Tasmania: April 2019

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Tasmania LogoGreetings of peace! During April we will combine with two events, one, the Walk for Friendship to be held on the 5 April leaving at 1.45pm from the Hobart Mosque, 166 Warwick St Hobart (more details are below) and the other, join the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees, together with fellow Australians in other cities and towns. The gathering will be held on Parliament House lawns from 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 14 April 2019.

At Parliament House, we will support refugees and peacefully voice our opposition to the continuing policies of our Government with respect to:

  • The illegal, harsh and punitive treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Australian detention centres on the islands of Manus and Nauru, including intolerable heat, overcrowding, and lack of protection from a hostile local population

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  • Inadequate medical treatment facilities on Manus, Nauru and Christmas Island

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  • An environment of despair, self-harm and suicide

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  • A culture of secrecy about what’s really happening at the detention centres and about the financial agreements with companies contracted to provide security and medical care
  • More than 30,000 refugees are still living on Bridging Visas in our Australian community, with their futures in limbo.

 
There will be some peaceful walking this month!

Holy Days and Festivals in April

DateReligionFestival
14 AprilChristianityPalm Sunday; Holy Week begins
14 April HinduismRama Navami, birth of Lord Rama, Hindu Avatar
14 AprilSikhismBaisakhi, Foundation Day of the Brotherhood of the Pure by Guru Gobind Singh
19 AprilBuddhismTheravadin New Year
19 AprilChristianityGood Friday
19 - 27 April Judaism Pesach (Passover) - a 7 day festival remembering Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt
21 April ChristianityEaster Day
21 AprilBaha'iRidvan, a 12 day commemoration of the time Baha’u’llah spent in the Garden of Ridvan before publicly proclaiming his mission
21 AprilIslamLailat al Bara’ah, on this night, God approaches the earth to call humanity and to grant forgiveness of sins
28 AprilOrthodox ChristianityEaster/Pascha
2 MayJudaismYom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day
6 MayIslamRamadan begins

Multicultural Council of Tasmania:

A Walk for Friendship will be held on Friday 5 April from 1.45-2.30pm leaving from 166 Warwick St and arriving at John Doggett Park, West Hobart.

The Multicultural Council of Tasmania, in collaboration with the City of Hobart and Wildcare has organised a Walk for Friendship to show our ongoing support for the Muslim Community in Tasmania and to thank the wider community of Tasmania for their love, compassion and support through this difficult time.  This special event is a follow up to the 17th March Franklin Square vigil as a tribute to the victims of the Christchurch shootings.

We will walk from the Hobart Mosque entrance, 166 Warwick Street, then along Lochner Street to Doggett Park where we will gather, share a cup of tea and spend time with each other. Departure is 1.45pm with an expected finish of around 2.30pm. #everyonebelongs

Hobart: Friendship Walk with Muslims

Hindu Society of Tasmania
We wish all of you a very happy Ugadi.

On Saturday 6th April 2019, we will be having evening Sai bhajans for this month  at Multicultural Council of Tasmania  Hub located at 65 Hopkins Street, Moonah. 

Please do attend the bhajan session and transform it into a beautiful evening. 

Venue: 65 Hopkins Street, Moonah. 
Time: 6.00 pm onwards

Quakers Australia:

Please find details about the forthcoming Retreat Day, starting from 10 for 10.30am and finishing at 3.30pm, on Saturday 6 April 2019 at the Quaker Meeting House in Hobart (enter from Boa Vista Road or Argyle Street). All welcome. We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you. 

Day of Retreat: Saturday 6 April 2019

Our next Retreat Day is on Saturday 6 April 2019 at the Hobart Meeting House. These days offer the opportunity for spiritual refreshment and renewal in a small group. Although we will begin and end the day communally, the hours in silence are for you to take time and space aside from the demands of daily life for your own reflection, growing awareness, prayerful presence and deepening in the Spirit.

We welcome you from 10.00am for an introduction at 10.15am and a 10.30am start with Worship. The day closes at 3.30pm, after Worship Sharing beginning at 2.50pm. Note: You may also join us at any time during the day for as long as you are able.

Refreshments are provided and will be available throughout the day, but please bring your own lunch to have at a time that suits you. You may like to bring a journal, drawing materials or a symbol of personal inspiration.

