Oceania News

Australia: International Women's Day Reception 2013

Two speakers who have attended major women’s rights meetings at the United Nations addressed a reception following a service held at the Baha’i Temple in Sydney on 24 March to mark International Women’s Day.

New Zealand: Religious Diversity in 2012

The US State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report, published in July, commented favourably on the current state of religious freedom and interfaith relations in New Zealand.

Harmony sets tone for anti-racism theme at interfaith event

Voices raised in harmony adorned the opening of a World Religion Day celebration attended by a capacity audience at the Baha’i Centre of Learning in Brisbane on 3 February 2013.

Australia: World Interfaith Harmony Week Launch

World Interfaith Harmony Week was launched in Melbourne at Parliament House, on Friday, 1 February 2013

Philippine resolution on Interfaith and Culture cooperation gets UN's nod

MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine-sponsored resolution promoting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue for global peace and understanding has received strong backing from United Nations, the Dept. of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

Interfaith Regional Conference for Queensland

The Australian Council of Christians and Jews has announced the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane as the venue for the organisation’s 2013 regional conference.

Muslim and Australian: Living Values

Being the last day of school for many Queensland students, Dr Mohamad Abdalla took the opportunity at a Friday sermon to deliver an impassioned appeal to the young boys and girls in the congregation to embrace their identity in this country both as Muslims and as Australians

Australia Day Celebration of Faiths, Brisbane

As part of the 2013 Australia Day Festival, to be held at the Parklands, Southbank, Brisbane a Celebration of Faiths event will be held.

NZ Herald focuses on Religious Diversity

During November the NZ Herald continued its increased coverage on religious diversity with a focus on the diverse faiths in Auckland.

Mother Teresa Interfaith Meet, New Zealand

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of the Indian State of West Bengal and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi was the Chief Guest at the third Mother Teresa Interfaith meeting held on Sunday, November 18 at 3 pm at the Christ the King Church, Mt Roskill in Auckland.

The Art of Living and Dying

The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne will conduct a one-day interfaith seminar on The Art of Living and Dying, examining how different religious traditions meet with these challenges.

New Zealand: Guide to Celebrating Deepavali

The Hindu Council of New Zealand have provided a guide to celebrating Deepavali (Deepawali, Diwali) for official functions.

From Pieces to Peace

The Anabaptist Association of Australia & New Zealand will conduct a conference, From Pieces to Peace, on Australia Day Weekend, 2013

Queensland Multicultural Development Association considers Rohingyas

The Multicultural Development Association of Queensland (MDA) hosted a community information session organised by Brisbane’s Rohingya community.

Religions unite for Peace at the Baha’i Temple

Representatives of seven of the world’s major religions read from their sacred scriptures at an International Day of Peace interfaith service at the Baha’i Temple in Sydney, Australia, on 22 September.

Philippines: Volunteer ‘ambassadors’ urge: Give peace a chance

MANILA, Philippines—Amid fresh outbreaks of sectarian violence in the Middle East, President Benigno Aquino III on Friday rallied Filipinos to do their part in bringing peace to the country, which is still wracked by Muslim secessionism and communist insurgency.

Philppines: Local Islamic group rejects cause of Libya attack

A LOCAL Islamic group said Friday that there is no enough justification on the attack by protesters on the United States consulate in Benghazi that killed an American ambassador and three embassy staffs.

Philppines: Interfaith Visit by Obama's Faith Based Initiatives Office

United States President Barack Obama's special assistant Joshua DuBois will be in the Philippines for a two-day visit from September 4 to 6 to tackle human trafficking issues with faith-based organizations in the country.

PNG: Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development appointed

Loujaya Toni is one of three women to win seats in the 111-member PNG Parliament in the recent election. The last Parliament had just one female, the Queensland-born PNG political veteran Dame Carol Kidu.

Fiji: Catholic Church supports secular state

The Catholic Church in Fiji expressed support of the government's principle of a secular state.

