UN World Interfaith Harmony Lecture 2018 by Emeritus Professor Desmond Cahill OAM

UN World Interfaith Harmony Lecture 2018

The University of Melbourne Chaplaincy and Religions for Peace Victoria invite you to a FREE lecture:

Appraising the Royal Commission Report into Sexual Abuse and Religious Organizations

by Emeritus Professor Desmond Cahill OAM 

Emeritus Professor Desmond Cahill OAM B.A., S.T.L., M.Ed., Ph.D, F.A.C.E.L. Consultant to the Royal Commission on Sexual Abuse and Religious Organisations 2015-2017 Chair: Religions for Peace Australia http://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au Educated in Australia and Italy, Desmond Cahill, Professor of Intercultural Studies at RMIT University, is one of Australia's leading social researchers. In 2006, he was made an honorary fellow of the Australian Council of Educational Leaders for his work in immigrant, cross-cultural, interfaith and international education. He currently chairs the Religions for Peace (Australia), and represents Australia on the Asian Conference of Religion and Peace (ACRP). He led Melbourne's successful bid to stage the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions, the world's largest interfaith gathering, and is now its Melbourne Program Director. A member of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organizations (APRO) and of the Victoria Police Multifaith Advisory Council, he is a Club Melbourne Ambassador as part of the “Think Melbourne, Think Victoria” strategy of the Victorian Government.

LOCATION

Laby Theatre (L108) in the Physics Building Melbourne University located near Melbourne Uni’s tram stop on Swanston Street
https://maps.unimelb.edu.au/parkville/building/192s/laby_theatre
 

CONTACT DETAILS

RSVP: Try Booking or Sue Ennis: wcrpaust@iinet.net.au 

online contact at http://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au/contact-us/

 

World Religious Leaders Consider Global Deforestation

International: World Religious Leaders Consider Global Deforestation

June 17, 2017 by admin

Religions for Peace (RfP) is delighted to be working in partnership with Vidar Helgesen, the Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, GreenFaith, Parliament of the World’s Religions, REIL Network, and the World Council of Churches to reaffirm the multi-religious commitment to protect the earth.

Office of the Secretary General

16 June 2017

Dear Esteemed Colleague:

There is a growing consensus among the world’s religions that we–each according to her or his tradition–have a moral and religious obligation to protect the earth and its people from the ravages of climate change. Tropical rainforests, one of the planet’s most vital life-support systems, are threatened due to deforestation. This deeply undermines the global efforts on combatting the perilous consequences of climate change. Through multi-religious partnership, the wisdom of each religious tradition can be a resource to help us cultivate the values and virtues essential for harmonious interactions with each other and our common home, earth

Religions for Peace (RfP) is delighted to be working in partnership with Vidar Helgesen, the Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, GreenFaith, Parliament of the World’s Religions, REIL Network, and the World Council of Churches to reaffirm the multi-religious commitment to protect the earth. As part of this partnership, the first ever Interfaith Rainforest Initiative’s High Level Summit will be held from 19-21 June in Oslo. It will gather religious, indigenous and interfaith leaders, academics and experts to discuss the spiritual and ethical responsibility to end deforestation and to develop an action plan to protect, restore and sustainably manage tropical rainforests.

I welcome you to join me and other RfP leaders – H.E. Metropolitan Emmanuel [Co-President of RfP], Chief Rabbi David Rosen [Co-President of RfP], Bishop Emeritus Gunnar Stalsett [Honorary President of RfP], and Dr. Din Syamsuddin [Moderator of Asian Conference of RfP] in this important summit through the webcast on 19 June starting at noon CET.

You can find quotes from the RfP leaders here.
See the conference media advisory for details.

Dr. William F. Vendley
Secretary General
Religions for Peace International

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE-the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world’s religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than eighty national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.

