Queensland

Queensland: Taking a Proactive Role in Mobilising Faith Communities during COVID-19

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Griffith University - Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue

Faith communities are uniquely situated to positively and negatively influence the success of Queensland’s’ COVID-19 responses in three areas: faith communities and places of worship, vulnerable groups in society, and community services. To this end, the Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue at Griffith University brought faith communities together to discover – and report to the Queensland Government – the concerns and needs highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This report outlines key issues facing faith communities in Queensland during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported from the communities themselves. The methods and findings of the project support improving connections between faith communities and state leadership for sharing lessons learned, improving support for vulnerable groups, and ensuring key health messaging is communicated to strengthen public safety.

The Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue at Griffith University acted as a link to faith communities, helping to facilitate connections between faith groups to identify issues and opportunities via:

  • a. a questionnaire distributed from 14-27 April 2020, and
  • b. an online Community Forum on 28 April 2020.

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Brisbane: WCC’s Commission of Churches on International Affairs meets

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WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs in BrisbaneThe 57th meeting of the WCC’s Members of the Commission of Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) gathered for the Prayer service in St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane, Australia, opening the 57th CCIA meeting on 19 February 2020. Agenda of the meeting include impacts of the climate change and nuclear testing on the countries in the Pacific region.[/caption] (CCIA) has convened from 19 to 21 February in Brisbane, Australia focusing on the priority issues of Pacific region.

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Queensland: Australians Sharing a New Story

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Initiatives of Change logoInitiatives of Change will revisit the Community Trust Building Dialogue event – for the power of personal story-sharing was valued so this time the emphasis will be on small group story sharing. This will take place at the Griffith University Center for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue, Nathan Campus, on 14 December 2019 at 3pm.

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Queensland: Chenrezig Institute Courses

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Chenrezig Logo with dragonsChenrezig Institute is a Buddhist retreat and study centre nestled in the hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Established in 1974, the Institute was among the first Tibetan Buddhist centres in the Western World and remains one of the largest. Several courses are offered in November 2019.

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Queensland: Trust-building and the Vibrancy of Western Multicultural Societies: The Christian- Muslim experience

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St Francis and the Muslim Sultan of Palestine, Syria, and Egypt: al-Malik al-KamilDave Hale and Adis Duderija will present talks on the topic on the occasion of celebrating the meeting 800 years ago between the Christian St Francis and Muslim Sultan of Palestine, Syria, and Egypt: al-Malik al-Kamil at the Multifaith Centre Griffith University, on October 17.

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Op Ed: It’s time to replace Religious Instruction with Worldviews Education in Australian schools

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School studentsThe religion in schools debate is heating up again — this time with a group, Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools, calling for a parliamentary review of Religious Instruction (RI) in state schools.

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Brisbane: Safer Churches Conference 2019

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National Council of Churches Safe Church Program logoThe 9th biennial Safer Churches Conference will be the first conference held by the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) Safe Church Program since the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommendations were released in December 2017. The theme for the conference, “Transforming Cultures: Listening, Reflecting, Acting” will provide the framework across the two-day event, at the Mercure Hotel, Brisbane on 16-17 September 2019.

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Queensland: Community Trustbuilding – What Does it Take? What Do We Need?

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Initiatives of Change logoInitiatives of Change (Australia) will facilitate a Community Trust Building event at the Multifaith Centre, Nathan Campus, Griffith University on Saturday August 31.

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Queensland: The Current State of Interfaith Collaboration in Financial Investments

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Seamus P FinnThe Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue will host the Rev. Seamus P Finn OMI, presenting a public lecture covering “The Current State of Interfaith Collaboration in Financial Investments” at the Nathan Campus on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 6 PM – 9 PM.

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Qld: Toowoomba Mosque offers Condolences and Prayers

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On Tuesday, 23 April 2019 some members of Toowoomba Masjid visited St Anthony’s Church with flowers. Led by President of Islamic Society of Toowoomba, Professor Shahjahan Khan, and Imam Abdul Kader the team felt a bit relieved to be able to reciprocate some of the humanity shown to the Muslim community by their Christian friends after the Christchurch mosques attacks.

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Queensland: Nurturing Global Citizens through Interfaith Dialogue

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The Centre for Interfaith and Believing Women in a Culture for Peace are please to present a special interfaith workshop by Professor Toh Swee-Hin and Dr Virginia Cawagas: “Nurturing Global Citizens through Interfaith Dialogue”.

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Queensland: Buddhist Chaplaincy Course

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This course is for anyone who performs helping work – as a volunteer – inside Buddhist communities or in the Australian or international community. This helping work may involve: caring for children and families; supporting people who are facing life difficulties (relationship problems, unemployment, bereavement etc.); teaching Buddhism to school children; caring for the sick, elderly and dying; providing pastoral care in universities, hospitals, hospices and prisons; teaching basic meditation skills and running meditation practice groups (for example in hospitals and workplaces); supporting community members in times of conflict or natural disaster.

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