Queensland: Nurturing Global Citizens through Interfaith Dialogue


The Centre for Interfaith and Believing Women in a Culture for Peace are please to present a special interfaith workshop by Professor Toh Swee-Hin and Dr Virginia Cawagas: “Nurturing Global Citizens through Interfaith Dialogue”.


This workshop will engage members of diverse faith communities in clarifying shared values, principles, and approaches in interfaith dialogue.

“Nurturing Global Citizens through Interfaith Dialogue”
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2pm – 5pm.
Venue: Multi-Faith Centre, Building N35, Griffith University
170 Kessels Road, Nathan, 4111

This workshop will engage members of diverse faith communities in clarifying shared values, principles, and approaches in interfaith dialogue. Through critical learning activities, participants will hopefully envision the urgent need for faiths to nurture global citizens mindful of belonging to a common humanity and who are committed to the building of a peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable world.

The workshop will be followed by a public lecture:
“The Changing Map of Interfaith Work: Hopeful Signs and Challenges”

Humanity and planet Earth are increasingly facing many serious social, economic, political, cultural and environmental challenges threatening our very survival. The emergence and growth of interfaith dialogue in many local, national and global contexts therefore needs to respond meaningfully to these challenges and critical times. From the initial foundations of understanding, and building of trust and harmony between and among diverse faiths, it is clear that interfaith work has to deeply engage in action to resolve and most importantly transform these problems and conflicts toward peaceful, just and sustainable futures. In this reflection, some hopeful signs are affirmed while acknowledging that challenges will be encountered along the journey of interfaith praxis.
“The Changing Map of Interfaith Work: Hopeful Signs and Challenges”
Date: Saturday, April 13, 7pm.
Venue: Multi-Faith Centre, Building N35, Griffith University
170 Kessels Road, Nathan, 4111

Dr. Toh Swee-Hin (S.H.Toh), founding Director of the Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, is Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta (Canada), President of the World Council for Curriculum & instruction (WCCI), and former Distinguished Professor, U.N. mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. Born in Malaysia and a citizen of Canada and Australia, he has been a teacher, teacher educator and civil society advocate in the interrelated fields of education for a culture of peace, conflict transformation, human rights, social justice, intercultural understanding, interfaith dialogue, sustainable futures and global citizenship. He has contributed to several international organizations including UNESCO, WCCI, Parliament of the World’s Religions and Religions for Peace. Dr. Toh has received numerous awards and honours, including the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education (2000).

Dr. Virginia Cawagas, former Program Officer at the Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, is Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Canada. She was a teacher, principal and Executive Secretary of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines for many years and Professor of Peace Education at the UN mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She has extensive formal and nonformal teaching experiences in peace and development education, curriculum development, education for sustainable development, global education, and multicultural education for a wide range of public and community clientele. She has also published widely in journals and books and co-authored Filipino textbooks in values education and Civics & Culture.

Please join us at: Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue
Multi-Faith Centre, Building N35, Griffith University
170 Kessels Road, Nathan, 4111
RSVP: info@believing women
All welcome