News

Far-right terrorist jailed for 12 years after plotting against ‘Muslims and lefties’ in Melbourne

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Phillip Galea

A far-right terror plotter who was dobbed in by his own mates after making plans to wage war against “Muslims and lefties” has been jailed for 12 years. Phillip Galea, 36, was on Friday sentenced in Victoria’s Supreme Court and has to spend at least nine years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

Galea has effectively been in solitary confinement for four years, so could be eligible for parole in just under five years. Galea was found guilty of plotting attacks on the Victorian Trades Hall and the Melbourne Anarchist Club. The judge said Galea showed “no remorse or contrition” for his offending.

Galea, who was a member of Reclaim Australia and the True Blue Crew, was found guilty of preparing for a terrorist act and making a document likely to facilitate a terrorist act.

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Victoria: Understanding ecological threats, resilience and peace

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United Nations Association of Australia - Victorian DivisionTo commemorate Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – and SDG 13 – Climate Action, the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) Victorian Young Professionals are partnering with the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) to deliver a webinar on Thursday 19th November.

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‘Untrue’: Muslim Pro app denies selling user data to US military

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Motherboard

Popular Muslim prayer app says it is committed to protecting users’ privacy after Motherboard investigation causes uproar.

A popular Islamic prayer and Quran app has dismissed a report that said it was selling the private data of its users to brokers who then handed it to the United States military.

“Media reports are circulating that Muslim Pro has been selling personal data of its users to the US military. This [is] incorrect and untrue,” the popular app’s developers said in a statement posted on their website on Tuesday.

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The COVID-19 Crisis and the Jewish Faith Community

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MaskThe following address was presented to the G20 Interfaith Forum Virtual Conference on Oct. 14, 2020 by Rabbi David Saperstein. Rabbi David Saperstein, is director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, having served as its director and counsel for 40 years. He is the former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

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Conversations from the Heart

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Conversations from the Heart

Australian Intercultural Society and EEON will host Conversations from the Heart – exploring possibilities for your organisation to walk together with courage? Join Aboriginal leaders Karen Milward, Stephen Walsh, Sara Alden and special guests in a panel discussion on “Conversations from the Heart” on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 12:30 PM UTC+11.

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Sacred People, Sacred Earth: Statement

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Greenfaith LogoOn 18 November, in six multi-faith TEDx events around the globe, people of faith and conscience at the grassroots are kicking off organizing for the biggest-ever faith-climate day of action – Sacred People, Sacred Earth. What follows is the statement of Sacred People, Sacred Earth.

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Diwali in Australia: What you can and cannot do with COVID-19 restrictions

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Family and Diwali lamps Diwali – a festival observed by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains is celebrated on November 14, 2020, across Australia. Large scale events are cancelled; different Covid-safe Diwali to be celebrated this year. Restrictions and rules differ in all states and territories. One of the most visible Hindu festivals in the calendar, Diwali will be celebrated this weekend but with COVID-19 related restrictions in place, here’s what you can and cannot do.

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Religion, Human Rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals

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Religion, Human Rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Since May 2020, Religions for Peace and UN Human Rights have collaborated to pilot the conversation around the “Faith for Rights” framework and the #Faith4Rights Toolkit (www.ohchr.org/Documents/Press/faith4rights-toolkit.pdf). The scope of piloting is being expanded through partnering with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the syllabus for the course “Religion and Sustainable Development”.

Religions for Peace, UN Human Rights, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will conduct a two day online event “Religion, Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals” on 23 and 25 November 2020 at 9:00-11:00am ET.

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‘Christians and Hindus: Rekindling Positivity and Hope during the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond’

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The Divya lamp The Vatican greets Hindus on the occasion of Diwali, festival of light. The occasion of Diwali is celebrated by all Hindus, and is known as Deepavali, or the “row of oil lamps”. Symbolically based on ancient mythology, it represents the victory of truth over lies, of light over darkness, of life over death, and of good over evil. The actual celebration lasts three days, marking the beginning of a new year, family reconciliation, especially between brothers and sisters, and worship of God. This year the feast will be celebrated by many Hindus on Nov. 14, 2020. Here, we share the message from the Vatican to Hindus:

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