World Interfaith Harmony Week : Human existence, Religions, and the Digital World --- Professor Peter Horsfield

Faith for Earth Campaign - Religions for Peace delivers petitions at the UN Climate Summit #COP21 in Paris

Religions for Peace Delivers Petitions for the Protection of the Planet (Paris, France, 28 November 2015) On the eve of the UN Climate Summit in Paris, Religions for Peace (RfP) joined approximately 400 religious leaders, COP 21 delegates and climate campaigners from across the globe in delivering the petitions collected through the RfP Faiths for Earth Campaign. (L-R) Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town the Rt. Rev. Thabo Makgoba, Mr. Mithika Mwenda, Ms. Lotifa Begum, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, and Rev. Kyoichi Sugino 1,780,528 million people joined a collection of faith-based petitions urging political leader to take decisive action to curb global warming and help poor countries to adapt to climate changes. (L-R) Ms. Deepika Singh, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Mr. Nicolas Hulot, and Ms. Lotifa Begum The petition was presented to UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Ms. Christiana Figueres and Special Envoy of the French President for the Protection of the Planet, Mr. Nicolas Hulot on Friday, November 28 at the 'Faith in Climate Justice' event. The event was organized by four international faith-based networks working together for a common cause:RfP, ACT Now for Climate Justice, Our Voices, and the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Several key individuals spoke at the event: from the Philippines, former COP negotiator Mr. Yeb Sano; from Brazil, Cardinal Claudio Hummes; from South Africa, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town the Rt. Rev. Thabo Makgoba; from the US, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino of RfP International; from Kenya, Mr. Mithika Mwenda, Coordinator of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance; and from Bangladesh, Ms. Lotifa Begum of Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dr. Din Syamsuddin Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, RfP International said: "Meeting the challenge of climate change will help transform us into who we are called to be: one human family living in community with the earth and the Divine." "Climate change is an ethical crisis that needs each and every one of us to take urgent moral action," said Dr. Din Syamsuddin, Chair, Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilisation (CDDC) and Co-President of RfP at an official side event on the first day of COP 21. He then outlined the concrete actions taken by the RfP Faiths for Earth Campaign, particularly the one that he is leading in Indonesia, Siaga Bhuni (Earth Alert) that is educating people on climate change issues, promoting eco-friendly houses of worship and a clean, pollution free environment. Participants of the RfP Global Religious Youth Leaders' Summit More than 50 youth leaders representing diverse religious traditions from 35 countries also joined the delivery event. Prior to joining, these RfP youth leaders held a three-day summit on the theme: Welcoming the Other: Multi-religious Youth Respond to the Challenges of Violent Religious Extremism, Refugee Crisis and Climate Change. Joining the youth leaders were representatives of the United Nations and intergovernmental institutions, and experts and practitioners from civil society organizations. The Summit participants condemned the violence committed in the name of religion and rejected any attempt to fuel distrust and cycles of discrimination and violence to polarize and divide our communities. The youth leaders committed to further strengthen their effort to advance Peace. A two-year action plan was developed and a strong multi-religious statement was issued defining their future actions and their firm commitment to ensure its implementation. ### RELIGIONS FOR PEACE--the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.  777 United Nations Plaza I New York, NY 10017 USA I Tel: 212 687-2163 I Fax: 212 983-0098 www.rfp.org  STAY CONNECTED

Religions for Peace speaks out on the events in Paris.

Dear Partners in Peace,

Religions for Peace is filled with sorrow for the innocent people killed in France. We cry out in anguish over their blood, which was shed to terrorize and divide people. We are in prayerful solidarity with their families and loved ones.

It saddens us unspeakably whenever religion is twisted and distorted to justify violence. Morally united across all our diverse religious traditions, we utterly reject and condemn violence committed in the name of religion. Not only is it profoundly cruel, cowardly and misguided; it is also a criminal behavior that needs to be addressed by all due legal means.

Together, we firmly reject the attempts to polarize and divide our religious communities. Are we to let these cruel and senseless murders fuel distrust and cycles of violence amongst diverse religious, cultural and political communities? With a single heart, we answer No!

Rather, we reaffirm---based on 45 years of experience day in and day out---that the diverse religious communities working together across the world in Religions for Peace are committed to taking concrete action together to respect religious differences, honor human dignity and advance our common good.

