Recent community surveys show that while there is a high level of support for cultural diversity in Victoria, a proportion of the community continues to hold intolerant attitudes and people from Indigenous and migrant and refugee backgrounds experience unacceptably high rates of discrimination (VicHealth 2007). There is a clear link between exposure to this type of discrimination and a range of negative health outcomes including anxiety and depression (Paradies 2006).
The VicHealth Building Bridges Program is based on studies showing that a very effective way of reducing discrimination is through activities that bring affected groups together with members of the wider community to work cooperatively on a common goal. Through this, meaningful relationships form, leading to a better understanding between groups. This in turn can help to break down the negative attitudes and beliefs that lead to discrimination and exclusion (Pettigrew & Tropp 2006).
While there is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of intercultural contact as a mechanism to reduce discrimination, many of these studies have been conducted overseas and of these most have occurred in contexts where there are identifiable ‘in' and ‘out' groups. Building Bridges is the first time a program based on this approach has been developed and systematically trialled in multiple settings in Australia's culturally diverse environment.
The presentation will outline evidence supporting the approach and highlight good practices in promoting inter-cultural contact among children and young people from specific projects. Early findings emerging from the ongoing program evaluation being undertaken by the University of Melbourne Centre for Health Policies, Programs and Evaluation will also be discussed.
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