Some of you may have been with us on Tuesday 1 February 2022, when members of Religions for Peace Australia (Victoria Branch, Tasmania Branch and the Multifaith Association of South Australia) hosted the annual UN World Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture – online..
The lecture was given by Professor Douglas Ezzy, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania. The topic addressed by Professor Ezzy was Religious freedom, discrimination, and living well together.
Some of you may have been with us on Tuesday 1 February 2022, when members of Religions for Peace Australia (Victoria Branch, Tasmania Branch and the Multifaith Association of South Australia) hosted the annual UN World Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture – online.
The lecture was given by Professor Douglas Ezzy, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania.
The topic addressed by Professor Ezzy was Religious freedom, discrimination, and living well together.
A recording of Prof Douglas Ezzy’s very interesting and popular talk is available on the RfPA website at the link below:
UN World Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture 2022 – Religions for Peace Australia
We hope everyone is keeping well and everything is going well for all of you!
Holy Days in February 2022
| Date | Event | Faith/religion |
| 15 February | Nirvana Day | Buddhism |
| 16 February | Magha Puja Day | Buddhism |
| 1 March | Maha Shivarathri | Hinduism |
| 1 March | Lailat al Miraj | Islam |
| 2 March | Ash Wednesday | Christianity |
| 3 March | Tibetan New Year | Tibetan Buddhism |
Brahma Kumaris
To honour the festival of Shivarathri, a program entitled ‘Why Light Always Wins’
Many religions around the world share similar practices and beliefs, such as:
Staying awake at night during certain festivals, chanting hymns or singing songs, fasting and themes of the victory of light over darkness.
Join us in understanding the spiritual significance behind these practices and beliefs as we celebrate the festival of Shivarathri – a festival that holds special significance for many around the world as well as for us at The Brahma Kumaris.
Tune in on 20 February 2022 3-5.00pm on tiny.cc/bkhobartevent or come in person.
Seating is limited, so bookings are required for attending in person: 6278 3788 or hobart@au.brahmakumaris.org
There is no charge, but contributions to cover costs are welcome.
Sr Jatinder Kaur, who is in Hobart from the Centre of Spiritual Learning, Blue Mountains NSW, will present this program in English.
Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre
Monday evening meditation
This continues (Zoom only) as per usual.
Meeting time: 5.30-6.15 pm
Meeting ID: 843 3802 6421, Passcode: 789858
Direct link
Tuesday evening meditation
From the first Tuesday evening in February, we will be starting our Tuesday evening sessions for 2022.
Bookings and details are here
Some Basics of Buddhism with Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre: An introduction to Mahayana Buddhism theory and practice.
This program will introduce participants to the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism. We will explore the steps Shakyamuni Buddha – an ordinary person, who himself experienced confusion, anxiety, fear, pain and uncertainty – took to attain enlightenment 2,500 years ago.
The first session of each month will be devoted to different kinds of meditation practice. Come along and learn to meditate, or deepen your practice. Bring your questions and observations to share with others.
On the middle two or three Tuesdays of each month, a leader will give a talk on a different area of Buddhist philosophy. There will also be a short meditation session and opportunity for questions and discussion.
On the last Tuesday of each month, we will have a dedicated discussion session, where you can bring any questions which have arisen during the previous sessions, or any general question about Buddhist philosophy or practice. We encourage you to bring any questions at all, whether simple questions, or questions which may require more thought, so that we can tease them out together as a group. There will also be a short meditation session included.
If you wish to attend in person, please be reassured that our venue is wheelchair accessible.
Sessions are free. Participants are encouraged to make a donation toward Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre’s ongoing running costs when booking a ticket.
Upcoming program:
1/2/22: Practice session (with Tony Were and Charles)
8/2/22: How to approach the Dharma (with Guy)
15/2/22: Different traditions of Buddhism (with Guy)
22/2/22: Questions and discussion (with Guy and Tony)
1/3/22: Practice session (with John)
8/3/22: The four contemplations that turn the mind toward Dharma (with Andy)
15/3/22: The four contemplations that turn the mind toward Dharma (with Andy, continued)
22/3/22: The four contemplations that turn the mind toward Dharma (with Andy, continued)
29/3/22: Questions and discussion (with John)
WHAT YOU’LL GET: An opportunity to learn and practice mindfulness and other meditations.An introduction and explanation of some of the basic teachings of the Buddha.A supportive environment to discuss and ask questions about Buddhist teachings and practice.
