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.
Australia
Archbishop Makarios of Australia Addresses Drug Abuse
SYDNEY – June 26 has been designated by the United Nations as a day for informing and raising awareness about drugs, a major scourge of modern society. Archbishop Makarios of Australia devoted a homily to this serious topic. The Archbishop said:
“Data published by the international organization regarding the spread and consequences of the trend overwhelms people’s hearts with feelings of profound pain.
“Every day, more than 1,350 of our fellow human beings pass away from drug abuse.
The importance of allyship in responding to targeted violence and discrimination
At the Annual General Meeting of Religions for Peace Australia (18 June 2023), Professor Nicole Asquith of the University of Tasmania gave one talk on the importance of allyship in responding to targeted violence and discrimination. This talk gave an overview about targeted violence in Australia, and then focus on the importance of allyship in responding to hate, prejudice and violence.
Australia’s Ambassador to Holy See: Women diplomats in Vatican a ‘formidable group’
Marking the annual International Day of Women in Diplomacy, Chiara Porro, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, speaks of the challenges and rewards of the job and of the crucial perspective women bring to international relations.
Religions for Peace Australia 2023 Annual General Meeting
Religions for Peace Australia will conduct the 2023 Annual General Meeting in Canberra on 18 June 2023. The Guest Speaker is Prof Nicole Asquith of UTAS, Professor of Policing and Emergency Management, who is the Convenor of the Australian Hate Crime Network. She will be speaking about her extensive work supporting vulnerable people who face hate speech and targeted violence in our society.
ANZAC Day: Honoring Sacrifice for Justice and Embracing the Message of Peace
Anzac Day is a day that happens once a year in Australia and New Zealand. It is celebrated by both countries on 25th April every year. It was to commemorate (honour) the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Now though, it celebrates all “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.” Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn, and Tonga.
Giant cross erected in the Australian outback
A 20 metre cross, which took more than a decade to build, has been unveiled in a remote part of Central Australia. It’s located in Ikuntji, more than 230 kilometres west of Alice Springs. Landscape photographer Ken Duncan has led the project, raising several million dollars through private donations. Community members hope the site will be a meeting place for locals and create economic opportunities through tourism.
Harmony Week 2023
Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Several resources are available, and there are a number of interfaith events occurring during Harmony Week.
A National Human Rights Act for Australia
Australia is the only liberal democracy that does not have a bill or charter of rights at the national level, and people’s human rights are not very well protected in Australian law. The starting point for a national Human Rights Act is to recognise that people’s human rights matter, all of the time, and should be protected.
Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws: Consultation Paper (2023)
On 4 November 2022, Commonwealth Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus MP KC, asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to recommend reforms to the law to implement the Government’s policy commitments in this area in a way that is consistent with Australia’s international legal obligations.
Faith Communities Sharing Preventing Family Violence – Second Session
Religions for Peace Australia invites people of faith in Australia involved in working with or thinking of working with faith communities/ faith leaders on the prevention of family violence to our second informal Zoom gathering to be held online on Friday 10th of March 2023. This event is held in concert with International Women’s Day.
2022 ACU Parliamentary Interfaith Breakfast
Since 2014, Australian Catholic University has hosted six parliamentary interfaith breakfasts, bringing together parliamentarians and the leaders of many faith communities in a spirit of mutual respect and dialogue. The most recent breakfast was held on 24 November 2022 at the National Press Club in Canberra and featured addresses from the federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and renowned journalist Stan Grant.
