FAITH COMMUNITIES COUNCIL OF VICTORIA (FCCV) - July 2017

FCCV JULY 2017 NEWSLETTER
	NEWS | EVENTS | HOLY DAYS
2016 RELIGIOUS CENSUS DATA The results of the 2016 Census reveal we are a religiously diverse nation, with Christianity remaining the most common religion (52%). Islam (2.6%) and Buddhism (2.4%) are the next most common religions.
SOCIAL COHESION IN BENDIGO REPORT STUDIES MOSQUE PROTESTS Controversy surrounding plans to build a mosque in Bendigo has resulted in greater intercultural understanding, a study has found. But issues remain.
'FIRST NATIONS IFTAR DINNER' UNITES FAITH AND CULTURE Cross-cultural and religious exchanges were on the menu as Victoria's Islamic and Aboriginal communities gathered for the state’s inaugural 'First Nations Iftar dinner'.
STRENGTHENING VICTORIA’S MULTICULTURAL YOUTH Culturally diverse Victorians aged 16 to 25 are invited to become a member of the Multicultural Youth Network (MYN) and have their views heard on how to make Victoria a stronger, more cohesive state.
CALL TO MAKE AUSTRALIA SLAVERY-PROOF The Australian Freedom Network (AFN) inter-faith representatives called on businesses and the Australian government to slavery-proof their supply-chains.
ARTICLES OF FAITH: A COLLECTION OF INTERFAITH STORIES  The Brimbank and Maribyrnong Interfaith Network launched a new video capturing members’ beliefs and reasons why they became part of the network.
WORLD’S TOP RELIGIOUS LEADERS ISSUE RARE JOINT APPEAL The world’s most prominent religious leaders have come together to present a different vision of how faith can work in the world.
POPE FRANCIS: CENTRAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE Pope Francis met with participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who have been discussing the key contribution of women to interfaith relations.
KHALSA FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES WEEKLY FREE FOOD DRIVE IN MELBOURNE With the support of Victorian Sikh Community, Khalsa Foundation Australia launched their first food van yesterday in the heart of Melbourne to serve free vegetarian food to everyone.
TURBAN LEGENDS ABC TV COMPASS Meet a new generation of Sikh legends who're reinventing what it means to be a Sikh in Australia. Click here to view on iview
CENSUS 2016 SHOWS AUSTRALIA’S CHANGING RELIGIOUS PROFILE, WITH MORE ‘NONES’ THAN CATHOLICS Every five years the census asks Australians: “What is your religion?”. Ten tick-box responses are provided, along with the option to write in some other response.
BEYOND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - EVOKING SPIRITUALITY IN THE CLASSROOM The Andrews Government made significant changes to the conditions surrounding Special Religious Instruction (SRI) in state primary schools last year removing the program from the structured curriculum.
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH: MELBOURNE VEGETARIAN SPIRITUALISTS' RELIGION RECOGNISED  Where does a philosophy end and a religion begin?
	EVENTS LISTENING TO THE LAND (WINTER NIGHT WALK): MORNINGTON PENINSULA INTERFAITH NETWORK 1ST JULY 6:00PM READ MORE ASIA-PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY: AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY 19TH JULY 9:00AM READ MORE PLACE OF WORSHIP TOUR: HUME INTERFAITH NETWORK 19TH JULY 11:15AM READ MORE ENVIRONMENT AND FAITH WORKSHOP: AUSTRALIAN RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE 22ND JULY 12:00PM READ MORE PLACES OF WORSHIP TOUR: MELTON INTERFAITH NETWORK 26TH JULY 9:10AM READ MORE TOUR TO PLACES OF WORSHIP 2017: GREATER DANDENONG INTERFAITH NETWORK 9TH AUGUST 8:30AM READ MORE "ON THE BANKS OF TIGRIS": THE COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIANS AND JEWS VIC 13TH AUGUST 3:00PM READ MORE HOLY DAYS ASHALA PUJA / DHARMA DAY (BUDDHISM) 9TH JULY READ MORE MARTYRDOM OF THE BAB (BAHA'I) 9TH JULY READ MORE TISHA B’AV (JUDAISM) 1ST AUGUST READ MORE RAKSHA BANDHAN (HINDUISM) 7TH AUGUST READ MORE ASSUMPTION OF VIRGIN MARY (CHRISTIANITY) 15TH AUGUST READ MORE KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI (HINDUISM) 15TH AUGUST READ MORE GANESH CHATURTHI (HINDUISM) 25TH AUGUST READ MORE
	WWW.FAITHVICTORIA.ORG.AU  |   EMAIL US

Comparative religion and interfaith.org

The picture above is from 

Free Islamic Books on Comparative Religion

A wonderful site to visit - and then come back to again and again - is interfaith.org.  Interfaith.org claims to be the world's largest independent faith website.  Won't argue with them because there is a mass of material on the site in a host of categories.  

