Greetings of peace for this final month of 2016! We will not be holding any events during December or January, but we would like to support Mannalargenna Day, a special time this weekend celebrating the great Aboriginal leader, Mannalargenna and commemorating a very special event …
Greetings of peace!
We will not be holding any events during December or January, but we would like to support Mannalargenna Day, a special time this weekend celebrating the great Aboriginal leader, Mannalargenna and commemorating a very special event.
We would like to give advance notice for an event to be held on UN International Women’s Day 2017, the Tasmanian launch of the document Promoting Equality and Respect: an interfaith collaboration on preventing family violence. Her Excellency, the Honourable Kate Warner AM, Governor of Tasmania, will attend the event, together with a number of Members of the Tasmanian Parliament. It will be hosted by Religions for Peace Tas branch between 1.00 pm – 2.30 pm on Wednesday 8 March 2017 at the Hobart Town Hall. We hope you will mark the date in your new diaries!
Many congratulations are in order for Waqas and Hina Durrani, an Australian Muslim brother and sister originally from Pakistan who have won the ‘Fair Go’ section of this year’s Pride of Australia awards, having been nominated by Religions for Peace Tas Branch.
In the midst of the current unrest being fomented by statements that promote fear, misunderstanding and distrust specifically about Muslims, both Hina and Waqas are outstanding young leaders, quietly and selflessly building bridges of understanding and promoting peace and social cohesion. They have enriched the Tasmanian community with their many initiatives which have included promoting education at UTAS, employment, women’s empowerment, supporting human rights, fighting racism, promoting multiculturalism and many other initiatives from Lollywood, through sick children’s charities to Hockey Australia!
They have done this at grass roots levels, eg interpreting for new migrants and refugees to help them settle into Tasmania and find their feet, and at Board level, being voices for those who are voiceless. Among the Boards on which they serve are Multicultural Council of Tasmania, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (where Hina is the Women’s Chair and Waqas is the Youth Representative from Tasmania) and DPEM Strategic Reference Group for Multicultural Issues in Emergency Management.
As one example, in their efforts to build bridges of understanding, they initiated ‘Islam Awareness Week’ at UTAS during Ramadan 2015. Congratulations on achieving the Pride of Australia Award, Hina and Waqas! We are proud of your work!
The members of Religions for Peace Tas would like to express our sincere gratitude to Thich Thong Phap (whom we know as Thay), who has been the Buddhist Chaplain at UTAS and supportive friend of Religions for Peace Tas for a number of years. He is approaching retirement and is returning to his home town Adelaide for a year to serve a community there.
Thay’s vision of a University Multifaith Chaplaincy, which he brought with him from Oasis at Flinders University, has guided us on a rich and inclusive program at the UTAS Multifaith Centre. We will miss him for his wisdom, compassion and good humour (not to mention his much-loved furry companions) and wish him well on the next leg of his journey. Our loving thanks for your wonderful contribution to interfaith in Tasmania, Thay!
Many blessings for the religious festivals to be held during the next few weeks:
- Boddhi Day (Buddhism) 8 Dec
- Summer Solstice 21 December
- Christmas (Christianity) 25 December
- Hanukkah (Judaism) Festival of Lights which starts on Sunday 25 December and finishes on Sunday 1 January 2017
- Birthday of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (Sikhism) 5 January 2017
- Epiphany 6 January
- Nativity/Theogony (Orthodox Christianity) 7 January.
Mannalargenna Day
melythina tiakara warrana Aboriginal Corporation and the patron, Her Excellency, the Honourable Professor Kate Warner AM welcomes everyone to a very special historical celebration on Mannalargenna Day 2016. This weekend 3-4 December 2016 involves an invitation to Mannalargenna’s tebrakunna Country in North East Tasmania like no other. For the program and directions for the two days, see this attachment.
