The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), Multifaith Advisory Group (MAG) and leaders of Melbourne’s Sikh and Hindu communities have organised a meditation and prayer service at Federation Square from 6-7pm on Monday, 20 March. The service, which will be held in the name of peace, unity and social cohesion, is a direct response to recent conversations between the VMC, MAG and faith leaders following incidents of vandalism at places of worship.
Victoria
Victoria: ‘Harmony in Music, Harmony in Faith’
The Maroondah Interfaith Network invites you and your friends to ‘Harmony in Music, Harmony in Faith’ 2023 at the Janssen Centre, Woodvale Road Boronia, on Sunday 26 March 2023 at 3pm.
Victoria: Statements from the Soul Panel Discussion
Statements from the Soul is a new book comprised of a collection of essays from diverse religious leaders and thinkers advocating the moral case for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and for a First Nations voice to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution. Moderated by prominent journalist Patricia Karvelas, presenter of ABC’s RN Breakfast, Statements from the Soul panel discussion will feature some of the contributors on why a First Nations voice to parliament is necessary not only legally and politically, but also morally. Tuesday 21 February 2023 at 6:15pm at The Craig Auditorium, Trinity College, Melbourne
Bringing Our Multifaith Neighbours Together for Reconciliation: The Voice
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne invites you to attend a special World Interfaith Harmony Week event in the Melbourne Town Hall, 90 -140 Swanston Street, Melbourne, to hear clear information about a Voice to Parliament from First Nations People and from religious and community leaders who are working for Reconciliation on Sunday 26 February, 2023, 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm.
Victoria: Safety and Sanctity of Places of Worship
Leaders of a Port Melbourne church and a temple that was defaced in a series of attacks against Hindu places of worship, have shared ideas about religious freedom and safety during a joint sermon.
Preventing violence against women and family violence in faith settings
Issues of religious faith, or the belief in a specific system of principles and practices that give reverence to a higher power, are often central to the experiences of many victims and survivors of domestic violence. Faith communities and secular domestic violence programs are becoming increasingly aware of the need to create an awareness of domestic violence within faith communities, as well as the need for cross-training and education about dynamics of domestic violence and the role that faith plays in individuals’ lives.
Victoria: Chanukkah at Federation Square, Melbourne
Pillars of Light celebrates Chanukah in the heart of Melbourne CBD, starting from Sunday 18 December until Friday 23 December. You are invited to join in bringing hope and light into our city through an exceptional display of multiculturalism and diversity. Livestream is available each evening.
Victoria: Sacred Expressions of the Human Spirit
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne invites you to Sacred Expressions of the Human Spirit, at St Michael’s Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, on Sunday 20 November, commencing at 4pm. This concert brings together Australia’s First Nations Didgeridoo master alongside some of Australia’s leading sacred music practitioners.
Colonial Bondage: Liberating Theological Education
The University of Divinity presents the Professorial Lecture of Professor Anne Pattel-Gray who will share her insights into Australia’s First Nations religious and spiritual beliefs and practices that form the core of her theology.
She will explain how we are all held captive by our colonial heritage and that our theological education and institutions require liberation in order to be set free.
She will further explain the process to decolonise biblical and theological narratives and challenge Christians to become the radical change that is so desperately needed to transform a Nation.
Indian-born Community may help create a cohesive multi-cultural and multi-faith society
In addressing the impact of Covid on International Students from India, Religions for Peace President Prof. Des Cahill said, “Indian born community and its leaders now have a greater responsibility for creating and continuing to create a cohesive multi-cultural and multi-faith society” at the Annual General Meeting of IndianCare on Sunday, 11 September 2022.
Nostra Aetate: Interfaith – Understanding & Welcoming
In the spirit of Nostra Aetate, Garratt Publishing – in conjunction with Yarra Theological Union – invite you to a 4-week webinar series exploring other religious traditions from a Catholic perspective. The online webinar will be conducted on Monday Evenings – 5 & 12 September, 3 & 10 October. Religions examined will be Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam – all from a Catholic perspective.
Victoria: Faith and our Environment
The Boroondara Interfaith Network invites you to join us online to hear from representatives from different faiths share their perspectives on caring for our environment in a time of change. This is an online event on Tuesday, 24 August commencing at 6:00pm
2022 Backhouse Lecture – Quakers Australia
The Backhouse Lectures are public lectures on contemporary issues delivered annually at the national gathering of Quakers in Australia. They were initiated by Australia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) on its establishment in 1964. Friends from both Australia and overseas have presented lectures. The 2022 Backhouse Lecture, Working for Justice in a Warming World, will be presented by Yarrow Goodley on Monday 5 July at 7.15pm via Zoom.
Faith leaders join forces to condemn alleged mosque attack in Victoria
Politicians, community and faith leaders from across Victoria have come together at a mosque east of Melbourne to show their support after the prayer hall was allegedly vandalised. Charges have been laid against eight suspects after the property was damaged last weekend.
Victoria parliament passes bill banning Nazi swastika
Victoria has become the first Australian jurisdiction to ban the swastika, with those who defy the ban to face jail terms and hefty fines.
It is now a crime to intentionally display the Nazi swastika in Victoria. Anyone who displays the symbol could face a year in jail.
An exemption is in place for religious groups who used the symbol before the Nazis.
Victoria: Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Amendment Act (2021)
From 14 June 2022, (in Victoria) religious organisations and schools will no longer be able to sack or refuse to hire people based on protected attributes such as sexuality, gender identity or marital status. Religious organisations and schools will only be able to make employment decisions based on an employee’s religious beliefs where these are inherent to the job such as a religious studies teacher, and the discrimination is reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.
Victoria: 2022 Yom HaShoah Commemoration
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria will be hosting an inclusive virtual community commemoration for Yom Hashoah on Wednesday, April 27 at 7.30 pm. The event will be an online commemoration with poignant testimonies, the participation of a range of Jewish students, and messages of support from communal members, leaders, and affiliates.
Climate Change Workshops
Gembrook Retreat will conduct an ‘Active Hope in a time of climate crisis’ workshop in Gembrook on 9 April from 9AM to 6:30pm. For those who are overwhelmed or exhausted by the climate crisis, trying to take action and feeling the urgent need for our generation to change how we live! This workshop provides spiritual practices to help us support each other in maintaining an active hope. There will be a follow-up workshop on 14 May.