One could mooch around there for hours. There are also a number of community forums under various headings which provide interaction.  Let's just say that it is like visiting a really good library.  There is a lot of material for the browser and plenty to keep one reading ever deeper. 

The author of this blog has a degree in Religious Studies and is always most appreciative of this topic and commends it to those who are interested in interfaith and in mixing with people from a variety of religious backgrounds. Faith - whether we are dedicated practitioners or otherwise - informs so much of what humans do - whether they realise it or not.  Faith is part of human culture - and, if we are to stop warring, to rid ourselves of racism and bigotry, we need to be informed.  The author's own interest in interfaith matters has been one of great adventure and satisfaction.

EVENT: Jerusalem 50 years of de-Arabisation of the Holy City

Jerusalem

50 years of de-Arabisation of the Holy City

Australians for Palestine

Wednesday 28 June 2017

6.30pm to 8.30pm

Multicultural Hub - Blue Room

506 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

Bookings on Eventbrite

Celebrating in Bendigo with a Yellow Tie Dinner. Congratulations!

Further to yesterday's post.

Bendigo is in celebratory move ...

celebrating its wonderful diversity

and doing so in style.

Join us for the inaugural Believe in Bendigo dinner, an occasion for reflection, inspiration and friendship.

Tickets $80,  Students $60, Tables of 8 $600

Includes: Two course dinner. Drinks at bar pricesThe ticket price funds this event. Other BIB funds are preserved for our BIB education events.
A conversation between a journalist, a priest, an imam and a businesswoman...

• Annika Smethurst a Walkley Award-winning journalist and the National Political Editor for the Sunday Herald Sun, Sunday Telegraph and other News Corp mastheads.

• The Very Rev John Roundhill the Dean of the Anglican Church In Bendigo.

• Shiekh Alaa El Zokm an inspiring & positive Imam from the Heidelberg Mosque.

• Margot Spalding a member of the Believe in Bendigo Steering Committee.

Damian Wells will MC an action packed evening.

DIVERSITY, DIGNITY & DIFFERENCE.

FEATURED ENTER TAINMENT

British soprano Pamela Jackson

Karen singer Nay Ye Thwey Aung

Music Students from BSE

Dja Dja Wurrung Performance

Plus! The launch of the Believe in Bendigo video series, "A Wealth Of Diversity in Bendigo"

Dress: Black Tie with a hint of yellow!

Faith Communities Council of Victoria (VINC) : 2017 Conference in Bendigo

The Faith Communities Council of Victoria is the peak interfaith body in Victoria, Australia.  Its website is a go-to place for all (or almost all) that is happening in faiths in Victoria.  Each year, on a Sunday afternoon in November, FCCV holds a wonderful interfaith conference: Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference (VINC).

The conference is a wonderful opportunity for meeting people.  There are speakers and performances and - most importantly - wonderful food and stalls.  The conference moves around.  It has always been held in a Melbourne local government area, going to a different area each year.

2017 breaks this Melbourne-focussed circuit.  For the very first time, the Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference leaves Melbourne and goes to regional Victoria as it travels to the historic gold mining city of  Bendigo.

The reason for the Bendigo conference is not merely to do something different from previous years. For those who are unaware, there has been a great battle (now quietened) in Bendigo over the building of a mosque. This blog won't go into all the details of this because it does not wish to give publicity to organisations, personalities, and events surrounding widespread community antagonism to the mosque. 

However, the anti-mosque forces were overcome by equally determined Bendigo citizens who refused to have their city become a place of bigotry and sectarianism.  Two significant things occurred more or less at the same time.  A Facebook site under the title of Believe in Bendigo appeared and a local business woman, Margot Spalding, emerged as a leader for the positive forces in an antagonistic community debate.  (A sidenote to this is that, through Margot's initiative, the author of this blog and Margot became friends.)  Once Margot went public with her views, it seemed that the temperature of community antagonism decreased by a few degrees.

Is there an active interfaith organisation in your community? They can be so interesting.  Variety can be the spice of life and mixing in interfaith circles can provide plenty of spice and opportunities for most interesting friendships abound.

Margot Spalding

Photo from the Bendigo Advertiser

Blessings of Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim friends

Eid Mubarak

Ethics in our daily doings

Compass is Australia's only religion, ethics and social values TV program.

It has reflected and explored belief, faith, values and the search for meaning through personal stories, documentaries and debate since 1988.

Compass airs for 30 minutes on Saturday nights at 6.00 pm and is repeated on Sundays at 11am, with a third screening on Fridays at 10:30am. You can also choose to watch the program on ABC iview. The Compass website offers an archive of programs and transcripts. You can also take part in our dynamic social media community, by following us on Facebook or Twitter.

This week on Compass they are talking ethics.  An Australian family, the Easthopes, attempt to redefine the way they live, making ethical choices about how they travel and what they eat.  

Part of the show is a visit from Costa Georgiadis of ABC's Gardening Australia -

because growing our own is part of an ethical lifestyle.

Compass on Facebook

Kindness - Anthony Douglas Williams - Inside the Divine Pattern