News – Religions for Peace Australia

The Story of Meditation and Prayers for our Earth and COP Conferences

March 14, 2025 by Admin

Logo: Meditation and Prayers for our Earth and COP Conferences

Four years ago, three unconnected people with different faith backgrounds and in different states of Australia were simultaneously thinking about creating a group of interested people to meditate/pray for the planet and its people. Then magically, they connected!

What arose from this connection was ‘Meditations and Prayers for Our Earth and COP.’ We meet online, via Zoom, once a week from the beginning of August to the beginning of each year’s COP conference. During the conference itself the meditations and prayers happen daily.

Women of Faith Transforming Communities Through Multi-Religious Action

March 14, 2025 by Admin

Religions for Peace

From 10-21 March 2025, delegates from UN Member States, civil society, and other stakeholders will convene at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). This global policy-making body is dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity. It is instrumental in promoting the rights of women and girls, shaping global standards and policy agendas, and documenting the reality of the lives of women and girls across the globe.

Many religious groups are conducting side events in parallel with the sessions of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). Religions for Peace International is also participating in one virtual side-event.

Religions for Peace is pleased to invite you to attend our upcoming virtual event on the margins of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), Women of Faith Transforming Communities Through Multi-Religious Action on Thursday, March 20th, from 8:00 – 9:00 AM EST on Zoom.

Three religious traditions overlap this year, providing a rare opportunity for collective reflection

March 14, 2025 by Admin

Symbols of Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith For the first time in decades, three major religious traditions – Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith – will observe their sacred fasting periods at the same time. Lent, Ramadan, and the Bahá’í Fast will coincide, aligning billions of people in a collective act of self-discipline, spiritual reflection, and renewal.

Universal Genuine Mysticism: A Direct Path to the Divine

March 9, 2025 by Admin

Mysticism: A Direct Path to the Divine

Religion is a chrysalis, and spirituality is a butterfly.” Carl McColman

Universal Genuine Mysticism, which based on the analogy above, would be designated by the butterfly as opposed to chrysalis, invites us to explore the profound relationship between the human spirit and the Divine, unconstrained by complexities and presuppositions underpinning of “prophetic” intermediaries and sacred texts. At its core, mysticism is about direct experience, and it suggests that the Divine permeates the entirety of the Universe, especially within the depths of spiritually awakened human hearts.

Adass Israel Synagogue vows to rebuild ‘bigger and better’ after firebombing attack

March 9, 2025 by Admin

Three people broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue in the early hours of December 6 and began pouring accelerant. They were disturbed by worshippers, who were inside studying, but still lit the fire before fleeing. They used brooms to spread the accellerant. The Adass Israel community have received significant support from the community at large, as well as local and international interfaith groups, who have travelled to Ripponlea, Victoria, to express their support.

Indigenous Spiritualities, Land Rights, and Climate Justice Seminar Report

March 9, 2025 by Admin

Indigenous Spiritualities, Land Rights, and Climate Justice Report

The seminar on Indigenous Spiritualities, Land Rights, and Climate Justice introduced a Statement on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, which emphasizes the following: Indigenous Peoples are created with God-given identities that are beautiful. God was present in their lands and among their peoples before colonizers arrived. When Christians brought the Bible, Indigenous People recognized the voice of their Creator in Jesus’ teachings. They did not hear a call to reject their identities.

Climate justice is inextricably linked to the human rights of Indigenous peoples, particularly as Indigenous communities occupy 20 to 25 percent of the earth’s land surface, of which 80 percent of that land mass holds the world’s remaining biodiversity.

Vatican Message for Ramadan and Id-al-Fitr 1446 A.H./2025

March 6, 2025 by Admin

Vatican Message for Ramadan To mark the month of Ramadan, which this year begins on Friday, 28 February or Saturday, 1 March—subject to the sighting of the moon—and shall end with the Eid Al-Fitr on 30/31 March, the Holy See’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has recently published a message entitled “Christians and Muslims: What we hope to become together.” George Jacob Cardinal Koovakad and Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku (Prefect and Secretary of the Dicastery, respectively), express that this year’s Holy month of Ramadan (and Eid Al-Fitr) is unique inasmuch as it coincides with the Christian season of Lent.

Prayer in Times of Cyclone

March 14, 2025March 6, 2025 by Admin

In these times of stress and distress anticipating the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, we stand one with those in the path of the torrents of nature. We are One, and We are Many. When the tempests of nature confront us, we turn to prayer and supplication to the Divine. Here, we bring you prayers for stress and distress with nature, from the world’s religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Tao, Judaism, Christianity, St Francis, Bahá’í, The Quran, and Dadirri: the Indigenous Deep Listening. Herewith, Prayer in Times of Cyclone.

Imagine if…

March 6, 2025March 4, 2025 by Admin

Zelensky and Trump When we are sustained by our faith, our love for the Divine, our respect for the divine self-giving in our scriptures (whatever the spiritual path we follow) we are duty bound to extend that love, that respect, that faith for the other whom we encounter. The Golden Rule – found in all religions – bids us to treat the other as we would like to be treated, ourselves. Here, Bishop Philip Huggins gives a reflection on the inner peace within and how this leads to respectful listening, respectful relations with others, whatever their office, their station in life, their leadership role. Bishop Huggins asks, Imagine if

Keepers of hope: A monastic refuge in Zhytomyr, Ukraine

March 4, 2025 by Admin

Christ Pantocrator, This spring, I visited Zhytomyr, a city in Ukraine founded in the ninth century, around the same time as the invention of gunpowder in China and algebra in Baghdad. Zhytomyr is as old as Beowulf and Alfred the Great, the first king of the English. Unfortunately, Zhytomyr’s location did not allow it to preserve all its historic landmarks, such as a medieval castle, churches and monasteries. The city has been destroyed and burned to ashes by various invaders many times, only to be rebuilt again and again by its perseverant citizens.