Tasmania: September 2018

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Welcome to Interfaith September, a time of many Interfaith peace activities including United Nations International Day of Peace. As part of the festivals occurring this month, the Jewish High Holy Days begin today with the New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Religions for Peace Tasmania Branch will be celebrating UN International Day of Peace on Sunday 23 September from 3.00-4.30pm at UTAS Multifaith Centre, TUU Building, Churchill Ave, Sandy Bay


 

Welcome to Interfaith September, a time of many Interfaith peace activities including United Nations International Day of Peace.
Religions for Peace Tasmania Branch will be celebrating UN International Day of Peace on Sunday 23 September from 3.00-4.30pm at UTAS Multifaith Centre , TUU Building, Churchill Ave, Sandy Bay – for more information, see http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/

Download the Flyer for this event

Special Days in September
10-11 September Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year festival, marked by the blowing of the horn (shofar) which begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, 19 September this year). It is the beginning of the holiest time of the year for Jews, and the anniversary of the creation of the world.
12 September Hijra (Islam)
13 September Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism)
21 September UN International Day of Peace
24 – 30 September The Festival of Sukkot (Jewish festival of Booths, from the time of the 40 years’ wandering in the desert).

Climate Change Action: Living the Change
We also have forward notice of our October RfPTas event supporting the global sustainable living project Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world.

We will hold an event on Sunday 14 October 18 3.00-5.30pm at the UTAS Multifaith Centre, TUU Building, Churchill Ave, Sandy Bay where we will celebrate the contributions that people of Faith can make to living simply, share a plate of plant-based food and ideas and inspirations from our own faith traditions and experience in walking gently on the earth.

For ideas about bringing a plate of plant-based food to share, in case the idea is new to you: (remember that members of some faiths do not eat onions or plants belonging to the onion family).

Some still wonder why the climate is a concern for people of faith. In answer, Anglican Bishop Philip Huggins, President of the National Council of Churches in Australia, describes it as “a number one issue.” Personally, he says he felt compelled to act after “the simple reality of being a grandparent and holding a grandchild and wondering what kind of planet that child will be able to grow up in.”

A Jewish leader concerned about care for the environment, Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black, said, “Human beings have a responsibility to look after God’s Creation, to look after God’s world, … to make it better, to heal it where it’s broken. That guides me in all that I do.”

Buddhist Philippa Rowland, the President of the Multi-Faith Association of South Australia and an advocate for climate justice, said, “Perhaps we could return to a simpler life so that others may simply live, as Gandhi said.”

It has long been the world’s spiritual traditions which have held up the value of living simply, with gratitude for life’s blessings and seeking happiness in relationships rather than material comforts and possessions. The Living the Change campaign calls on believers to live out these traditional values and thereby create an alternative to the consumerist culture which drives the over-exploitation of the planet’s limited resources.

Leaders in faith communities are being asked to encourage people within these communities to make pledges, and to support them in sustaining these commitments over time.

Across Australia, individuals of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, a range of Christian traditions and Others will be making pledges online. People are encouraged to be ambitious so that, when collective efforts are viewed as a whole, the emissions avoided will be significant. These various efforts will then be shared and celebrated at special events in October, to be held in the nation’s Capitals and some regional centres. Similar events will be held in hundreds of places internationally.

By the time of the next climate negotiations in Poland in December, organisers plan to present significant achievements in terms of avoided emissions.

Thea Ormerod, President of Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, said, “Australians have around the highest per capita emissions in the world. This is both a challenge and an opportunity, especially as we are surrounded by regional neighbours who are amongst the hardest hit by climate impacts. Sea level rise is already forcing relocations in the Pacific. Australian faith-based communities could take the lead in setting an ethical example and make a real difference.”

