Global Crisis | Local Harms

Unleashing the Potential of Cities in Western Canada & the Western United States.

On 30 – 31 October 2024, the Strong Cities Network (Strong Cities), in cooperation with the Foundation for a Path Forward (F4PF) and the City of Victoria, British Columbia (Canada) convened more than 65 mayors, councilmembers and other officials and experts from cities across the western United States and Canada, as well as state, provincial and federal officials, for the first-ever conference focused on preventing hate and maintaining social cohesion in cities and communities in these geographies.

The event was organised as part of BCSMARAT with funding support from the Attorney General’s Office, British Columbia, Canada and the US Consulate, Vancouver.  

Operationalising Local Prevention Efforts in Edmonton.

On 16 October 2024, the Strong Cities Network, in collaboration with the Foundation for a Path Forward and the City of Edmonton, and with funding support from Canadian Heritage hosted a workshop in Edmonton (Alberta) focused on addressing threats posed by online hate and the interplay between online and offline harms in Edmonton. Discussions centred on enhancing Edmonton’s anti-racism strategy and operationalising a data-driven early warning system for online hate monitoring. The event underscored a commitment from all participants to address the challenges of online hate through collaborative, community-based approaches.

Funding and Support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and Public Safety Canada.

The Role of Canadian Cities in Maintaining Social Cohesion.

On 30 – 31 May 2024, Montreal (Canada). Foundation for a Path Forward, in collaboration with Strong Cities Network. The Global Crises, Local Impacts Initiative, two-day conference convened mayors and other local elected leaders, as well as Canadian municipal practitioners, community leaders, experts in digital safety and researchers to explore the threats and challenges to social cohesion that cities in Canada are experiencing in the face of ongoing global crises and identify steps elected local leaders and municipal governments can take to prevent and mitigate harm to their communities.

Funding and Support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and Public Safety Canada.

On 22 – 23 January 2025

City leaders from South Asia shared their experiences in safeguarding social cohesion and community well-being amid crises such as climate shocks, migration pressures, political instability and rising violent extremism. Participants discussed how they address tensions, foster community trust and navigate the challenges of limited resources while prioritising the well-being of all residents.

The session highlighted innovative city-led approaches to inclusive governance, public communication, fostering resilience and ensuring public safety in multicultural urban settings. The conversation provided practical insights into the unique role cities play on the frontlines of global challenges.

On 3 – 5 December 2024, the Strong Cities Network held its Fifth Global Summit in Cape Town (South Africa), bringing together more than 140 participants, including 60 mayors and governors, as well as city officials, practitioners and partners from more than 90 cities and 40 countries around the world. The Summit included mayoral conversations, thematic parallel sessions and tabletop exercises – providing city officials from diverse contexts with opportunities to share and learn from city-led innovations and approaches to prevent and respond to hate, extremism and polarisation, and maintain social cohesion amid global crises.

Funding and Support Provided by Public Safety Canada.

Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative

On 17 – 19 September 2024, the Strong Cities Network brought together more than 75 mayors and local city officials from North America and Europe to discuss challenges and identify good practices for enhancing city-led efforts to maintain social cohesion in the face of global crises – from climate change to migration to international and regional conflicts to rising antisemitism, anti-Muslim and other forms of hate.

The Transatlantic Dialogue workshop was organised in cooperation with the City of Columbus, The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, other Columbus-based partners, as well as the U.S. Department of State.  

Global Crises, Local Impacts: How Cities are Responding to Rising Hate, Extremism and Polarisation

On 25 September 2024, New York City (New York), United States. An event to showcase for national and international partners the unique contributions of mayors and local governments in preventing and responding to rising levels of hate and extremism amid consecutive global crises. 

Mayors and local governments can help the long-term prevention of online harm by investing in the digital citizenship and resilience of their residents and community-wide awareness-raising of digital threats.  

3 – 5 June 2024

The Strong Cities Network brought together nearly 60 mayors and other city officials, as well as national government and civil society representatives from Europe and North America under its Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative to share experiences and challenges and identify good practices for enhancing city-led efforts to maintain social cohesion in the face of global crises – from migration to international and regional conflicts to the erosion of democracy. 

Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative: Elevating the Role of French Cities in Preventing Hate, Violent Extremism and Polarisation, Strengthening Social Cohesion and Safeguarding Local Democracy

In partnership with the European Parliament. 

On 14-15 May 2024 in Strasbourg (France) Held under the Strong Cities Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative, this workshop convened deputy mayors and other city officials, as well as representatives of national governments, civil society and city-focused initiatives from Europe and North America to discuss the role of French cities in preventing and responding to hate, extremism and polarisation.

On 6 – 7 March 2024, Bratislava, Slovakia

Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative: Maintaining Community Cohesion in the Midst of Global Crises — The Role of Mayors and Cities

The Strong Cities Network convened more than 40 mayors and local government practitioners as well as national government, civil society and multilateral representatives from Germany, Central and Eastern Europe and North America to share experiences, lessons learned and good practices in maintaining social cohesion in the midst of global crises such as migration, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war, among others.

December 2023, 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 crisis – 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 eighth in the series of monthly webinars focused on the threats cities are facing from online harms and the approaches they can take to address them.

On 13 December 2023, the Strong Cities Network hosted the first in a series of webinars on Global Crises, Local Impacts: Threats to Social Cohesion & How Cities Can Respond. Given the range of threats facing cities in North America as a result of global crises – ranging from COVID-19 and migration to the war in Ukraine, climate change, and, most immediately, Israel-Gaza – Strong Cities invited mayors from Athens (Ohio), Highland Park (Illinois) and Overland Park (Kansas), researchers (from the Bridging Divides Initiative and Institute for Strategic Dialogue), and community convener Foundation for a Path Forwardin Vancouver, Canada, to discuss what cities are facing and how local leaders can most effectively manage the inter-communal tensions resulting from these crises.