Balancing tradition and progress: Radical moderation in faith and cultural groups

I’ve learned that progress doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it hums. It sounds like a quiet conversation over tea with a community elder who is cautious about change but curious. It feels like shared laughter in a cultural centre after a heated debate. These moments – delicate, human, real – are where radical moderation lives.

At Settlement Services International (SSI), we work with thousands of people every day, each carrying their heritage, trauma, resilience and dreams. From refugee mothers navigating new norms to young leaders questioning cultural traditions, our role isn’t to impose change but to walk alongside it.

That’s why radical moderation, bold yet balanced leadership, resonates deeply. It’s the middle path where dignity, tradition and justice meet. And at the heart of it all is diversity, inclusion, and community engagement – not as buzzwords, but as the compass guiding how we build bridges between old and new, between what is and what can be.

Radical moderation may sound like a contradiction, but in these increasingly polarised times, it’s a vital strategy. It means standing firm on principles such as human dignity and equity while having the courage to listen, adapt and co-create.

At SSI, we navigate complex terrain daily. How do we support women from patriarchal communities without disregarding the voices of elders? How do we uplift LGBTQIA+ individuals in faith-based settings without rupturing fragile trust? The answer lies in what I call principled pragmatism: meeting people where they are and walking forward together.

This thinking echoes the approach of Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core in the United States. Rather than erasing difference, it fosters shared action rooted in mutual respect.

Here in Australia, we see this same ethos in the Interfaith Network in the City of Greater Dandenong and its partnerships with Hume City Council—two local governments SSI is proud to collaborate with.

These partnerships help faith leaders across traditions work together to address local social issues while preserving the integrity of their beliefs. It’s change rooted in trust, not confrontation.

Too often, tradition is framed as a barrier to inclusion. What if we saw it as an anchor though, a source of strength and belonging?

One powerful example is our work in Armidale, a regional city in New South Wales, where SSI led efforts to resettle Ezidi refugees. As one of the most persecuted religious minorities in the world, the Ezidi community brought with them not only trauma but deep cultural traditions and spiritual values. Rather than asking them to assimilate, we asked: How can we honour your traditions while helping you thrive in a new context?

Through our "All in for Armidale" initiative, SSI facilitated conversations between Ezidi families, service providers, schools and civic leaders. We translated settlement through the lens of cultural preservation and participation. The result? A community-led, whole-of-town response that welcomed the Ezidis as neighbours, not strangers.

Change sticks when it grows from roots, not when it's dropped from above.

If tradition is our anchor, listening is our compass. Listening isn’t passive, however. It requires presence, trust and humility.

At SSI, we’ve learned the value of what I call "listening loudly." It means creating real opportunities for marginalised voices to be heard – and acted upon. One example is the NSW Refugee Women’s Advisory Board, developed with SSI’s support. This wasn’t a symbolic gesture. It was a shift in power. Women who had once been spoken for were now co-designing policy, advising government, and leading change. These outcomes are documented through SSI’s public policy submissions, program evaluations, and project updates.

We’ve seen this approach succeed with faith-based communities as well. When introducing programs on family violence prevention, we engaged local imams, ministers and elders early in the process. These leaders helped frame the conversation in culturally resonant ways, building bridges rather than barriers. By being invited in – not sidelined – they became powerful advocates for safety and equity.

Radical moderation is not about endless conversation. It’s about action grounded in shared values.

When SSI advocated for more inclusive housing policy, we didn’t start with government. We started with communities – migrant families, religious leaders and civic volunteers – asking what "home" really meant. This bottom-up approach allowed us to reframe housing not just as a right, but as a shared social responsibility.

That collective framing led to broader public support and more innovative partnerships. These lessons are reflected in SSI’s housing policy submissions and collaborative work with sector-wide campaigns such as Everybody’s Home.

Internationally, I’ve seen similar lessons echoed through Metropolis International, where I serve on the International Steering Committee. Metropolis brings together policymakers, researchers and practitioners from across the globe to discuss migration and integration. The best ideas I’ve heard don’t come from extremes. They come from leaders who know how to balance ambition with empathy, policy with people.

In a world that often demands loudness and certainty, radical moderation offers a more grounded, humane way forward. It reminds us that we don’t have to choose between tradition and progress. We can have both if we’re willing to do the work.

This is the kind of leadership that all community-based organisations need today – from smaller faith-based and diaspora groups to migrant resource centres and specialist service providers. Not the flashiest. Not the loudest. The kind that listens deeply, speaks clearly, and brings people along. It's a model rooted in inclusion, sustained by diversity, and activated through authentic community engagement.

As I reflect on my own leadership, I keep coming back to one simple truth: progress doesn’t come from leaving people behind. It comes from bringing them with you.

Violet Roumeliotis AM is CEO of Settlement Services International (SSI), an organisation committed to supporting newcomers and diverse communities to reach their full potential. She is a member of the Metropolis International Steering Committee and a past Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.