Our first activity this year will be in combination with Ven. Thay Thong Phap and the Buddhist Chaplaincy at UTAS to share information about faiths and interfaith programs at UTAS Market Day on Tuesday 24 February 11am-2pm in the TUU Building, Churchill Ave., Sandy Bay.
Welcome
Our first activity this year will be in combination with Ven. Thay Thong Phap and the Buddhist Chaplaincy at UTAS to share information about faiths and interfaith programs at UTAS Market Day on Tuesday 24 February 11am-2pm in the TUU Building, Churchill Ave., Sandy Bay.
Everyone is welcome to come and learn about new programs that will be run from the centre in 2015. For example, there will be a program of three sessions about the Kabbalah, which will be held at the centre starting in March, and a program honouring International Women’s Day.
You may also feel welcome to offer programs of your own that will help to make the UTAS Centre a vibrant Multifaith venue.
Last week has been UN Interfaith Harmony week. As part of the celebrations for this event, Religions for Peace Australia will combine with the Canberra Interfaith Network for a landmark Multifaith program at Parliament House on 11 February.
You can read more about programs that have been running during the week at the Religions for Peace website
Launceston News
Launceston Interfaith/Spiritual Group first meeting for 2015 will commence on Monday February 16th at 1.00 pm at the Ida Birchall Room, 36-38 Paterson St.
Our topic will be “The Art Of Sacred Practice.” Every second of the day the sacred is accessed/expressed in a multitude of ways – through ritual, prayer, meditation, chanting, communion etc. Our time this month will centre on sharing insights about the ways we actively engage with sacred practices.
Inner reflection, meditation, inclusive prayer and sacred music will start and conclude our gatherings. All such offerings are welcome. For more details P: 0431909172
Tasmanian Council of Churches:
Our next Personal Support Worker training courses are approaching fast:
- Feb 26 & 27, Launceston
- Mar 26 & 27, Devonport
- May 7 & 8, Hobart
Registrations are now being received for the Launceston course (Feb 26 and 27). Please note that spaces are limited, so register soon to secure your place.
Tashi Choleng Centre:
Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre is recommencing Tuesday night meditation sessions for 2015, starting Tuesday February 3rd at 7.30 pm.
This month the sessions will be led by Kate MacNicol.
We hope to see you there!
Meditation and Discussion 7.30-9 pm, every Tuesday. Entry by $5 suggested donation.
71-3 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] … for further information, email info@hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com
Dances of Universal Peace
Dances of Universal Peace take place on the First Tuesday of each month, 7.30 – 9.30pm at Sirens (upstairs), 6 Victoria St (near cnr Macquarie). Enquiries ph 62 393499 or 0400 051 963 .
More information on the Dances of Universal Peace Website: www.dancesofuniversalpeace.australia.org
Spiritual Care Australia Conference
Spiritual Care Australia Conference – The Ground of our Being: Heritage, Identity, Connectedness. The diversity within our multi-faith association, Spiritual Care Australia, has a great capacity to enrich us all. Nevertheless, each one of us needs to recognise that our work as chaplains or pastoral carers works best if ‘grounded’ in our own particular faith and spiritual roots thus making us more open and effective carers for others. As pastoral care practitioners it is indeed essential that we must be sure of where we are ‘coming from’ and what informs our practice. Without this clear understanding it really is more difficult to fulfil the role of spiritual caring. This is work that will savage anyone who attempts to do it from a shallow understanding of what matters in life.
When: 20th – 22nd April 2015
Where: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart
More Information: Spiritual Care Australia
Parliament of the World’s Religions:
Many of us found the Parliament in Melbourne in 2009 to be an extraordinary experience.
The next Parliament will be held in Salt Lake City, USA from 15-19 October 2015.
The deadline for submissions has been extended to 15 March 2015.
More information can be found here
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: RELIGIONS TAKING ACTION TOGETHER TO COUNTER VIOLENT RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
Senior religious leaders gathered in Abu Dhabi, 12-13 December 2014, to initiate collaborative actions to combat violent religious extremism.
This event was hosted by the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and convened in cooperation with Religions for Peace. The Forum for Peace in Muslim Societies gathers intellectuals and leading thinkers from around the world to clarify that Islam is a religion of peace and reconcile disputes.
“Religions Working Together to Counter Violent Religious Extremism” was the first global multi-religious high-level conference on violent religious extremism. High-level religious leaders and intergovernmental officials such as Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Peace in Muslim Societies, Abu Dhabi [Co-Moderator of RfP]; Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria [Co-Moderator of RfP]; H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser, High Representative, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations; and Dr. William F. Vendley [Secretary-General, RfP] noted that one of the keys to defeating extremism is the capacity of religious leaders to educate and mobilize their congregations against extremism.
