Tasmania, November 2018

 

Some of the happy people who attended the launch of Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world in Hobart on 14 October this year.
There was a panel of speakers from the Aboriginal, Anglican, Quaker, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim and Brahma Kumaris traditions.

We celebrated the contributions that people of faith can make to living simply, shared the ideas and inspirations from our own faith traditions and our practical experiences in walking gently on the earth.

Most of all we shared our thoughts of how we can commit to making changes in our lives to support Mother Earth.

According to the International organisation, the Time for Living the Change continues! Building on the success of the launch week between 7-14 October — which featured more than 75 events in 24 countries —the invitation has been extended for community members to host even more local celebrations until 2 December 2018. Although Religions for Peace Tas has no plans for another formal event in Tasmania in that time, our aim is to continue to support the initiative of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change and Living the Change and encourage as many people of faith as possible to make a commitment to live more simply, in however small a way, that will support sustainability: https://livingthechange.net/commitment-tool

It’s no coincidence that the Time for Living the Change will continue until the start of COP24, the UN climate negotiations in Katowice, Poland during the first half of December. Living the Change representatives will be attending the negotiations to reinforce the importance of sustainable behaviour change and demonstrate how diverse religious and spiritual communities are leading by example. They will also present a broad-based collection of personal commitments to international decision makers, so please make your sustainable living commitment today and ensure your voice is heard at COP24!

If you are interested in learning more about how and why celebrating sustainable lifestyles is an important piece of global climate action, you can check out the personal testimonies about sustainable living on Living the Change new Blog … especially the thoughtful response to the IPCC Special Report by Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith. There is also an interesting article by the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT to the disturbing report on climate change.

Holy Days and Festivals in November/December
7 November Diwali (Hinduism)
9 November Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)
Bandi Chhor Divas (Diwali, Sikhism)
10 November Birth of Baha’ullah (Baha’i)
23 November Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Ji (Sikhism)
2 December Advent (Christianity)
3 December Hanukkah (Judaism)
8 December Bodhi Day (Buddism)
25 December Christmas (Christianity)

Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament runs in Toronto, Canada from 1 -7 November. Many sessions will be live-streamed and so accessible to interested people who cannot attend. See https://parliamentofreligions.org/parliament/2018-toronto-0

Baha’i Community
The Baha’i Community of Hobart has great pleasure in inviting you and your family to join us for the celebration for the Birth of the Bab (1819-1850). The Bab was the Forerunner to Baha’u’llah.
Date: Thursday 8 November 2018 Please be seated by 7.15pm for 7.30pm start.
Venue: Baha’i Centre of Learning, 1 Tasman H’way, Hobart.
Light refreshments will be served at the end of the program. Download a flyer for this event.

Diwali Celebrations in Hobart:
May this Festival of Deepavali bring all the tidings of good health and happiness to every individual and every home!

Diwali, or Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of Light over Darkness. We invite everyone to help us celebrate this significant festival!
Date: Friday 9 November 2018 from 4.00-9.00pm
Venue: Franklin Square, Hobart

The Diwali Working Committee is comprised of representatives from the Hindu Society of Tasmania, Indian Cultural Society of Tasmania, Guru Nanak Society of Tasmania, Nepali Society of Tasmania, Bhutanese Community of Tasmania, Hobart Malayali Association, Tamil Association of Tasmania, Gujarati Community of Hobart, Fiji Australia Association of Tasmania, Aryasamaj of Tasmania, Tasmania Kannada Association, Telugu Association of Tasmania, Religions for Peace Tasmania, Brahma Kumaris.

It is being partnered by streeteats@franko and is being facilitated by Hobart City Council and the Multicultural Society of Tasmania. For more information, contact diwali.tasmania@gmail.com
A flier is attached.

Baha’I Community
The Baha’i Community of Hobart has great pleasure in inviting you and your family to join us for the celebration for the Birth of Baha’u’llah, the Prophet and Founder of the Baha’i faith.
Date: Saturday 10 November 2018 Please be seated by 2.45pm for 3.00pm start.
Venue: Baha’i Centre of Learning, 1 Tasman H’way, Hobart.
Light refreshments will be served at the end of the program.

Hindu Society of Tasmania
Diwali and Annakut (Govardhan Puja) will be celebrated on the 10th of November at Cosgrove High School Hall Glenorchy from 6pm onwards by the Gujarati community. Although the literal meaning of Annakut is “mountain of food”, it symbolises an offering of food to God and the love and devotion that has gone into preparing it.

As part of the Diwali celebrations Hindus around the world cook a variety of different vegetarian items of food, snacks, sweets, pickles, spicy dishes and salads.
These items are then arranged in tiers to form a display of every item of food imaginable.
The annual Annakut in Hobart is going to be one of the largest displays of food in Tasmania!
This is a special invitation from Sunil Darji from the Gujarati community to attend this great function. Please do attend this great Celebration and enjoy the different delicious food dishes…….
Also it’s a good opportunity to show how different communities in Tasmania support each other – ” Unity in Divinity”

Tasmania Muslim Association
On behalf of Tasmanian Muslim Association, we are pleased to invite you to a Peace Public Lecture event that is scheduled to be held on Saturday 17th November at the Hobart Mosque, 166 Warwick St, West Hobart from refreshments from 6:00 pm with the lecture starting at 6:30 pm till 7:45 pm.

Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, President of the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) is the lecturer for this event. The lecture topic is “Peace Is Islam and Islam Is Peace” and is aimed to promote peace and harmony and to build a strong social cohesion in this diverse multicultural societies of Hobart Tasmania. The event is designed to be of a single lecture session followed by a Q/A-Discussion session.

We would be delighted to have your presence at this event.

Download a Flyer for this event

TCC Emergencies Ministry
It is very important that people from different faith traditions are trained to support those affected during and after disasters.

We are considering running our one-day training course in Launceston on Saturday November 24th, from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. This course is for new potential volunteers and a Refresher for current EM volunteers. It will help equip participants to deliver Psychological First Aid and Emotional Spiritual Care in an emergency/disaster setting, and is one of the prerequisites for becoming a volunteer with the TCC EM program. The cost of the course, including catering, is $100 for potential new volunteers and $60 for those who already accredited as a TCC EM volunteer. The pre-reading component of the course will take about 3 hours to complete.

We have 4 people interested to attend on that date but need at least 8 registered for us to proceed. If you are interested, please reply and let me know. The registration form will be activated online next week but please email me in the meantime so we can track likely numbers.

There is further information about Emergencies Ministry at https://www.tccem.org.au.
Gus Yearsley
State Officer TCC Emergencies Ministry
gusy@tccem.org.au

Hindu Society of Tasmania – Dil Se Desi

The Hindu Society of Tasmania in association with Rhythmz Bollywood Dance Studio is conducting a dance event Dil Se Desi on 28th of November 2018 at Stanley Burbury Theater, University of Tasmania.

This is aiming to spread joy, fitness and cultural acceptance in Tasmania by involving Tasmanian residents in Bollywood dance activities. While to date we have accomplished this on a small scale, we wish to take it a step further by creating an impact on the wider Tasmanian community and student population.

To do so we have invited Swarali Karulkar, a dance movement therapist from the United States, whose mission is to empower people and promote mental health through physical movement. We believe that Swarali’s mission and that of Rhythmz Bollywood Dance Studio align with University’s goals of providing a diverse and socially sustainable environment which promotes the mental health of its students. Holding such an event at the University will be of mutual benefit, allowing us to extend our influence among wider Tasmanian community.

Dil Se Desi is the first annual dance event of Rhythmz Bollywood Dance in association with the Hindu Society of Tasmania (HSOT) held on 28th November 2018 at Stanley Burbury Theater , University of Tasmania.
This year we have:
Swarali Karulkar, dance therapist from “Dance India Dance” coming in from the USA to hold a Master Class from 6pm – 6:45 pm (Limited Seats).

This is followed by Dancers and Students from Rhythmz Bollywood who will put up a concert for you from 7pm – 8:30 pm. If you get tickets for the concert and the master class you get a chance to share the stage with Swarali Karulkar during our concert (500 seats).

The day will end with a Bollywood DJ from 8:30pm -9 pm and we invite you all to join in and dance.
So come along, support us and join us in a night of dance, fun and colours!!
Master Class: $10
Concert (Adult): $15
Concert (Children/Students): $10
Contact: Pratik: 0478000137, or Ramesh: 0406384796; email: rhythmzbollywood@gmail.com
Download a Flyer for this event

Sacred Conversations
You are warmly invited to join us at 2pm on the last Saturday of every month at the Multifaith Centre at UTAS. Sacred Conversations is an opportunity to get to know one another at a much deeper level of understanding. The world desperately needs loving, respectful, intimate conversation between faith traditions …a prerequisite for genuine peace and unity. All enquiries are welcome! Julian McGarry: 0401673016 or email julianmcgarry@gmail.com

Tasmanian Council of Churches
Christmas Bowl
Share God’s love through the Christmas Bowl. You can download worship resources at: actforpeace.org.au/christmasbowl or call 1800 025 101 to have worship resources and giving envelopes posted to you for use in your congregation.

Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre:
Read the latest news from the Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre, here: Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation Newsletter Spring 2018
For more information, you may
Email: info@hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com
Website: www.hobartbuddhistmeditationcentre.com

Parliament of the World’s Religions on the Massacre in the Pennsylvania Synagogue
As Executive Director, the Chair and Chair-Elect of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, we want these friends in Squirrel Hill to know, as we also do for all communities who are targets of hate, that we stand with you. We stand with your families and your communities. We also want you to know, that we believe aberrant hearts and minds are no match for our fullest humanity, expressed in the global impulses of religion to lead lives that are holy, resilient, loving and kind.

In that spirit, we are one with you. You are never alone.
Robert Sellers, Chair
Audrey Kitagawa, Chair-Elect
Larry Greenfield, Executive Director

Religions for Peace Australia
Religions for Peace Australia would also like to express our support and solidarity with the Hindu Community of Australia on the recent vandalising of a Hindu Temple in Sydney. So much serious damage was done to the Temple and irreplaceable items were destroyed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.