Speaking on behalf of the World Council of Churches at a “Churches Together South Australia” event on 13 August, World Council of Churches director of international affairs Peter Prove offered an address on “Imagining a Safer World.”
RfPA
Tasmania: August 2023
Greetings of peace! Spring is coming and bringing with it its own newness and spiritual hope. We wish you, your families and your communities peace, well-being and safety as we move into the time of the year when spring flowers are blooming through the storms and our thoughts are turning more and more in prayer for the earth.
NSW: New religious vilification protections a step forward for faith in NSW
In a step forward for the protection of religious freedom in NSW, Parliament has passed a religious vilification amendment to the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act on 3 August making it an offence to “incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule” of a person or group of people on religious grounds.
Under the new law, which passed the NSW Legislative Assembly on 3 August, a punishable public act of vilification includes any form of communication to the public whether verbal or non-verbal.
People who do not have a religious belief or affiliation or do not engage in religious activity are also protected under the new law.
Spirituality and elder abuse
Elder abuse is a serious issue that affects many older Australians, causing harm and distress within relationships built on trust. Join us for a thought-provoking webinar led by Dr. John Gilchrist, where we will delve into the legal position and redress for victims, with a special focus on financial abuse and neglect. We are also honoured to have Prof. Elizabeth Mackinlay shedding light on the spiritual and psychological aspects of abusive behaviour. This is an online event.
Western Australia: Himalayan Buddhist group Drukpa’s prayers answered after Council approves plans to allow worship
A spiritual and religious group in Perth’s north who have been praying for a permanent home for nearly a decade have been granted their wishes.
The City of Wanneroo agreed unanimously at its July meeting to approve Drukpa Australia’s plan to start worshipping at its newly acquired 1626sqm property at Mangano Place.
Under the approval, the religious group must operate only with a maximum of 10 people on weekdays and no more than 68 people on site on a weekend — the latter down from 76 as first proposed.
Securing Faith-Based Places
The Securing Faith-Based Places grant program provides $40 million over three years to improve security at religious schools, pre-schools, places of worship, and faith-based community centres. The objective of the grant opportunity is to address the risk of crime and violence motivated by religious or racial intolerance through the installation or upgrade of security infrastructure and/or the engagement of security guards at those sites.
Reporting Prejudice Related Violence: reporting is the key to change
Many people from minority communities have experienced incidents motivated by prejudice in Tasmania. However, very few incidents are reported.
People who are victims of prejudice motivated incidents may be seriously impacted, but they are not sure what to do about it. This workshop explains what these incidents and crimes are under Tasmanian law, how they can be reported to authorities, and what to expect if you report them.
The workshop will also explain why reporting these incidents and crimes is the key to change.
PRAYERS and MEDITATIONS on Hiroshima Day
Religions for Peace Asia in collaboration with Religions for Peace Australia invites all people of faith to join in prayers and meditations for the anniversary of Hiroshima Day. Participants and prayer leaders will come from Korea, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. This will be a Zoom event on Sunday 6th August 2023. Times are given below.
Victoria bans display of Nazi Hakenkreuz symbol
The Nazi Hakenkreuz symbol is the most widely known Nazi symbol. The distorted version of the Swastika, the Nazi Hakenkreuz symbol, has become a symbol of the Nazi party and its heinous crimes against humanity. Neo-Nazi groups still use this Nazi symbol to intimidate and incite hatred and violence against the Jewish community and other diverse groups. This is fundamentally incompatible with Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith society, which is why as of December 29 2022, it is a criminal offence to publicly display the Nazi Hakenkreuz symbol in Victoria. More information and exceptions to this rule are given herein.
2023 Bishop Michael Putney Lecture
Queensland Churches Together along with Brisbane Roman Catholic Council for Ecumenism & Inter-religious Relations invite you to join us for the 2023 session of the: Bishop Michael Putney Memorial Lecture Series titled, Mission in Context: Deep Resonances Between WCC and Roman Catholic Perspectives, a hybrid event, face to face and livestream on Tuesday, 15 August 2023.
Support for Constitutional Recognition
In 2020, Religions for Peace Australia amended its Constitution to include support appropriate recognition of the spiritualities of the First Peoples of Australia. In this wise, Religions for Peace Australia wrote to the Prime Minister in August 2020 calling for a Voice to Parliament, a Makarrata Treaty and a Truth Telling Commission. On this page, we provide our reasons for support of the Constitutional Recognition Referendum.
Brisbane: Holocaust museum opens in St Stephen’s Cathedral precinct
“NEVER again” – that was the message holocaust survivor Peter Baruch wanted to ensure lived on through the opening of the Queensland Holocaust Museum beneath Penola Place in St Stephen’s Cathedral precinct today.
Mr Baruch was only one and a half years old when Nazi Germany invaded his home-country Poland in 1939.
His parents decided to leave Poland while the rest of his wider family stayed. “We survived; they all perished, every one of them,” he said.
