Do governments trust communities? How to build and maintain trust in the age of grievance and disinformation

Time

1pm-2pm AEDT

About

This presentation explores the evolving dynamics of trust between governments and communities, drawing on two key reports from the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies. The 2024 report Do Governments Trust Communities reveals that trust is not a static attribute but a relational flow-shaped by behaviours such as openness, accountability, and reciprocity. It highlights the under-examined question of whether governments trust communities, and how this affects co-design and policy legitimacy.

Building on these insights, the 2025 Removing Barriers to Trust Building report proposes four actionable strategies: simplifying access to government systems, investing in community capability, training officials in trust-building, and establishing a Trust Lab to embed innovation. Together, these findings underscore the urgent need for governments to move beyond transactional engagement and foster sustained, respectful partnerships-especially in an era marked by grievance narratives and disinformation.

The presentation will offer practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners seeking to rebuild trust through inclusive processes and resilient relationships. It invites reflection on how trust can be mobilised as a form of social capital to counter fragmentation and strengthen democratic cohesion.

AIDR's Spotlight Series

AIDR's Spotlight Series is a new quarterly series showcasing emerging knowledge, research and issues in disaster risk reduction and resilience.

The world is increasingly complex with risks and consequences becoming more systemic in nature. Our sector is rapidly evolving as we are exposed to these challenges.

To help practitioners, policy makers, and researchers in navigating these issues, AIDR, in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency, is excited to launch the new Spotlight Series webinars.

The purpose of this series is to provide a forum for conversations about emerging issues in disaster risk reduction and resilience, and to highlight topics of importance that receive little attention or focus. This series will support practitioners to be informed, build knowledge and skills, and to identify sound evidence to support effective planning and practice.

The webinars will be one hour long with a feature topic and time for discussion and questions at the end. Look out for new webinars as they are developed and added to the events calendar.