WHAT TO BRING: Your curiosity, interest and intention to find out or learn more about Buddhism.A cushion or two if you wish to meditate in a traditional cross-legged posture.Meditating while sitting on a chair or lying on the floor is also fine if this is more comfortable for you.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS: Sessions will be presented by experienced students from Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre who have studied and practiced the Buddhist path for many years.
WHAT ABOUT COVID? Please do not attend in person if you have any symptoms associated with Covid-19, however mild. You will need to check in via the Tasmanian Government check-in app or a sign-in sheet, as well as maintain physical distancing, and wear a mask. The Covid situation is volatile, so some requirements may vary closer to the day. We will notify all who have booked of any changes to requirements.
Got a question? Please contact info@tashicholing.net
Email info@hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com
Website https://www.hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com
Greenfaith
I’ll be blunt: This moment is urgent.
Financial institutions continue to bankroll the climate’s destruction, pouring billions into the fossil fuel industry: an industry without a sustainable future. Now more than ever, we need asset managers and banks to withhold investments from the fossil fuel industry and invest in a green recovery.
That’s why we’re organizing people of faith around 5 moral standards for climate finance. These standards will position leaders to put necessary moral pressure on their institution’s investors.
On February 24, 2022 (call times TBD) people of faith around the world will gather to:
Learn more about how financial industries have authorized and aided in climate destruction by investing in the fossil fuel industry;Get energized to organize to hold asset managers and banks accountable as people of faith; and Commit to bold next steps in their regions.
Reserve your spot at the Multi-Faith Climate Finance Campaign Launch Call and learn from grassroots leaders and frontline communities who are already doing just that.
Let’s do this,
rev. abby mohaupt
P.S. There’s a place for you in this movement.RSVP today! I can’t wait to see you there.
ARRCC Divestment Group
Greetings from the ARRCC Divestment Group and thank you for being interested in our series Aligning your Finances with your Faith to Protect the Planet.
Come learn, share and discuss within a multifaith group on aligning your finances with your faith to protect the planet by divesting from fossil fuels.
The interactive 90 minutes Zoom sessions are run by Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (https://www.arrcc.org.au/) Divestment Working Group.
We began 2022 with sessions where we invited participants to investigate where their banks had invested their money.
Our next session will be about Superannuation with a choice of sessions on Thursday 3rd March (evening) or Tuesday 8th March (daytime).
Please register prior to the session you wish to attend using the following booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/BTMLM
Also there is a new Gas and Electricity – Utilities session on Tuesday 5th April (daytime) or Thursday 7th April (evening). The booking link is: https://www.trybooking.com/BXKGJ
If you wish to, here are three possible ways you could continue your divestment journey in 2022.
First, if you find our sessions helpful, we wonder if you could possibly SHARE information about our upcoming sessions with other people in your faith community via one or more of the following ways:
Send people this trybooking registration link: https://www.trybooking.com/BPHPL
Share this ARRCC Facebook event link https://www.facebook.com/events/234922395501632 Share the information below ( which can be cut and pasted) into an email or your faith community newsletter
Second, let us know if you are interested in attending more sessions this year – including sessions you may have missed in 2021 or be part of an ongoing support group. We are also planning to run a new session on utilities.
Third, would anyone be interested in being part of the Divestment Working Group which meets the second Sunday of the month at 5pm Melb/Syd/Canb/Hob time for about 1.15 hours.
The ARRCC working group is both encouraging individuals of faith to divest from fossil fuels as well as examining what divestment means for faith organisations. If you are interested to see if this is something you wish to be part of please contact us at sensa@bigpond.net.au and we will send you details.
Best wishes
Jamie and Sue
Members of Australian Religious Response to Climate Change Divestment Working Group https://www.arrcc.org.au/
Scots-Memorial Uniting Church
World Day of Prayer Scots-Memorial Uniting Church, Bathurst St, Hobart 5 March 22 2.00pm
I Know the Plans I Have for You
Program written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of England, Wales & Northern Ireland for World Day of Prayer 2022
Jeremiah 29:1-14 In the midst of all the uncertainties we are living under due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Day of Prayer 2022 theme emerges like a balm of confidence. It is an invitation to place our trust in God in times of suffering.
https://worlddayofprayer.net/index.html
Parliament of the World’s Religions:
Official Statement – Released on December 13, 2021
The Parliament of the World’s Religions fully supports the new proposal by the European Union to require imports of goods and materials to be “deforestation-free.” Worldwide deforestation is a substantial cause of both climate change and loss of biodiversity. Forests produce much of the oxygen we breathe and are home to 80% of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. Closed canopy forests alone are home to more than 400 million people, many of whom are indigenous to these lands.
