 2027 Eradicate Hate Global Summit.

The toolkit will build on Strong Cities’ existing practical resources for local governments, including A Guide for Mayors, A Toolkit for Manitoba Municipalities: Addressing Anti-Government Hate and Harassment and A Toolkit for Cities: Building a Multi-Actor Local Prevention Framework, all available through the Strong Cities Network Resource Hub.

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