Exploring linkages between inequality and polarization, identifying solutions to bridge divides and building solidarity across groups.
As inequalities within and between countries rise, divisive narratives and political strategies continue to polarize our societies, sow disinformation, and pit groups against each other. The growing threats of division, polarization, and the breakdown of societal and institutional trust undermine social cohesion, democracy, and collective efforts to foster equitable, just, and peaceful societies (SDG16+).
This new research from the Pathfinders aims to disentangle the threads of escalating global fragmentation, the dynamics fueling it, and emerging solutions to counteract its adverse effects. As inequalities within and between countries rise, there has also been a concomitant rise in divisive narratives and tech-amplified disinformation used to pit people, identities, and even policies against one another.
This report attempts to understand why and how different communities, actors, and policy agendas are being undermined in similar ways. Although these are difficult times, numerous solutions, actionable strategies, and dedicated communities are addressing these challenges—if we know where to look. We aim to highlight successful examples of tackling disinformation, bridging divides, and driving the desperately needed change.
A high-level discussion on the sidelines of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum, hosted by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies and supported by the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Czechia, and Guatemala. This gathering will bring stakeholders from various sectors together to address polarization and fragmentation—and foster a policy framework to reduce societal divisions and community vulnerabilities.
The side event at the High-Level Political Forum 2024 brought forward the theme of “Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Development: Towards a Transformative Change” and will specifically delve into the topics of transformative solutions in: 1) South-South Cooperation to narrow the gap between the Global North and South; 2) innovative financing; 3) sustainable economy, particularly on sustainable trade.
The Pathfinders co-hosted a high-level roundtable with the Global Center for Pluralism on how to address division across the world. Policymakers, experts, and practitioners from Canada, Indonesia, Spain, and South Africa shared lessons learned from global experiences in building solidarity and belonging across groups, including disrupting disinformation and divisive narratives that seek to polarize and bolster fragmentation.
Global policies on building solidarity, from Sierra Leone, Ecuador, and Canada, to Cuba, Colombia, and Rwanda.
