AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL of HEADS of SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION SUBMISSION TO THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON ANTISEMITISM AND SOCIAL COHESION
This submission responds to the Royal Commission’s terms of reference, with a focus on clauses: (a) ii and (d), both of which concern strengthening social cohesion. We focus here on the role of universities.
In this submission, we contend that the most effective way to confront antisemitism is a comprehensive approach that addresses all forms of racism, including antisemitism. A systemic response provides constructive strategies to strengthen and foster social cohesion.
The Australian Council of Heads of Social Work Education (ACHSWE) is the peak body for social work education leaders throughout Australia. Through our mission, we are committed to the development of a fair and just society that supports the achievement of human aspiration and the empowerment of those affected by inequality. Our aim is to create a dynamic and vibrant social work profession through innovative teaching, rigorous research, and transformative engagement with communities. We are committed to strengthening social cohesion, as expressed in the international definition that positions social work as:
… a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and Indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing (International Federation of Social Workers, 2026).
We also subscribe to the Australian Association of Social Worker’s Code of Ethics (2020) in its commitment to social justice. This document states that “social workers respect
others’ beliefs, religious or spiritual world views, values, culture, goals, needs and
desires, as well as kinship and communal bonds.”
We are a relationally based profession and supporting social justice is key to our mandate. Our research supports the value of building relationships to engender a sense of belonging, participation, recognition and respect between diverse groups, thereby reducing the risk of violent conflict and building social connectedness. We believe that targeting one group for special attention risks damaging social cohesion, rather than building it.
We, and many of our social work colleagues, are concerned at the uptake by many universities of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) or Universities Australia definitions of antisemitism that link antisemitism to criticism of the actions of the Israeli state. We are concerned at attempts to connect the horrific events at Bondi with protest and actions within universities.
As senior academic leaders, we have observed campus protests since October 2023. Some of our Council members took part in these demonstrations, while others attended state or local solidarity events. In the vast majority, these actions focused on criticism of the policies and actions of the Israeli state, rather than expressing antisemitic views or targeting Jewish people. We reject all human rights abuses and condemn the devastating loss of innocent life in Palestine, and other countries affected by conflict, especially among children. Every civilian life has equal value, and all people deserve safety, dignity, and protection under international human rights and humanitarian law.
In our classrooms, we discuss anti-racism in all its forms and support anti-racism initiatives such as by the Australian Human Rights Commission. We do not single out antisemitism, but incorporate it in our undertaking to address all forms of racism, including islamophobia and racism against First Nations peoples. This viewpoint is, of course not confined to our group, but is held by others that see all forms of racism as abhorrent, including a number of Jewish organisations that do not wish antisemitism to be singled out as an exception.
Some of the measures that have been imposed on universities are antithetical to inclusion and hence minimise social cohesion, such as the recently introduced Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Report Card (2025) which requires universities to show how they tackle antisemitism. Similarly, universities that have signed up to either the IHRA or Universities Australia definition of antisemitism are in danger of creating an atmosphere of self-censorship among students and staff for fear of repercussions, which many have experienced. This is a disturbing influence on the free and respectful intellectual inquiry that is the hallmark of academic life.
As a leadership collective, we take responsibility to speak out against injustice. On 2nd February 2024 we made the following statement in support of the people of Gaza, which this submission will serve to update:
Our statement is in support of the current calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As a profession that aligns with social justice and human rights, we express our deep concern about the catastrophic suffering and loss of life and ask for political leaders throughout the world to restore and support peace. We encourage leadership in Australia to be engaged with all efforts to bring about a peaceful solution and we reject all arguments to the contrary including those located in islamophobia or antisemitism. We endorse the statement of the International Federation of Social Workers (2024) and express our deep support and concern for our social work colleagues and all people who are directly impacted by the conflict.
Universities play a critical role in facilitating dialogue, respect and connections between people across the frictions of difference. This work is vital to support democratic civil society. We call on the Royal Commission to direct universities to resist stifling free speech and academic freedom and to instead recognise that speaking up for social justice and against all forms of racism is core to many professions and disciplines, as well as to university communities.
This statement has been issued by ACHSWE and does not necessarily represent the views of all participating universities.
Written by: Professor Wendy Bowles, Social Work Lead, Charles Sturt University; Professor Linda Briskman, Margaret Whitlam Chair of Social Work, Western Sydney University; Professor Lynne Keevers, Professor and Discipline Lead of Social Work, University of Canberra; Professor Sarah MacLean, Discipline Lead, Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University; Associate Professor Kim Robinson, Discipline Lead Social Work, Deakin University; Associate Professor Louise Whitaker, Academic Lead, Social Work, Southern Cross University.
References
Australian Association of Social Workers. (2020). Code of Ethics. https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/1201
Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism (ASECA) (2025) https://www.aseca.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025-aseca-craven-media-release.pdf
International Federation of Social Workers. (2026). Global Definition of Social Work https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/
International Federation of Social Workers. (2024). Public Statement of Solidarity with Palestinean Social Workers and the People of Gaza. https://www.ifsw.org/public-statement-of-solidarity-with-palestinian-social-workers-and-the-people-of-gaza/