In our shock, sorrow and moral outrage, now is the time for sincere believers of all traditions to further commit to principled multi-religious collaboration for the common good. Let each religious community come to the defense of any other community whenever its members are under attack, slandered or scapegoated. We in Religions for Peace have found that this approach is a true way for each believer to honor his or her respective religious tradition. In doing so, we can as diverse religious believers also address together even the most misguided and hideous misuses of religions as we work to help build the Peace.

Yours in solidarity,

Dr. William Vendley

Secretary General

Quaker Bonnets & The Historic Peace Testimony versus Modern Military Warfare

Not a lot is known, up close and personal, in Australia about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia.  The main cause of this is that there aren't many of them/us. About 3000 people identified as Quakers at the last census.  This came as a bit of surprise - because the most knowledgable Friends (as Quakers prefer to be called), as well as the records of Friends, could only account for somewhat over 1,000.  For those who know about Quakers, there is usually one stand-out factor - they are pacifists and active campaigners for peace.  Please go here to learn more of The Quaker Peace Testimony.  Quakers also keenly maintain their history with women in many places taking to needle and thread in preservation of the Quaker story.  The Editor of Beside The Creek can testify personally to the needlework and design skills of Tessa.  The event to which Helen refers is the Shoalwater Bay Peace Convergence 2015 which coincides with and is a protest against Exercise Talisman Saber 2015.

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Helen Bayes

Shared publicly  -  10:23

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with my dear Friend Tessa Spratt mending our Quaker bonnets in preparation for the quakergrannies4peace witness at Shoalwater Bay, next month. Tessa's bonnet has a note inside the brim that it was made in 1860 and it is all hand-stitched. Mine is machine chainstitched and probably dates around 1880s. You can be sure they will be worn with joy at actions in Rockhampton and Shoalwater Bay.

2015-06-23

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Religions for Peace - Appeals from Sheik Majid (Iraqi Kuridsh Muslim & Honorary President of RfP) and His Holiness Louis Raphael Sako (Christian Chaldean Patriarch of Babyton and Co-President of RF)

 August 2014

Esteemed Religions for Peace Colleagues: 

Warm greetings. 

Adding to the great sufferings of peoples in the Middle East-North Africa Region are the currently unfolding events in Iraq. 

H.E. Sheikh Majid Hafeed, an Iraqi Kurdish Muslim and Honorary President of Religions for Peace International, has contacted our International Secretariat strongly calling for intervention and support to protect the Yazidis in the town of Sinjar, northern Iraq.  

They are currently undergoing an attack by the ISIS / ISIL terrorist group.  Sheikh Majid reports to us that thousands have been massacred, hundreds of thousands have fled and their homes and shops have been looted and burned.  You will find Sheikh Majid's appeal (in Arabic) here. 

His Holiness Louis Raphael Sako, the Christian Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon and a Co-President of Religions for Peace International, has also contacted us with an urgent appeal for the 100,000 Christians who have fled their homes toward the Kurdish cities of Erbil, Duhok and Soulaymiya.  You will find Patriarch Sako's appeal here. 

In response, Religions for Peace is transmitting these appeals to the President of the United Nations Security Council, urging that the Security Council take appropriate measures to protect these innocent people. 

In addition, allow me also to request that all members of Religions for Peace around the world hold these suffering peoples in their prayers.  Let each of us pray in accord with her or his own tradition in solidarity with all across this region who are struggling to bear unbearable suffering. 

Yours in solidarity for Peace,

Dr. William Vendley

Secretary General

Religions for Peace

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE--the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; five regional inter-religious bodies and ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network. 

777 United Nations Plaza I New York, NY 10017 USA I Tel: 212 687-2163 I Fax: 212 983-0098

www.rfp.org 

BTC Editor's Note:The area of the warfare mentioned above is in one of the oldest parts of human history in the world.  War has diminished and eradicated much of this evidence. Readers will remember the looting of the National Museum of Iraq in 2003.  Readers will also recalled the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyah in 2001.  The heritage of these ancient civilisations are not only informative and precious to the peoples in whose regions they are situated.  They are precious to all of us.  The references used in the production of these antiquities are references to all of humanity.  Human life to-day is of vital importance to all of us.  So is our shared and ancient histories.