Associate Professor Jason Neelis from Wilfrid Laurier University is the holder of the 2023 University Buddhist Education Foundation (UBEF) Visiting Professorship in Buddhist Studies. As part of this Professorship, he will deliver a lecture series on floowi9ng Thursdays during October in the John Woolley Building at the University of Sydney.
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Parramatta Bishop’s pastoral letter on the National Referendum on the Voice to Parliament
In his letter to the Catholics of the Parramatta Diocese, Bishop Long says the referendum “will be a critical moment in the life of our nation. It will have implications for what kind of society we want ourselves to be”. Bishop Long said, “Enabling our First Nations People to have a say on the issues that affect them is a matter of the heart, common sense and justice”.
Darwin Bishop Expresses His Support for a ‘Yes’ Vote in the Upcoming Referendum on the Voice
Darwin Bishop Charles Gauchi has spoken on the important topic of the Voice and the referendum. This is an important matter that needs a lot of reflection. It needs a lot of soul-searching. Bishop Gauchi tells, ”For some time now, I have been convinced that I will cast a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming Referendum on the Voice“.
South Australia: Interfaith Matters Forum
The Interfaith Matters Forum for September will be held on Wednesday, 27 September at the Pilgrim Church Hall, Adelaide, commencing at 6pm, The topic for this forum is Reflecting on The Spirit and The Voice – how do our values guide our intentions?
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council and the Referendum
At the heart of the upcoming Voice to Parliament Referendum is the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the world’s oldest continuing culture, in the Australian Constitution. As Catholics, we have a responsibility to listen to the voices of First Australians and to work towards a more just and equitable society.
Tasmania – September 2023
Greetings of peace and joy, as we are celebrating the arrival of spring! This is also the month of peace, as UN International Day of Peace falls on 21 September and some faiths pay special attention in their prayers and meditations in the lead-up to that date. This weekend has been declared a national weekend of prayer, reflection and meditation in support of our First Nations Peoples. As the national referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament now approaches, representatives from Australia’s major religions have formed a powerful multi-faith alliance to celebrate the wonderful opportunity for recognition and reconciliation offered by the impending landmark vote.
Quakers Australia – Integrity in Public Office – Canberra, 2023
On the 7th September 2023, Quakers Australia held an action “Show integrity in Public Office” at Parliament House in Canberra. This was the third undertaking by Quakers Australia on this important matter.
Nothing here is what it once was
This year, Australians will be asked to vote in a referendum to give our first nations people a Voice to Parliament. This will create constitutional change to give aboriginal people an advisory role in matters which affect them.
The Buddhist Council of NSW is playing a leading role in the Buddhist community to help inform our diverse member organisations about the referendum process and why it matters.
The Voice to Parliament came out of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, which set out the reasons for enshrining a first nations voice in our constitution. Following this statement, in 2023, a series of essays from religious leaders was collected in a book, Statements from the Soul: The Moral Case for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, to lay out the moral case for constitutional change. The Buddhist perspective was provided by Sydney based monk, Bhante Sujato, reproduced below.
Read all the essays in the book Statements from the Soul: The Moral Case for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, edited by Shireen Morris and Damien Freeman, La Trobe University Press, 2023.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Voice to Parliament
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry – ECAJ, the peak national representative body of the Australian Jewish community, is delighted to invite you to an enlightening presentation and Q&A virtual session with Noel Pearson, as we delve into the significant topic of The Voice referendum in Australia on the evening of Wednesday 6 September 2023.
Anglican Bishop of Bunbury apologises to Noongar people for ‘past pain and suffering’
The Anglican Bishop of Bunbury said the church failed to challenge unjust government policies towards Aboriginal people.
Bishop Ian Coutts acknowledged Anglicans likely took part in massacres at Pinjarra in 1834 and Pinjarra in 1841.
Indigenous elder and pastor Dennis Jetta has thanked the Bishop for his apology.
