Vale, Ian Lacey AM

Ian and Josie LaceyIan Lacey AM, co-founder of Religions for Peace NSW Branch, and member of the National Executive of Religions for Peace Australia, passed away in the company of his family on evening of 30 November. Professor Des Cahill writes of the accomplishments and service to the nation by Ian Lacey.

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Executive Council of Australian Jewry support YES Vote

Elected Councillors of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the peak representative body of the Australian Jewish community, have voted overwhelmingly to support a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum to decide whether to alter the Australian Constitution to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to make representations to Parliament and the Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Victorian Anti Semitism Report

Jewish Community Council of Victoria logoThe Victorian Anti Semitism Report examines the key incidents, trends and ideologies driving the growth in antisemitism, which is becoming more threatening and visible, and also reviews the key far-left and far-right groups operating in Victoria, the impact of Covid-19 on these organisations and their leaders in Victoria and nationally. Finally, the report describes, in general terms, the state of rising antisemitism globally to provide the direction in which Australian and Victorian antisemitism may be heading.

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Voice to Parliament: Faith Leaders’ Open Letter

Yes - support a first nations voice to parliament

This morning, Leader’s of Australia’s major religious and ethno-religious organisations have called upon all Federal parliamentarians to support a First Nations’ voice to parliament, called for through the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.

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10th anniversary of the NSW chapter of Religions for Peace

The NSW Branch of Religions for Peace Australia celebrates 10 years – a decade of holding its events and proceedings in the State Parliament. Talks are given by Hon. Walt Secord, Shadow Minister, and Peter Wertheim, co-Chief Executive Officer, Executive Council of Australian Jewry

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Australia-wide Jewish Responses to Coronavirus

Executive Council of Australian Jewry Logo

Jewish community organisations and leaders across Australia have rallied together to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish institutions, families, individuals and, most especially, the elderly and vulnerable.   The intense work done by the Jewish community roof bodies in each State, the Crisis Management Teams of the Community Security Groups, shules, the Day Schools, the aged care sector, the welfare sector and volunteers, all working in unison, has been nothing short of inspiring.   We are deeply indebted to all of them.  

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The Domestic Experience of Freedom of Religion or Belief

On Tuesday, 29 November 2016 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, asked the House of Representatives Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade to inquire into and report on The status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief. That Committee has a Human Rights Sub-Committee which conducted the inquiry.

An interim report of the committee was issued in November, 2017. On Wednesday, 3 April 2019, the Sub-Committee tabled its second interim report for the Inquiry into the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief. In this article, we select excerpts of the domestic experience of freedom of religion or belief as expressed by various religious communities in the report.

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Statement on Christchurch shootings

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak representative body of the Australian Jewish community is shocked and deeply saddened by the killing of worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. From the information available to the public, it appears that the murderer or murderers were motivated by white supremacist, neo-Nazi ideology. To kill unarmed … Read more