In this episode of The Belonging Shift podcast, host Mantej Singh speaks with Aleem Ali, CEO, Welcoming Australia on social cohesion and belonging. Aleem says that at its core, it's about the strength of relationships within a society. So how well people trust each other, how much they feel like they belong, how much they can participate meaningfully, and how much they can interact effectively. The conversation delves into the impact of economic strain on belonging and the role of leaders and institutions.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Belonging and Community

00:54 Aleem Ali's Journey and Background

04:33 Understanding Belonging: A Complex Concept

07:13 The Spectrum of Belonging

14:28 Challenges of Belonging in Diverse Spaces

17:42 Misunderstandings in Leadership and Belonging

19:58 Micro practices: Simple Acts of Kindness

23:46 Constraints to Belonging: Systems and Status Quo

24:55 Shifts Leaders Need to Make for Belonging

26:32 Final Advice for Leaders on Belonging

Aleem’s advice for leaders and practitioners for making the #BelongingShift

Shift 1: Accept diversity as the community reality

Shift 2: Move from fear and assumption to listening, learning and genuine relationship-building.

Shift 3: Prioritise micropractices - simple acts of welcome, respect and kindness that build trust daily.

Shift 4: Question inherited systems and redesign them for todays context

Shift 5: Understand your own inherent biases and prejudices

Guest Bio

Aleem Ali is CEO, Welcoming Australia. Aleem has spent more than two decades seeding and mentoring the development of leading initiatives and social enterprises that advance inclusion, belonging and justice for diverse communities. He is the Deputy Chair of Oxfam Australia and a mentor and advisor to various startups, community enterprises and government agencies. As the CEO of Welcoming Australia, Aleem is working with leaders and organisations across the country to cultivate a culture of welcome and advance communities where people of all backgrounds belong, contribute and thrive. For more information on Welcoming Australia visit https://welcoming.org.au . For more information on Aleem visit linked https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleemshaun/ and his personal website https://aleemshaun.com

Host Bio

Mantej Singh is the Founder and Principal Consultant for Belonging Co, a social and cultural inclusion consultancy based in Sydney with a belonging lens. He founded Belonging Co in 2025 to enhance the capability, confidence, and understanding of leaders and organisations regarding inclusion and community participation. Mantej has over 20 years of experience in community engagement, placemaking, and inclusion, emphasizing that belonging is foundational to thriving communities and effective institutions. For more information on Belonging Co visit www.belongingco.com.au and www.linkedin.com/in/mantejs .

Lets grow the conversation

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