This invitation for a day of retreat is for Friends and friends, for anyone who would like to join us. All welcome. If you have any queries, please contact Kerstin on (03) 6228 4890, Maggi on 0415 355 336 or Marion  on 6247 1307 for further information.

Baha’i Community: Soul Food

We have another presentation of Soul Food this Sunday 3pm, 7 April, 2019 at the Baha’i Centre, 1 Tasman Highway which we would love to share with you and your friends.

This month’s program: “Turning Pages” is about the Turning of Pages in the book of God’s Revelation. Through this guidance we see the progressive development of human Society and more towards a better world and will explore the profound impact that the acts of giving and receiving can have on us. The music for this program will be inspiring and uplifting. Soul Food is a unique, monthly event featuring live music, audio- visual pieces and readings from faiths and philosophers, authors, leaders and indigenous cultures from all around the world specially chosen to inspire us towards understanding and unity of nations, commencing in our homes, our Communities, States and Countries.

We will have Ethiopian dancers, William Nicolson, guitar, and Maggie Edwards, vocal, to enhance our program.

Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre
Tuesday evening meditation April-May

The eight-fold Noble Path.
The eight-fold noble path is the Buddha’s prescription for us. A prescription which he has given us, just as a doctor gives us a prescription for a disease. The promise is that if we take this prescription, we will be working The path consists of eight practical steps which we can train ourselves in, and over the following two months we will look at each of these eight steps in turn. As usual, there will also be opportunity for meditation, for discussion and for questions. We hope to see you there.

Meditation and Discussion 7.30-9 pm, every Tuesday. Entry by $5 suggested donation.

73 Liverpool St [Goulds building, down the laneway to the right of the building, in the door between the bamboo pots and up the stairs to the 2nd floor]

towards the cessation of suffering (dukkha) in our lives.

email info@hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com
website www.hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com

Sacred Conversations

Sacred Conversations warmly invites you to join us at 2pm on the last Saturday of the month at the Multifaith Centre on the UTAS campus. Sacred Conversations is a time and place for people of different faiths and cultures to come together, in an environment that promotes deep respect, understanding, peace, and love! Join us for respectful dialogue, prayer, meditation, music, food, friendship, and more. Our next meeting is on Saturday 27th of April. Our dear friend N. (Sree) Jeyasreedharan will speak to us about Hinduism as part of the “show and tell’ series. All enquiries are welcome: Julian McGarry 0401673016 or julianmcgarry@gmail.com

Spiritual Care Australia:

Every SCA Conference has surprises, special moments, soulful encounters. We trust that the Melbourne conference, ‘Setting the GPS: finding your way in spiritual care’ 16-19 June, at the Catholic Leadership Centre in Melbourne will be no exception.

Early Bird registration is open now: https://www.spiritualcareaustralia.org.au/

The famous Melbourne artist, poet and philosopher Michael Leunig will open proceedings with a public session on Sunday evening, 16 June at 5.30pm.

Michael is pleased to talk with spiritual care workers because he is passionate about inclusion, presence and being real. He writes, ‘Care is the cure. It is slow. It is raw. It is pure. It is simple and bare. It is real. It is bold. It is there. Nothing is newer, or older, or wiser, or truer. Care is the cure’.

Religion and Conflict and Peacebuilding

“Religion and Conflict and Peacebuilding” chart is a new resource. It can go to people who are trying to figure out how to mobilize a sustained response, and strengthen the community so that violent breakdowns won’t happen again… The conflict analysis can then provide the basis to take clear action that is urgent, relevant, and winnable.  

https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/USIP_Religion-in-Conflict-Peacebuilding-Summary.pdf   (use first!)

https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/USIP_Religion-in-Conflict-Peacebuilding_Analysis-Guide.pdf  (for more in-depth)

Christchurch Mosque attacks: Responses by peak faiths and interfaith organisations

A number of peak faith groups and interfaith/multifaith organisations have expressed their solidarity with the Muslim community in response to the recent acts of violence at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Click on each organisation link to view their respective statement.

Multifaith & Interfaith

Peak Faith

Vigils organised by peak faith and interfaith networks:

In the Media: