The local authorities in Tibet on Monday announced the suspension of “large-scale traditional religious activities” in celebration of Losar, the traditional Tibetan New Year, in Lhasa, citing the need to curtail the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, now officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.
News
Church leaders call for accurate information as well as prayers to overcome coronavirus
As a mass quarantine continued in Wuhan and surrounding provinces in China, church leaders from around the world called for accurate information and education, as well as a sense of solidarity related to the coronavirus outbreak. The death toll in China has surpassed 908, and the number of confirmed cases is now more than 40,171. There are also more than 200 cases of infection outside China.
World Council of Churches launches Current Dialogue
A lively interchange on the rapidly changing landscape of interreligious encounter marked the launch of a new journal at the Ecumenical Centre on Friday, 7 February. The occasion was the unveiling of the new incarnation of Current Dialogue, the pioneering World Council of Churches periodical on interreligious dialogue.
Judaism: Teaching Consent to Our Kids: A Lesson in Kavod (Respect)
As a parent and a Jewish educator, there are a few topics about which I am especially passionate – those where my knowledge as an educator align closely with my experience as a parent raising young children in today’s world. For example, a few that I take very seriously are my job to use car seats safely, to read to my kids every day, and to coach social-emotional skills because I know how much each of those things matter in raising healthy adults.
Canberra: Faithful speak out at People’s Climate Assembly after bushfires
Buddhists, Anglicans, Catholics, Muslims, Quakers and people of other faiths joined thousands of concerned Australians in Canberra during the first sitting week of Parliament to stand up for meaningful action on climate change.
Disease Is Inevitable. Compassion Is a Choice.
Buddham Sharanam Gacchami: I surrender to the Buddha. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, a Buddhist practitioner visiting China reflects on how panic spreads and what we can do to open our hearts again. For, disease is inevitable. Compassion is a choice.
Quaker Letter to Prime Minister about Rohingya Peoples displacement
Australian Quakers Presiding Clerk, Ann Zubrick, has written to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, to urge them to take an active role in supporting justice for the Rohingya people of Myanmar.
Asian Conference of Religions for Peace in Action: Its Vision, Mission and Flagship Projects
The Asian Conference of Religions for Peace, also known as Religions for Peace Asia, is the world’s largest regional body of religiously-inspired people working for peace, harmony and the well-being of people in their own countries, in the Asian-Pacific region. What follows is an account of the works of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace.
UN Human Rights Body Supports Asylum for Climate Change Refugees
The UN Human Rights Committee issued its first ruling on a request for asylum from the effects of climate change, finding that countries may not deport individuals facing “climate change-induced conditions that violate the right to life”.
Ioane Teitiota’s case argued that Kiribati had become uninhabitable for all residents because of the rise in sea level and other climate change effects.
The ruling also accepts Teitiota’s claim that sea-level rise is likely to render Kiribati uninhabitable within ten or 15 years.
Serving Communities with Courage and Compassion
The 2020 Catholic Social Services National Conference at the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne aims to strengthen and advance our work in Catholic social services through a shared, critical, forward-looking focus on our mission and on the key issues of the day. The conference runs from Wednesday 26th – Friday 28th February 2020.
Australian Baha’i Community: Creating an Inclusive Narrative Project
The Australian Baha’i Community will conduct community roundtable discussions on social cohesion in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Darwin. These roundtables are an integral aspect of a national project being facilitated by the Australian Baha’i Community to collectively ‘Create an Inclusive Narrative’ for our country. The roundtables will take place in February, March and April of 2020.
Future Frontiers: Ethics for a Changing World
The Dialogue Australia Network will conduct its 2020 Conference at Melbourne Grammar School (Domain Intersection) on 27 – 29 March 2020. The focus of the conference will be the teaching of Ethics in schools and curriculum engagement.
