But caring about conflicts overseas is very different from allowing those conflicts to divide Australians at home. Recent years have shown how quickly overseas conflicts can create local tensions. Social cohesion depends on the simple principle that every Australian deserves equal dignity, equal protection and equal opportunity. The Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion research continues to show strong public support for multiculturalism and diversity. In an increasingly divided world, protecting social cohesion is not simply good social policy.