UN Habitat invites you to join in UN Habitat’s World Urban Campaign’s faith initiative, Faith and the Path Towards a Better Quality of City Life. UN Habitat together with World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the Urban Shalom Society (USS) and a number of local partners are running a series of faith based Urban Thinkers Campuses, aimed at encouraging faith communities to work together on the creation of cities and urban environments where all can flourish.
News
Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) National Conference
The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) warmly invites you to participate in our inaugural national Conference. The Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Canberra, 8-10 November 2019.
WCC hosts historic Sikh-Christian Dialogue in face of “growing need for lasting peace”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) hosted a Sikh-Christian dialogue on 5 July with the theme “Pursuing Peace in a Pluralistic World” to commemorate the 550th birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first guru of the Sikhs.
Office of the Dalai Lama issues clarification on Dalai Lama’s controversial remarks on immigrants and female successor
In a new interview, the Dalai Lama said Trump lacks moral principle, refugees should ultimately return to their homeland, and any future female Dalai Lama should be attractive.
WCC trains students for interreligious dialogue
Young students from all over the world were welcomed to the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland on Tuesday for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interreligious Studies.
The theme of the 2018/2019 academic year is “Engaging for just and participatory societies – belongingness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam”. The distance learning component of the course started three weeks ago. It brings together students from the three Abrahamic religions to learn more about each other’s religions and enhance their understanding of today’s multicultural society.
Season of Creation
Global support continues to grow for the Season of Creation, an annual celebration of prayer and action to protect creation that is celebrated by tens of thousands of Christians of all traditions around the world. Running from 1 September to 4 October, the Season of Creation’s beginning and end dates are linked with the concern for creation in the Eastern and the Western traditions of Christianity, respectively.
Australian Religious Response to Climate Change: No Faith in Coal
More than 150 religious leaders have called on Scott Morrison to acknowledge the world faces a climate emergency and block all new coal and gas projects, including Adani’s Carmichael mine.
‘For the sake of generations to come’: Faith leaders unite on climate change
Faith leaders from across the religious divide have gathered in Sydney to call on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to show moral leadership on climate change.
The joint press conference kicked off with Rabbi Johnathan Keren-Black blowing a ram’s horn to symbolise raising the alarm.
Environmental Advisor for the Council of Progressive Rabbis, Rabbi Keren-Black said the world is facing a “climate emergency”.
“We blow the horn to awake slumbers from their sleep and to sound the alarm, so we blow it to sound the alarm for the climate emergency, for the sake of the world, for the sake of generations to come,” he said.
Back Your neighbour
A key value in all religions is the Golden Rule. Another important value in religions – and in interfaith activity – is hospitality to the stranger. The government is withdrawing support services for people living in our communities who have fled war and persecution, including financial support and trauma counselling from victims of torture. Back your neighbour asks you to sign a petition for them, for when we back our neighbours, they give back.
Yoga Day at Victorian Parliament 28 June
The world will be celebrating 5th International Day of Yoga this year; Sri Sri Yoga and the Art of Living invite you to a very special celebration of the 5th International Day of Yoga for Harmony in Australia at Parliament House, Melbourne on Friday, 28 June.
The Israel Folau crowdfunding saga is not about freedom of religion
Dr Simon Longstaff of The Ethics Centre writes about Israel Folau and the fallout from his sacking and the crowdfunding saga. Dr Simon Longstaff says, inter-alia, Religious freedom comes in four basic forms: freedom of belief, freedom of worship, freedom to act in good conscience (which includes freedom from coercion in matters of religion) and finally freedom to proselytise (which includes the right to educate one’s children in the faith). Folau’s case involves the third and fourth of these freedoms.
What Folau believes and how he worships have not been challenged. Rather, he has been sanctioned for what he has done and said — not as a believer, but in his role as an elite rugby player representing Australia. However, can the two roles of “believer” and “contracted player” be so easily separated? That is the question at the heart of this issue.
“Green Reformation” conference explores ties between ecology, religion and education
An international consultation entitled “Green Reformation: Ecology, Religion, Education and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement” was held 12-15 May at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute.
