Mission

(extracted from Constitution)

PURPOSE OF Religions for Peace Australia Organisation

2. RfP Australia was formed in the early 1970s and is linked with ACRP (Asian Conference of Religions for Peace).

ACRP was founded in 1976, ACRP is an independent fellowship of the followers of the many religious faiths and traditions in the Asia-South Pacific region, and with its constituent bodies represents more than half of humanity.

ACRP is legally an independent organization, being affiliated with, and recognized as the Asia-Pacific regional body of Religions for Peace, formerly known as the World Conference of Religions for Peace. ACRP operates in accordance with Religions for Peace’s vision and mission to advance common action among the world’s religious communities for peace and its following four guiding principles:

  1. respect religious diversity and seek to honour the identity and community of each religious tradition and their authentic spiritual principles.
  2. leverage the existing spiritual, moral and social assets of the world’s religious communities to act on deeply held and widely shared values.
  3. build and/or strengthen representative, sustainable multi-religious mechanisms, co-owned by religious institutions and communities.
  4. partner local, national, regional, and global multi-religious structures, with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental civil society actors.

The mission of Religions for Peace Australia is to promote Asian spiritualities and interreligious awareness and harmony as well as global and regional cohesion in the pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity and to uphold and develop the various religious heritages of the Asia-Pacific region in accordance with the authentic values of religion and spirituality.

MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The Objectives of Religions for Peace Australia

  • To work with faith traditions and religious organizations for interreligious understanding and harmony in the Asian-Pacific region and across the world, including the right to freedom of religion and belief and in the pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity.
  • To promote the salience of spirituality and religion in the multireligious Asia – Pacific region, highlighting its resources and the importance of religion and spirituality and combating the false and negative aspects of religion.
  • To work with religious and interreligious organizations in bringing about peace, interfaith understanding, interreligious harmony and religious freedom.
  • To work for the appropriate recognition of the spiritualities of Australia’s First Peoples and all indigenous peoples across the world.
  • To work with intergovernmental, governmental, and civil agencies in achieving global, regional and local peace and harmony as well as social stability and cohesion.
  • To work positively and cooperatively with Religions for Peace International and other regional and specialist organizations.
  • To create social wealth for the countries of the Asia-Pacific, ensuring that the role of religious bodies is positively appreciated.
  • To sponsor activities, events and special initiatives into the multicultural and multireligious aspects of the region and individual nations.
  • To work with governmental and religious institutions for promoting peace education and religious pluralism by observing religious and cultural traditions and national laws and policies.
  • To organize meetings for dialogue between religious leaders at global, regional and national levels and with political and civic leaders.
  • To encourage and implement interreligious activity and projects and the formation of interreligious organizations among particular groups.
  • To work through its networks for the well-being of vulnerable groups, including women and young people, and the well-being of the environment.