Statement on Dharam Sansad and Hate Speech | Parliament of the World’s Religions (parliamentofreligions.org)
We are distressed to learn that the name of the Dharam Sansad — “assembly of religions” — is being rendered in English as “Parliament of Religions.” The meeting held in Haridwar by the Dharam Sansad on December 17-19 is widely reported to have included hate speech and calls for lethal violence against certain religious groups by Hindu leaders, as recorded on video.
We vehemently disavow any association with such speech and the views it expresses. We have no connection with the organization sponsoring this meeting and we further request that the Dharam Sansad not be referred to as “Parliament of Religions.”
Religious Discrimination Bill from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has expressed its extreme disappointment that two Parliamentary Committees have failed to adequately address any of the fundamental problems in the Government’s proposed Religious Discrimination Bill 2021.
Read more here: https://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au/?p=14476
Religious leaders campaign to end indefinite detention in wake of Djokovic saga
A group of Australian religious leaders this morning launched a campaign in Melbourne called #SetThemFree, which urges Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese to work together to release asylum seekers in detention.
The campaign picks up on the international attention drawn to the plight of Australia’s detained asylum seekers by the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic saga, who was detained in Melbourne’s Park Hotel after his visa to enter Australia was cancelled. Mehdi Ali, an Iranian immigrant who came to Australia at age 16, used the media interest in the tennis star’s experience to highlight his own plight of being locked up for nine years with no prospect of release.
As the Australian Open reaches its climax, Baptist minister Tim Costello spoke at Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral on behalf of more than 30 faith leaders who jointly urged the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to restore Australia’s reputation as a compassionate country. However, there are no denominational leaders among the signatories, so it is unclear how substantial the support is.
This campaign was led by Bishop Phillip Huggins. Read more here
Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue
Religions for Peace in trustful partnership with the Lindau-based Foundation Ring for Peace, and with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, hosted the international conference Generations in Dialogue on Faith and Diplomacy from 4-7 October 2021 in Lindau, Germany.
More than 1700 people from across the world participated online in the conference, while 130 delegates were able to convene in person in Lindau to discuss the topics of peace and security, environmental protection and humanitarian engagement as well as the role of diplomacy and religion. The diversity of participants from the public sector and civil society has provided inspiration and has proven the impact of the multi-religious and multi-stakeholder dialogue in improving mutual understanding and in identifying pathways for joint action in response to global challenges. Setting up a state-of-the-art hybrid format allowed for meaningful interaction in spite of the pandemic.
It’s our pleasure to share with you the digital documentation of the conference. We invite you to experience the individual formats, reflect the content, and immerse yourself in the special atmosphere of the conference on Generations in Dialogue in the context of Faith and Diplomacy.
News Links
Thich Nhat Hanh, Monk, Zen Master and Activist, Dies at 95 – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
As a rabbi was held hostage, interfaith colleagues gathered to help end the standoff (religionnews.com)
When Victoria was plunged into its sixth COVID lockdown last August, Sikh Volunteers Australia cooked, packed and delivered nearly 80,000 free meals in 81 days. Now, with omicron surging across Melbourne, they’ve kicked into gear again:
Sikh volunteers get back to feeding people affected by COVID in Melbourne – RN Breakfast – ABC Radio National
Muslims in interfaith bonds are proliferating. Imams willing to marry them are not. (religionnews.com)
SBS Language | The fascinating history of the Australian Jewish Golf clubs, the Monash in Sydney and Cranbourne in Melbourne
Halal meat venture born out of necessity helping Muslim communities in regional WA – ABC News
What I’ve learned in 12 years as a Buddhist death doula (theage.com.au)
How I set out to be a reverend and became a clown (theage.com.au)
In peace,
Terry
Convenor RfP Tasmania Branch
Vice Chair, Religions for Peace Australia
Phone 6272 6521
