Conference Report: Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice – An Indigenous Theological Revolution

Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution

This report focuses on a groundbreaking four-day conference held under the auspices of the School of Indigenous Studies established in 2022 by the University of Divinity. Conference Report: Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice was a four-day conference held 5-8 February 2024, at St Paschal’s College, Box Hill, Victoria. This report is provided by Emeritus Professor Des Cahill, President – Religions for Peace Australia, Moderator – Asian Conference of Religions for Peace.

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From esotericism to embodied ritual: Care for Country as religious experience

Care for Country as religious experienceIn an academic paper, it is shared that Aboriginal spiritual psychology begins from an appreciation of intentional and practical connection with the living systems of Country and kin. They draw on cases from Dadirri and other stories to describe Aboriginal contemplative practices as being conscious of our mutual vulnerability with the living cosmos.

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Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution

Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological RevolutionThe University of Divinity will join The School of Indigenous Studies to host a 4-day conference in February 2024 – Raising our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution.

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Amar is driving from Sydney to Darwin to engage culturally diverse communities with the Yes campaign

Amar Singh and Van
Australian of the Year Local Hero award winner Amar Singh says there’s been a “gap” in communicating the importance of the referendum to multicultural communities.

Amar Singh says it’s his responsibility as “a human being” to engage multicultural communities with the Yes campaign.

That’s why he’s begun a two-month 25,000 kilometre round-trip journey from Sydney to Darwin.

Mr Singh won the 2023 Australian of the Year Local Hero award for his work with his charity Turbans 4 Australia, a Sikh-led assistance organisation that delivers food and aid to vulnerable people across western Sydney.

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International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

International Day of the World's Indigenous PeoplesIn order to raise awareness of the needs of Indigenous Peoples, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This date, adopted in December 1994 by UN General Assembly marks the date of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva in 1982. Here, we examine the role and futures of the Indigenous Youth of Australia.

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Dadirri, “deep listening” that the Aboriginal people offer to the Church

Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-BaumannSydney (Agenzia Fides) – In the Aboriginal communities in Australia, every assembly, meeting, ecclesial gathering is lived starting from a style of relationship with others which is typical of the Aboriginal culture: the spirit of “dadirri” (which means “deep listening”). This attitude, which characterizes the relationship with any other person, allows assemblies to proceed fruitfully, is the basis of “walking together” and represents a trait of synodality which has always been lived in these communities.

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Recognition and Voice

Noel PearsonAn Afternoon With Noel Pearson
With the referendum on the way, it’s important to explore and discuss as a community what it will mean to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is hosting an event with Noel Pearson (online) on Monday 31 July 2023 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm AEST.

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Walking Together Workshop

Walking Together WorkshopFor the 1st Nations People, Sovereignty is a spiritual bond between land and its people and that Sovereignty was never ceded. It ios a connection between past present and future. The Migrant Workers Centre, the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria jointly hosted a Workshop at the Trades Hall, Melbourne. The workshop took participant through the #Uluru #Statement of the #Heart and how best the Multicultural community can walk with the 1st Nations People to achieve recognition of the Voice in the Constitution.

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Support for Constitutional Recognition

YES, supporting VOICE
In 2020, Religions for Peace Australia amended its Constitution to include support appropriate recognition of the spiritualities of the First Peoples of Australia. In this wise, Religions for Peace Australia wrote to the Prime Minister in August 2020 calling for a Voice to Parliament, a Makarrata Treaty and a Truth Telling Commission. On this page, we provide our reasons for support of the Constitutional Recognition Referendum.

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Observing NAIDOC Week

Observing NAIDOC Week

From 1940 until 1955, the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and was known as ‘Aborigines Day’. In 1955 ‘Aborigines Day’ was shifted to the first Sunday in July when it was decided that the day should also become a celebration of Aboriginal culture as well as a day of protest. Major Aboriginal organisations, as well as state and federal governments, all supported the formation of the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC).

As awareness of the distinct cultural histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples grew, NADOC was expanded to recognise Torres Strait Islander people and culture. The committee then became known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC).

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