Moving Forward Together

Moving Forward Together is an Australian charitable organisation headquartered in Sydney that works to encourage social harmony, inclusion, mutual respect and the prevention of prejudice. Established in 2005, the organisation is associated with community education and public-awareness activities, particularly in connection with Australia’s annual Harmony Day celebrations. Its programs have included community walks, school-based poster and songwriting competitions, and public exhibitions designed to encourage pride in cultural identity and a sense of belonging. The organisation’s activities have had a strong New South Wales focus. Its Harmony Day poster competition has invited students to express ideas relating to cultural diversity, respect and belonging. In 2016, selected entries were exhibited at Parliament House in Sydney before becoming part of a travelling exhibition. The competition continued to operate as a large-scale educational initiative; in 2021, submissions reportedly came from more than 5,300 students. Moving Forward Together’s work has been recognised by members of the Australian Government and the Government of New South Wales. Moving Forward Together is also associated with the Stop Racism Now AU campaign, launched in 2021. The campaign was introduced by the Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley, together with other Australian parliamentarians. It seeks to communicate messages of mutual respect and understanding and supports the development of anti-racism educational materials for schools in New South Wales. The organisation has been led by Ernie Friedlander, a Holocaust survivor. Its public identity is consequently closely connected with remembrance, opposition to antisemitism and broader anti-prejudice education, although its stated social-harmony activities address racism and exclusion more broadly. The organisation is a mission-led civic and educational initiative rather than a commercial consumer brand. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about its legal structure, funding, staffing, revenue, governance arrangements and current program scale.

Moving Forward Together was established in Australia in 2005 as a charitable organisation concerned with social harmony and the prevention of prejudice. Based in Sydney, it developed a public-facing program centred on community participation, school education and cultural inclusion. The organisation’s work has generally been presented through activities associated with Harmony Day, an annual Australian celebration of cultural diversity and belonging. Its Harmony Day program has included community walks, public exhibitions, poster competitions and songwriting competitions. These activities provide participatory ways for children and communities to explore themes such as respect, cultural identity, pride and belonging. The organisation’s New South Wales poster competition became one of its most visible recurring initiatives. In 2016, competition entries were shown at Parliament House in Sydney and later used in a travelling exhibition, extending the program beyond a single venue. By 2021, the competition reportedly received entries from more than 5,300 students. Moving Forward Together’s activities have received recognition from Australian government members and representatives of the New South Wales Government. This relationship has helped position the organisation’s programs within broader public efforts to promote inclusion and counter racism, although the available reference material does not establish a formal government ownership or affiliation. In 2021, Moving Forward Together initiated Stop Racism Now AU, a campaign dedicated specifically to anti-racism messaging. The campaign was launched by New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley alongside other Australian parliamentarians. Its approach combines public communications about mutual respect and understanding with the preparation of educational materials intended for schools in New South Wales. The campaign expanded the organisation’s public work from general social harmony and Harmony Day programming toward a more explicit anti-racism platform. Stop Racism Now AU was later mentioned by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in its annual review of antisemitic activity in Australia. That reference followed the rejection of the campaign’s outreach by a student union at the University of Technology Sydney. The ECAJ interpreted the circumstances of the rejection as reflecting a broader trend of anti-Jewish sentiment among some progressive activists. This episode is documented as a controversy surrounding reception of the campaign, not as a finding that Moving Forward Together engaged in misconduct. The organisation has been led by Ernie Friedlander, a Holocaust survivor. His leadership is consistent with the organisation’s emphasis on remembrance, tolerance and opposition to prejudice. Public sources do not provide a detailed chronology of leadership changes, financial performance, staffing, legal structure or geographic expansion. On the available evidence, Moving Forward Together remains an Australian civic and educational organisation whose principal public activities are community events, school competitions, exhibitions and anti-racism campaigns.

• 2021

  Stop Racism Now AU launched

  [1]Moving Forward Togetheren.wikipedia.org

  Moving Forward Together launched its Stop Racism Now AU anti-racism campaign with the participation of the Governor of New South Wales and other parliamentarians.

• 2021

  Poster competition attracts more than 5,300 student submissions

  [1]Moving Forward Togetheren.wikipedia.org

  The organisation’s Harmony Day poster competition involved submissions from more than 5,300 students.

• 2016

  Harmony Day posters exhibited at Parliament House

  [1]Moving Forward Togetheren.wikipedia.org

  Entries from the New South Wales Harmony Day poster competition were displayed at Parliament House in Sydney before being included in a travelling exhibition.

• 2005

  Organisation founded

  [1]Moving Forward Togetheren.wikipedia.org

  Moving Forward Together was established in Australia to promote social harmony and prevent prejudice.

A community and education-focused Australian organisation promoting social harmony, cultural belonging and opposition to racism and prejudice.

• Community program

  Harmony Day activities

  A recurring set of social-harmony activities organised in connection with Australia’s annual Harmony Day celebrations. Activities have included community walks, creative competitions and public exhibitions intended to foster cultural understanding, participation and belonging.

• School competition

  Harmony Day poster competition

  An annual New South Wales competition inviting students to create posters around themes including pride, respect and belonging. Selected works have been presented in public exhibitions, including a 2016 display at Parliament House in Sydney followed by a travelling exhibition.

• Anti-racism campaign · 2021

  Stop Racism Now AU

  An anti-racism initiative launched in 2021 that promotes mutual respect and understanding and supports the creation of educational materials for schools in New South Wales.

• 2021Stop Racism Now AU

  New South Wales · Australia

  Moving Forward Together launched a campaign promoting mutual respect, understanding and anti-racism education, with materials intended for New South Wales schools.

  Outcome. The campaign received public participation from the New South Wales Governor and parliamentarians and was later discussed in the Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s annual review of antisemitic activity.

  Source
• Harmony Day campaigns

  Australia · New South Wales

  Moving Forward Together conducts community and educational activities alongside Australia’s annual Harmony Day celebrations, including walks, creative competitions and public exhibitions.

  Outcome. The activities have received recognition from Australian and New South Wales government members and have engaged schools and communities.

  Source

1. 1Moving Forward Togetheren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Moving Forward Together official websitemovingforwardtogether.org.au