Youth PoWR 2017 'Light in Dark Times'

From Nivy at United Religions Initiative (URI), Melbourne

Nivy Balachandran

Dear friends,

Please see invitation below for the upcoming Youth Parliament of the World's Religions event taking place this Sunday in SYDNEY!

I am hoping to be there myself - and I do know Anne Lanyon of our CC, Faith Ecology Network will be in attendance, as will a long time youth interfaith friend of mine Parviz Deamer who works for the Office of External Affairs for the Australian Baha'i Community.

If you can make it along it will well be worth your time!

Kind wishes

Nivy

Nivy Balachandran

Regional Coordinator, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands 
Part time - Office days are Wednesday and Friday.
Phone: +61 433 238 406 | Skype: nivy.bala | www.uri.org

From: Deamer, Parviz <Parviz.Deamer@bnc.bahai.org.au>
Date: Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 3:48 PM
Subject: Youth PoWR 2017 "Light in Dark Times"
To: "," <nivy@uri.org>

Dear Nivy, 

I wanted to let you know more formally about the Youth PoWR 2017 'Light in Dark Times' event, which is an interfaith gathering for youth all over Sydney and NSW to engage in dialogue about their contribution to building a better society.  This is by far the biggest interfaith youth gathering in Sydney, open to youth aged 18-35 yrs.  Over 400 youth across all major faith traditions attended last years gathering. 

We'd like to extend an invitation to yourself and any members of the URI  network who may be able to attend, especially those that live in Sydney and the surrounding areas. We hope that you've be comfortable sharing this invitation with them. 

This event is taking place this Sunday, the 20th of August. Details are below: 

This link is a 40s video ad that sets the scene:

https://www.facebook.com/Youth.PoWR/videos/vb.852516428135513/1415099525210531/

This is the facebook event link where one can find out all the details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/162728427599802/

This is the event registration link:

https://www.youthpowr.com/

There's also a free vegetarian (and vegan) dinner provided towards the end.  And, in addition to the interfaith group work and dialogue, there'll be a live band, martial arts demonstrations, and some inspiring speakers from youth across all faith traditions.

Please spread word of this event among the young men and women connected to URI, and all other young people who would be inspired by this event's essential message of religious/cultural unity and youth empowerment.

For more details, do not hesitate to contact James Wood on jameswd85@gmail.com or 0424292344.  He is representing the Baha'i youth on the organizing committee for Youth PoWR this year. You are also more than welcome to contact me directly if you prefer. We would dearly like to see our some of our URI brothers and sisters join with others in force to make the voice of youth heard this Sunday.

Kind Regards, 

Parviz Deamer

Office of External Affairs

Australian Baha'i Community

A history of the Bahai faith

Poetry Week 2013 - The Builder

The Builder
  

A builder builded a temple.
He wrought it with grace and skill;
Pillars and groins and arches
All fashioned to work his will.
Men said, as they saw its beauty,
'It shall never know decay.
Great is thy skill, O Builder!
Thy fame shall endure for aye.'

A teacher builded a temple

With loving and infinite care,
Planning each arch with patience,
Laying each stone with prayer.
None praised her unceasing efforts.
None knew of her wondrous plan,
For the temple the teacher builded
Was unseen by the eyes of man.

Gone is the builder's temple,
Crumbled into the dust.
Low lies each stately pillar,
Food for consuming rust.
But the temple the teacher builded
Will last while the ages roll,
For that beautiful unseen temple
Was a child's immortal soul. 

Author unknown

To kick off Beside The Creek's Poetry Week, the Ballarat Interfaith Network's President, Elham Jamali, has contributed this poem.  Elham is an organiser of Soul Food Ballarat.  

Bahais of Victoria

Soul Food is a unique monthly event held at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, providing an opportunity to relax in a tranquil environment and reflect on inspiring themes and common threads that tie us all together.It features music, audio-visual pieces and readings from various faiths and philosophers, authors, leaders and indigenous cultures, from all over the world.Soul food is a free community event open to all.10:30 am- 11:30 amSecond Sunday of every monthArt Gallery of BallaratAnnexe40 Lydiard street NorthBallaratVictoriawww.soulfood.com.ausoulfoodvic@gmail.comTel: 0423242972

Pictures above were sourced from

http://goo.gl/h1r98K

http://goo.gl/2687g9