“The primary narrative of each religion is about peace and human dignity. Let us collect and share the texts from all religious traditions that uphold human dignity,” said Dr. Vendley as he addressed the high-level gathering.
Shaikh bin Bayyah and Cardinal Onaiyekan both stated that their respective texts must be re-interpreted for their followers so that they are applicable to modern conditions. Shaikh bin Bayyah stated that extremism is fueled by “the misconceptions and misunderstandings of Sharia” and that it is the responsibility of scholars to help religious followers understand the texts.
“The bible has been in existence for thousands of years but every generation has interpreted the bible to reflect the needs of their generation; we are not scandalized when the interpretations of 6th century are different from today. We need to interpret for today, for ou
r own people,” said Cardinal Onaiyekan.
Ayatollah Damad, Head of Islamic Studies at the Academy of Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran, [Co-President of RfP] explained that when there is a question of Quranic interpretation we must view the text from its core principle, which is peace.
The conference also examined psychological and socio-economic factors of violent religious extremism, as well as the misuse of religious traditions and texts. Reverend Father Ayuso Guixot, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue stated that “we have to reach young people, helping them live in a world of peace and justice. Young people need hope and jobs. Stagnant economies and poverty fuel extremism.”
H.E. Nassir Abudulzaiz Al-Nasser, the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) confirmed this commitment of the UN to work with religious communities by reminding the group of UNAOC’s “work with religious leaders in many different parts of the world, often through our longstanding relationship with Religions for Peace, to amplify their voices and more effectively disseminate messages of pluralism to their constituencies.”
The conference yielded a powerful statement on “Rejecting Violent Religious Extremism and Advancing Shared Well-being.” A robust Action Plan was adopted. It is designed to harness the unique capacities of the world’s religions to blunt the major “drivers” of violent religious extremism, including notably the false and distorted religious narratives that mistakenly seek to justify killing in the name of religion.
Niger’s Bishops Reaffirm Friendship With Muslims
VATICAN CITY, January 28, 2015 (Zenit.org) – In the wake of the anti-Christian violence that heavily affected the Church in recent days, the bishops of Niger reaffirmed their friendship with the Muslim community.
In a letter addressed to the Muslim community, bishops stated: “We want to renew our friendship and brotherhood to the entire Muslim community in our country.”
According to Fides, the bishops thanked all Muslims “for the gestures and acts of solidarity” shown during the attacks against the Christian community, and said, “We are united in the pain that you share with us.”
“Our places of worship and most of our infrastructure have been destroyed,” the bishops added, “but our faith is intact.” “What our common enemies have deliberately aimed to destroy,” they noted, “We will build again.”
Gradually, the bishops explained, the activities of the Catholic Church, “which have no other purpose than to serve the people,” will resume where they can, depending on each individual situation.
Citizens of the Muslim-majority country had protested the publishing of cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The images were published several days after a terrorist attack at the magazine’s headquarters in Paris
.
Local police reported that when demonstrations turned violent, 45 churches were burned and 10 people killed. During last Wednesday’s general audience, Pope Francis prayed for those affected by the African nation’s violence.
“Brutalities have been committed against Christians, against children, against churches,” he said. “Let us pray to the Lord for the gift of reconciliation and peace, so that religious sentiment may never become an occasion of violence, oppression and destruction.”
“War,” he exclaimed, “cannot be made in the name of God!”
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Niger has suspended all its activities until further notice.
Coda
This month’s Coda comes from Swansea:
All Saints Church, Swansea, Tasmania
Swansea was not settled until 1821 when George Meredith, his family and workers arrived from Pembrokeshire, Wales. Meredith obtained a grant from Lieutenant Governor William Sorell to farm in the area around Oyster Bay. The land was developed and made suitable for seasonal crops and grazing stock and a tannery and flour mill were established by the Meredith River. Whaling stations were also set up on nearby islands to enable the export of whale oil. Swansea was originally called Great Swanport
All Saints Anglican Church at Swansea, completed in 1871, is a gothic church designed by Henry Hunter. It was constructed of roughly coursed fieldstone with dressed sandstone trimmings to butresses and gable copings. The church is now (2008) part of the Swansea Uniting and Anglican Co-Operating Parish which also includes St Andrew’s (Uniting) at Swansea; Gala Kirk (Uniting) Cranbrook; Bicheno (Uniting) Community Church and Coles Bay at the Community Hall.
In peace,
Terry
Convenor RfP Tasmania Branch
6272 6521
Religions for Peace Tasmania
