RfPA

Queensland: Taking a Proactive Role in Mobilising Faith Communities during COVID-19

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Griffith University - Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue

Faith communities are uniquely situated to positively and negatively influence the success of Queensland’s’ COVID-19 responses in three areas: faith communities and places of worship, vulnerable groups in society, and community services. To this end, the Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue at Griffith University brought faith communities together to discover – and report to the Queensland Government – the concerns and needs highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This report outlines key issues facing faith communities in Queensland during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported from the communities themselves. The methods and findings of the project support improving connections between faith communities and state leadership for sharing lessons learned, improving support for vulnerable groups, and ensuring key health messaging is communicated to strengthen public safety.

The Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue at Griffith University acted as a link to faith communities, helping to facilitate connections between faith groups to identify issues and opportunities via:

  • a. a questionnaire distributed from 14-27 April 2020, and
  • b. an online Community Forum on 28 April 2020.

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Australia: The High Court and Cardinal Pell

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Cardinal Pell

Religions for Peace Australia has not taken one side nor the other about the legal processes Cardinal George Pell has been involved. Visitors to this website will be aware that we took a multifaith approach to the Royal Commission and covered the progress and investigations of the Royal Commission into all religions. We have 105 articles on the Royal Commission from a multifaith perspective on this website.

The Chair of Religions for Peace Australia, Emeritus Professor Desmond Cahill presented evidence on the impact of clerical culture to the Royal Commission itself and as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2018, gave an appraisal on Clerical Culture, Religious Organisations and the Royal Commission Report.

Prof. Cahill also presented “And What Would God Think, Rebuilding Pastoral Health and Integrity after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse” to the Health and Integrity Conference conducted by the major religious orders and clerical groups in Melbourne. At present Prof. Cahill is working on a book on the Theology of the Child. We take no side on the decision of the High Court of Australia regarding Cardinal Pell. In this article, we share the observations of the ABC’s Religious Affairs reporter, Noel Debien.

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Tasmania – April 2020

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Tasmania Logo

Greetings of peace, health and wellbeing in this challenging time!

This is such an important time for those of us who follow a faith tradition and those of good will to emerge the qualities and values our traditions teach us: peace, serenity, lovingkindness and compassion, to help to support not only our own individual communities, but mainstream communities locally and globally.

Our Chair, Prof. Des Cahill OAM, chaired a national meeting last Friday in concern over the effects on faith communities of the CoViD-19 virus.  Religions for Peace Australia is the largest multifaith organisation in Australia as it has links in every State and Territory as well as internationally. He has sent a statement to faith leaders as well as government leaders around the country.  You can read the statement here.

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Australia Round-up – 29 March

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Religions in Australia

On this page, we seek to give account of how different faith communities in Australia – in many states – are providing devotional and spiritual activities for their adherents in this time of Coronavirus – when places of worship in Australia have been closed by the government. There is much information here, more is welcome. Use our contact page if you do not find your community listed, and you wish to have your commumnity’s offerings listed here.

Update: There are a number of new links added for Christian worship in languages other than English.

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Covid-19 Crisis: An Interfaith Statement

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Religions for Peace Australia Logo

To Australia’s Religious, Political and Civic Leaders and to the People of Australia,

On Friday, March 20th, 2020, senior interfaith leaders from almost all Australian States and Territories met electronically. We decided to share this message with the Australian community.

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Australia-wide Jewish Responses to Coronavirus

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Executive Council of Australian Jewry Logo

Jewish community organisations and leaders across Australia have rallied together to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish institutions, families, individuals and, most especially, the elderly and vulnerable.   The intense work done by the Jewish community roof bodies in each State, the Crisis Management Teams of the Community Security Groups, shules, the Day Schools, the aged care sector, the welfare sector and volunteers, all working in unison, has been nothing short of inspiring.   We are deeply indebted to all of them.  

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South Australia – Hope’s Cafe (Interfaith Matters) Cancelled

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Following the sad news that meetings should be stalled until we know how to avoid the virus/vaccine is found we cancel the March meeting, which was due at the Baha’i centre. Next Interfaith meet (depending on health advise) is scheduled for 29 April (this time the 5th week in April – not the 4th week as is traditionally the case).

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Australia needs to admit it has a white supremacy problem, extremism experts say

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Nazi symbol in flameAs the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks approaches, two international extremism trackers say authorities need to do more to stop the “potential” for a right-wing terror attack in Australia.

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