Fiji Hindu group rejects Christian state calls

Calls for Fiji to become an officially Christian state have been rejected by one of the country's main Hindu groups.

NZ: Waikato Inter-Faith Council receives national diversity award

The Waikato Interfaith Council (WIFCO) received a 2012 New Zealand Diversity Award for their outstanding contribution to promoting interfaith relations and religious diversity in New Zealand last month.

Australia: Changing the Dream Symposium

Awakening the Dreamer - Changing the Dream Symposium will be conducted at the Brahma Kumaris Retreat Centre in Frankston, Victoria on Saturday October 6th from 11am-4pm

NZ: Week of Prayer for World Peace, 14-21 October

The Week of Prayer for World Peace is an opportunity for people of all faiths to pray in their own gatherings or with people of other faiths for world peace. The Week will be observed in New Zealand from 14-21 October.

NZ: Coverage of Dowse exhibition questioned by Muslims

On Saturday August 25, the Dominion Post newspaper published a story about the decision by Lower Hutt’s Dowse art gallery to run an exhibition, part of which would be off-limits to men. Banning blokes from watching footage of Muslim women at home without their veils could count as sex discrimination, the paper reported.

Future Multifaith Leaders to train together in Leadership program

A three day residential leadership training program for young leaders of a variety of faiths will be held in Kyneton, Victoria, during February, 2013.

The B'nai Brith Anti Defamation Commission aims to promote respect and justice and oppose racism and hatred. They run many programs one of which is a Multifaith Future Leaders Program.

Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference 2012

The Victorian Interfaith Networks will conduct a grassroots conference on Sunday, 28 October at the Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne.

Interfaith Dialogue with Venerable Thich Tinh Dao

Venerable Thich Tinh Dao is the Abbot of the Monastery at Linh Son Buddhist Temple in Reservoir, Melbourne.

Philippines: A Youth Interfaith Project in Basilan

If Basilan province will only have a few more community leaders like Yusop Alano, the violence-pronce island would achieve real peace and development much sooner than anyone may dare hope.

Philippines: Ramadan Medical Mission at Sangali

Before the 30 days fasting of the faithful Muslims commenced in this month of Ramadan, on August 18, the Young Moro Professionals Network (YMPN) Western Mindanao Chapter motored to a Mosque in Sangali, a distant rural village located in the eastern part of Zamboanga not to pray but to give free medical consultation and medicine to the poor residence there.

Philippines: Wisdom from interfaith action needed for lasting peace

As Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell called for increased interfaith cooperation and action in order to bring about lasting peace and to improve the lives of Filipinos, especially in Mindanao.

Multiple Religious Modernities

The Australian Association for the Study of Religion, in conjunction with the Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies will hold a conference on Multiple Religious Modernities at the University of Western Sydney, 28 - 30 September 2012.

New Zealand - Interfaith Tree Planting Day

In celebration of the coming of Spring, and to commemorate Islam Awareness Week (27 August to 1 September 2012), the Waikato Interfaith Council will undertake an Interfaith Tree Planting.

Listening to the Land: Balcombe Creek, Victoria, Australia

‘Listening to the Land’ is an initiative of the Mornington Peninsula Interfaith Network to bring people from all religious and spiritual backgrounds together to connect, or reconnect with the Land and be moved to care for it.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Peace Symposium – Victoria

Lajna Imaillah Victoria (Women’s Axiliary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Association) is organising a women’s only event to promote Integration and dialogue, which brings together religious communities, parliamentarians and civics to share their thoughts on the promotion and establishment of peace in the modern world.

Conversation, Community, Connectedness

The Multifaith Association of South Australia will conduct the Third Annual Interfaith Symposium on the topic of Conversation, Community, Connectedness.

