Leaders from different walks of faith have called on Australians to unite after Sydney Lindt café hostage incident.
As part of a new #BeTheBridge project, members from Muslim, Christian, Jewish and atheist communities came together at the steps of the Sydney Opera House in a bid to unite Australians through the acceptance of different cultures and religions.
One member, Gill Hicks, a survivor from the London terrorist bombings in 2005, told ABC News that "a great understanding" was needed in order to bridge the "divide" in an 'us' and 'them' culture.
"Just go that extra step - find someone you don't know, say 'tell me about you', learn some more before you presume they're someone to fear," she encouraged.
Ms. Hicks also mentioned that the greatest gift was to wake up in a hospital without feeling hatred towards others, as she hopes to make an impact from her past experience.
Rabbi Zalman Kastel of the Jewish community, the project had already seen positive outcomes through social media. "We really need to take the time to actually get together," he said.
"We're symbolising that today with this group. We're going to be the bridge. And we're encouraging other people to be the bridge as well," he added.