From Hilary Burden’s article on 5 November 2016: On December 3, as patron of Mannalargenna Day, Governor Kate Warner will travel to Cape Portland in the northeast to symbolically honour the 1830s promise made to Mannalargenna by George Augustus Robinson on behalf of Lieutenant-Governor Arthur to return Aboriginal people to their own districts from exile on Flinders Island. https://hilaryburden.com/2016/11/
Aboriginal elders are happy to sit and have tea with anyone around the kitchen table. Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Corporation Alliance Representative Aunty Dr Patsy Cameron hopes healthy discussions can now be had around “belonging” and how Aboriginal people can help non Aboriginal people find new, deep and interesting ways to connect to places they live in and to country.
Khachodling Tasmania:
Khandro Rinpoche has arrived in Tasmania from the Himalayas.
There will be an event to fundraise for Khachodling’s humanitarian work, which includes medical, housing and self-sufficiency projects. All proceeds from this event go the Himalayan Education and Culture Fund to create educational opportunities for very poor Himalayan children, the basis for a sustainable and viable future for their families and communities.
- Sunday 4th December, 1–3pm | $30/$25
- Venue: Waterworks Reserve, Waterworks Road, Dynnyrne (2nd BBQ site on the right)
- All enquiries: hobart@khachodling.org.
Soul Food
This is just a quick reminder about a very exciting Soul Food program for Sunday 4 December at 3pm at the Baha’i Centre, 1 Tasman Highway, Hobart. This month’s program “Sense of Time”, so come and enjoy this lovely program. Look forward to sharing this special time with you!
We also promise you a nice afternoon tea with lots of hot food to warm the body. Hosted in the tranquil ambience of the Bahá’í Centre of Learning, (Behind A.B.C. building) 1 Tasman Highway, providing an opportunity to be inspired, uplifted and to celebrate our humanity and oneness in a spirit of friendship and unity. This pleasant meditative afternoon is a free Community inspired event
World Meditation Hour
Join millions of people around the world for an hour of silent meditation for world peace. This will be held at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Centre, 51 Tower Rd, New Town (Cnr Bell St) on Sunday 18 December 2016 from 6.30-7.30pm.
Christmas Bowl Appeal
Christmas Bowl began on Christmas Day 1949, when a minister named Rev Frank Byatt in Victoria placed a simple empty bowl on the table before him. He humbly asked his friends and family to contribute what they felt the cost of the meal had been. Rev Byatt asked that they consider their own good fortune in being able to share a Christmas meal together in comfort and safety. And he invited them to share God’s blessings of love and friendship in the form of a gift to help people who had fled the horrors of World War Two and were suffering as refugees. Learn more about Christmas Bowl here: https://www.actforpeace.org.au/Christmas-Bowl
Handels Messiah
Handel’s Messiah returns to St David’s Cathedral on Wednesday, December 21st, 2016 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, presented by the Argyle Choir and Orchestra. Director: Jonathan Wallis, Soloists, Emily Lanham (Soprano), Jenny Duck-Chong (Contralto), Hew Wagner (Tenor), Bernard Leon (Bass).
Tickets: TryBooking.com ($25) or at the door ($30) Info: Call 0411128244 or 0478526489
Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre:
JANUARY 2017: Regular Tuesday evening sessions at the Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre are in recess. However, on Wednesday, January 25, Rinpoche will be arriving in Tasmania and will give a public talk in Hobart. More information at the website below.
FEBRUARY 2017: During the first week of February, Rinpoche will be leading a retreat at Lorinna. More information at the website below.
Regular Tuesday evening meditation will resume at the Centre in the 2nd week of February (7th February)
http://tashicholing.net/events/rinpoche-2017/
Spiritual Care Australia
The next Spiritual Care Australia Conference is at the Gold Coast May 7-10, 2017.
We have a rich mosaic of excellent speakers lined up around the theme “Engaging a Mosaic of Care”, and look forward to a variety of practical and significant workshops. As well, you will be able to nourish yourself in the relaxed setting of the conference hotel, the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise.
Details of the theme, the speakers, registration costs and more are on the conference website. Colleagues in allied health departments or local faith communities might also be interested in the offerings – feel free to spread the word!
