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How can we protect the public sphere from extremist threats and strengthen democratic resilience in Australia?

The problem:

Violent extremism endangers not only lives but also the public sphere. By spreading fear and division, extremists seek to polarise the public discourse and undermine the foundations of a multicultural society.

Our research:

• We developed a new framework of democratic resilience, centred on the public sphere and its capacity to withstand shocks while sustaining or deepening democratic qualities.
• We conducted in-depth interviews with government agencies and civil society organisations working to counter violent extremism, ensuring the framework is grounded in practice.
• We applied the framework to a case study of New South Wales’ countering violent extremism initiatives, generating evidence-based insights with broader implications for strengthening democracy.

Our impact:

• Our research directly informed the New South Wales Government’s response to violent extremism, with senior officials recognising its contribution to fostering meaningful deliberation between government, civil society, and the wider community.
• Our findings contributed to national discussions on democratic resilience and informed the federal government’s 2024 report Strengthening Australian Democracy: A Practical Agenda for Democratic Resilience, shaping its framing and recommendations.

Our research lays out concrete steps democracies can take to protect the public sphere from violent extremist attacks and threats, with implications beyond NSW.