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Why This Topic Matters
We organize our content by topic to make complex issues easier to explore, understand, and navigate. Because language matters, each topic page clarifies how terms such as antisemitism, radicalization, or social cohesion are defined and used within the Canadian context.
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Social Cohesion & Community Impact
This topic examines how global conflicts and ideological movements affect social trust, polarization, and inter-group relations within Canada. It focuses on community impact rather than geopolitical positioning.
Definition
Effects of polarization, conflict, and ideology on social trust and community relations in Canada.
Why This Matters
Social cohesion underpins democratic stability and public trust.
Content Related To This Topic
Article
What the Lens Could Not Carry
David Batten
June 1, 2026
Esprit DeCorps
National Security & Geopolitics
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
David Batten reflects on his January 2025 journey to Israel with a Canadian delegation organized by Larry Maher of the Exigent Foundation . As a soldier and photographer, he confronts the limits of imagery in capturing the aftermath of October 7 and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Article
Canadian Jews are angry. It's a start
Larry Maher
March 11, 2026
National Post
Article
The Israelis who wish for peaceful co-existence
Adam Zivo
May 21, 2024
National Post
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Western Values & Democratic Norms
In this column, Adam Zivo recounts conversations with Israelis following visits to communities affected by the October 7 attacks. He describes perspectives expressing empathy for Palestinian civilians and contrasts these experiences with polarized rhetoric common in Western debates.
Article
Weak leadership and lax immigration policy is tearing the fabric of Canadian society
Larry Maher
January 28, 2026
National Post
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Immigration, Integration & Civic Values
This commentary explores Canada’s social cohesion through immigration policy, leadership clarity, and shared civic expectations. It argues pluralism requires common norms and consistent standards, warning that fragmentation emerges gradually when expectations are unclear or unevenly enforced.
Article
A tale of two Holy Lands - how the war is impacting some Israelis more than others
Adam Zivo
May 14, 2024
National Post
Middle East Context
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
In this column, Adam Zivo contrasts daily life in Tel Aviv with conditions in Israeli communities near Gaza and Lebanon after October 7. Through visits and interviews, he highlights geographic and emotional divides as Israelis navigate grief, displacement, and ongoing security threats.
Article
The cats of Kibbutz Nir Oz have taken over...
Bryan Passifiume
May 6, 2024
National Post
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this field report, Bryan Passifiume documents the aftermath of the October 7 attack at Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border. Through on-site observations and survivor accounts, he describes destruction, loss, and the community’s proximity to Gaza.
Article
Israel feels more like an open wound than a country these days
Warren Kinsella
May 11, 2024
Toronto Sun
Western Values & Democratic Norms
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
In this column, Warren Kinsella reflects on Israel months after the October 7 attacks. Reporting from Jerusalem and communities near Gaza, he describes displacement, memorials, political frustration, and a society navigating grief, security threats, and internal debate.
Interview
Israeli medical doctor laments effects of war on patient care for Israelis and Palestinians
Beth Baisch
May 19, 2024
Post Millenial
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this report, Beth Baisch interviews Dr. Avi Weisman of Rambam Hospital in Haifa. He discusses the hospital’s fortified underground emergency facility, the psychological toll on staff since October 7, and efforts to maintain cross-border patient care during wartime.
Article
As Tel Aviv gets back to normal, those in ‘Hostage Square’ weep
Adam Zivo
May 21, 2024
The Line
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this feature, Adam Zivo reports from Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square,” where families advocate for the release of Israelis held since October 7. Through interviews and observation, he explores the tension between public protest, political debate, and ongoing national trauma.
Article
Brothers see Israeli rest stop serving IDF soldiers as holy mission
Beth Baisch
June 12, 2024
Post Millenial
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this feature, Beth Baisch reports from Shuva, Israel, where three brothers created a volunteer-run rest stop supporting soldiers returning from Gaza after October 7. The initiative offers food, showers, and emotional support through community donations.
Article
Kibbutz pioneer survives to tell Hamas horror
Yoyo Yan
November 5, 2024
York Region
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this column, Yoyo Yan reports from Kibbutz Nir Oz, recounting survivor testimony from Shlomo Margalit following the October 7 attack. The article documents the assault’s devastation and reflects on the kibbutz’s longstanding commitment to coexistence.
Article
Seeing Israel through new eyes after week witnessing hope, determination
Corey Herscu
December 7, 2025
Toronto Sun
Social Cohesion & Community Impact
Middle East Context
In this reflective article, a Canadian participant recounts a week in Israel after October 7, visiting affected communities and meeting survivors. The piece emphasizes lived experience, resilience, and a more complex understanding of grief and civic solidarity.
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