We look forward to hearing from you if you have a workshop, a seminar or a paper to offer to your peers. All submissions are due by 31 December 2016.
< p style="font-size:larger;">Details are on the SCA Conference website: www.mosaicofcare2017.org
Please visit it on a regular basis for the latest news about this important professional development event. Registrations open 9 January and the Early Bird rate ends on 17 March, so get ready to sign up.
Uniting Church Australia and the Royal Commission
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (January 2013 – December 2017)
The Uniting Church in Australia fully supports the work of this Royal Commission. The UCA has set up a National Response Task Group and Task Groups in each Synod. These Task Groups are working to assist the Commission and to utilise the learning from the Commission’s work to enhance our capacity to provide safe environments for children across the church.
The Commission is inquiring into how the wide range of organisations in our society with a responsibility for children, including governments, have managed and responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse.
It is investigating where systems have failed to protect children, and make recommendations on how to improve laws, policies and practices to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse in institutions. For more information go to: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/ and our own pages on the Royal Commission: https://www.victas.uca.org.au/communityservices/royalcommission/Pages/default.aspx
Archdiocese of Hobart
Catholic Church in Australia launches a new company to protect children and vulnerable adults
A new independent company to be established by the Catholic Church to develop, audit and report on compliance with professional standards to protect children and vulnerable people was announced today by church leaders
Catholic Professional Standards (CPS) Limited represents a new national Church response to the importance of safeguarding vulnerable people. It will be responsible for setting the highest standards to ensure the safety of individuals involved with the Church at all levels and engaging with Catholic service providers. More information found here
Immigration Minister’s Comments
The president of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has condemned as racist the comments made by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton about Lebanese-Muslim Australians: “I am extremely concerned by the permission being given by too many of our politicians for the expression of racism. What was once dog-whistling is becoming more overt and shameless.” “I am extremely concerned by the permission being given by too many of our politicians for the expression of racism. What was once dog-whistling is becoming more overt and shameless.” Read more here
Coda: The Wapping Mission:
Perhaps in keeping with the reason for the season – and even more so, the Old Testament notion of the anawim and the firm belief that “the Lord hears the cry of the poor”, we look to the past to see how some responded in kind to the cry of the poor
Wapping was a closely settled, working class district stretching from Sackville Street, behind the Theatre Royal, down to the warehouses of Hunter Street, which was the old wharf precinct of colonial times. In the economic darkness of the underprivileged but friendly slum area of Hobart, dominated by low cost housing and noxious trade – tanneries, an abattoir, a soap factory and the gas works – a beacon shone through in the form of the Campbell Street Mission.
When the second Anglican Archbishop of Tasmania arrived on these shores from England in 1865, he bought with , as chaplain, his eldest son, Henry Bodley Bromby. This young man had tact and a great sense of humour. He was endowed with a beautiful courtesy and he loved working with children. He was particularly attracted to the needs of the poor in Wapping and he worked towards the establishment of a mission church there. He was Dean of the Cathedral from 1876 and although in that capacity he made it happen, the mission was not opened until the year after he left Hobart. The Mercury of Monday 13th Feb, 1885, gave a full description of the opening of “This pretty little building in Campbell Street” and they wrote that before leaving, Bromby “had entered with his usual zeal and heartiness into the project”
The mission was a long building with five windows on each side. It was designed by no less an architect than the renowned Henry Hunter, who had already designed the Hobart Town Hall and much more. It was well appointed inside and the Mercury reporter was thrilled with the use of stained cedar and blackwood.
Despite floods, fires and fights in the numerous pubs in the area, the Mission continued its work for the next 50 years before entering the second phase of its existence as the 105th station in the world of the Mission to Seamen. The country was at war in 1915 when the State governor, Sir William Ellison – McCartney, reopened it on the night of August 30. Under its Flying Angel flag, the mission now looked after the material and spiritual needs of visiting sailors.
In peace,
Terry
Convenor RfP Tasmania Branch
6272 6521
Religions for Peace Tasmania
