APRO (Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations), the NSW Branch of Religions for Peace Australia, the Australian Multicultural Foundation along with the Organ and Tissue Authority of Australia bring a national interfaith forum on Religious Values and the values of religion.
While religion still plays an important role in many individual lives, its role at the level of the community and institutions is contested. Some question both the value of religion, and the place of religious values in our society. This roundtable seminar will examine the role of religion – and its contributions to Australian society and culture – this day, this age.

This one-day forum will provide a timely opportunity to advance discourse on a range of issues related to religious values and the value of religion in contemporary Australia.

Traditionally, religion has played a vital role in shaping values at the individual, community and institutional levels. Today the religious landscape in Australia is increasingly diverse, including a significant proportion who follow no religion. While religion still plays an important role in many individual lives, its role at the level of the community and institutions is contested. Some question both the value of religion, and the place of religious values in our society.

This forum will provide a space for people from diverse religions to explore this challenge together. Among the questions to be addressed are:

What is the role of religion and religious values in the public square in Australia?
How can faith communities work together to demonstrate and strengthen the value of religion?
Within our traditions, can we find values relevant to key issues facing Australia today?
What values do we all share?
How can we contribute them to public discourse in a secular society?

Event Details

National interfaith forum on Religious values and the value of religion

Wednesday 22 February 2017, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm

Strangers Function Room, NSW Parliament House

Registration

Please register at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apro-forum-religious-values-and-the-value-of-religion-tickets-29685245368

Keynote speaker

Professor the Hon Kristina Keneally was the first female Premier of New South Wales, a position she held from 2009 to 2011. She holds a BA in Political Science (Hons) and a MA in Religious Studies from the University of Dayton.

Currently she currently hosts “To The Point” and other television programs on Sky News Australia, and writes opinion pieces for The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald on a range of topics including public policy, feminism and the Catholic Church. In July 2015 Kristina was appointed as an Adjunct Professor and Director for Gender Inclusion at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Program

From 9.30 am	Registration
10.00 am	Welcome Welcome and acknowledgement of country: Mrs Josie Lacey OAM (Forum co-convenor) Welcoming remarks: The Hon John Ajaka MLC, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, and the Hon Sophie Cotsis MLC, NSW Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism
10:10 am	Keynote address Keynote address by Professor the Hon Kristina Keneally followed by Q&A
11:00 am	Roundtable discussion 1 Identifying key issues facing contemporary Australia
12 Noon	Lunch
1:00 pm	Panel Discussion: Religious values and the value of religion Moderator: Rev Dr David Gill AM Panellists: Ven. Wu Chin, Shaykh Haisam Farache, Rev Pravrajika Gayatripana, Bawa Singh Jagdev OAM, Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio, Rev Myung Hwa Park, Mrs Ida Walker
2:00 pm	Presentation: Religious values in action Presentation on behalf of Organ and Tissue Authority
2:30 pm	Roundtable discussion II Applying religious values to selected issues identified in Roundtable I
3:30 pm	Report back from Roundtables
3:55 pm	Closing remarks Summation and thanks: Dr Natalie Mobini (Forum co-convenor)