Living the Change was initiated by the US-based multi-faith organization, GreenFaith, and now has worldwide implementing partners from a range of faith traditions. In addition to ARRCC, they include the Bhumi Project (Hindu), Global Catholic Climate Movement, Global Muslim Climate Network, Hazon (Jewish), One Earth Sangha (Buddhist), World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance.

The commitment link, where we can make a pledge to cut back on our CO2e emissions through food, energy and/or transport, is: https://livingthechange.net/commitment-tool
Enquiries: Thea Ormerod | 0405 293 466 | chair@arrcc.org.au

World Meditation Day
Now more than ever, people and the world need vibrations of peace and calmness. We enhance the power of those vibrations by meditating together. Join us and millions around the globe in sending the light of peace to the world.
Sunday 16 September 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Brahma Kumaris Hobart
51 Risdon Rd, New Town, Hobart
NO BOOKINGS REQUIRED

Quakers and Concerns from Both Sides Now: Discerning and Supporting
Thursday October 4, 2018 4 pm to Sunday, October 7, 2018 1 pm
Conducted by Sue Ennis and Catherine Heywood
Silverwater Quaker Centre, Bungendore, NSW
“You don’t get a Concern because you want to do something. It comes because the Spirit wants you to do something.”
Quakers have had a long history of Concerns which at times have led to social change. For example the abolition of slavery, the treatment of First Nations Peoples, peace issues, prison reform, permaculture and so forth.
This course is for anyone who would like a clearer understanding of what “Concern” is in the Quaker context, those who are feeling nudged by the Spirit to some action, or who are social activists wondering if their Meeting might support them and those who might be asked to guide an individual or the Meeting through the process of discernment and support of a Concern.
Enquiries: admin.office@silverwater.com.au
Download the Flyer for this event.

Soul Food: Sunday 7 October 18, 3.00pm

This month’s program “Syllables & Sounds” will explore the power of words, speech and sound, and how their inspired usage can touch and transform the human soul and is designed to encourage and contribute to the well-being of communities and the world at large. Creating a foundation for the unity of humankind designed they are designed to encourage us to cherish the love we share with our fellow man and we may become aware of how these quotes and readings can profoundly impact unity and peace in our communities as expressed in the divine teachings.
The music for this program will be, as always, delightful and entertaining. Soul Food is a unique, monthly event featuring live music, audio-visual pieces and readings from faiths and philosophers, authors, leaders and indigenous cultures from all around the world specially chosen to inspire us towards understanding and unity of nations, commencing in our homes, our Communities, States and Countries.
Hosted in the tranquil ambience of the Bahá’í Centre of Learning, (Behind the 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 and welcomes all. When: Sunday 7th October, 3pm. Great refreshments served.
For more information phone 6234 7654 http://www.tasbcl.com.au

Tasmanian Peace Trust
Henry Reynolds presents the 2018 Peace Trust Lecture Australia’s Unnecessary Wars
Wednesday 24 October 18 5.30pm for 6.00pm
Friends Meeting House, 5 Boa Vista Rd., North Hobart.

From the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Toronto November 1-7, 2018:
One of the themes of the Parliament is The Dignity of Women Across the World’s Wisdom Traditions & Society:
Read more here https://youtu.be/QEkbKOYN1H4

2018 Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference
Registration Now Open
Sunday 18 November 12 noon-4.30pm
St Albans Community Centre, 309C Main Rd E, St Albans VIC 3021
Major themes:
Workshop 1: The Social Costs of Gambling Harm: A Faith Response
Workshop 2: Freedom of Religion Vs Freedom of Artistic Expression
Workshop 3: Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world
Workshop 4: Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme
Bookings – Click here.

Canberra Interfaith Network:
A beautiful Interfaith film called The Field: https://vimeo.com/254784041

Tasmania: Benedictines and Buddhists join in monastery


In peace,
Terry
Convenor RfP Tasmania Branch
Vice Chair, Religions for Peace Australia
Phone 6272 6521


Religions for Peace Tasmania

Religions for Peace Tasmania