Western Interfaith Networks Regional Meeting

On Monday 9th of July 2012, eight representatives from Western regions of Victoria met at Brimbank City Council to discuss isssues relating to Interfaith Networks

Philippines: Buddhist Monastery offers 3 month live in

The Baclod Fo Gang Shan Monastery invites people to experience three months of simple way of life in the Chan (Zen) tradition - learning the culture, arts, vegetarianism, and philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism.

Philippines: Whole-of-Government peace process for MILF

Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, July 10 - “The time for peace is now,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles declared, emphasizing the "whole-of-government" approach of the P-Noy administration in pushing for peace.

Philippines: Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Disaster Assistance Project

Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation recently undertook a field trip to assess preparations for disaster training. The Organisation also recently opened new premises.

Philippines: Cluster training on Peace Advocacy

30 Barangay Officers composing of Barangay Chairperson, Barangay Kagawads and Barangay Justice Personnel from the three local barangays convened at the Barangay Hall Conference Room at Tetuan, for peace and advocacy training. This was based on interreligious understanding and human rights.

Philippines: Mid-life in religious life

Last May 8-14, a Philippine religious institute offered Mid-life Transition in Religious Life, a one-week program that aims to support the needs and concerns of religious formation houses and seminaries.

Australia: Interfaith Youth speak about The census and religion

InterAct, an Australian Interfaith Youth Coalition, has addressed issues raised in the national census of 2011.

Australia: 10th Abraham Conference ~ Family in the Three Abrahamic Faiths

Affinity Intercultural Foundation, along with its partners; the Catholic Arch Diocese of Sydney, the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT, the Columban Mission Institute and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies held the 10th Abraham Conference in Sydney on the 3rd of June 2012

Comparative Theology: an experiment in interfaith understanding

Rabbi Fred Morgan of Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne evaluates Francis Clooney's Comparative Theology as an exercise in inter-religious dialogue and understanding.

Australia: Columban Priest honoured for Interfaith Work

Columban Priest Fr Pat McInerney has been honoured by Australian Catholic University for promoting interfaith collaboration.

New Zealand: Mana Ma-ori and Christianity

Several scholars from the University of Otago have gathered authors from around the country to produce a book of essays on Maori engagements with Christianity.

New Zealand: Religious Diversity 2004 - 2011

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has put together a compilation of their annual reviews of religious diversity published in the Race Relations Report since 2004.

New Zealand Diversity Forum to engage Rainbow Spirit and Interfaith

The forthcoming New Zealand Diversity Forum will faciliate a discussion between the rainbow groups in community and diverse faith groups.

New Zealand: Accommodating Religious Diversity in Health Services

Every year at the Diversity Forum there is a religious diversity forum on an issue addresses in the Statement on Religious Diversity.

New Zealand: Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity

The Waikato and Auckland Interfaith Councils are hosting a “Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity” session on Sunday 19 August 1.30-3pm at the Aotea Centre.

Big turnout for Jewish Christian Muslim Conference

A group of over 50 which included rabbis, priests, imams and lay people have lived and talked together for three days at Pallotti College, a Catholic retreat in the Yarra Valley participating in the ninth annual winter conference of the Jewish Christian Muslim Association.

New Zealand: Youth Forum to include Interfaith Tour

The National Youth Forum on Cultural Diversity Forum to be held 17-20 August will include a tour of various religious sites of worship in Auckland.

New Zealand: Annual Religious Diversity Forum

The focus at the Annual Religious Diversity Forum, as part of the NZ Diversity Forum, will be on accommodating religious diversity and health services.

New Zealand Diversity Forum to include more religious diversity sessions

The Waikato Interfaith Council and the Auckland Interfaith Council will join forces at this year’s New Zealand Diversity Forum to host a session on “Raising Awareness of Religious Diversity”.

Canberra: Mosque proposal divides residents

Canberra planners have been told that women in burqas will scare children in Gungahlin if Canberra's Muslim community proceeds with plans to build a mosque in the area.

From Religious Diversity to a Multi-Faith Society

Until 1960 Australians would likely have described their country as a "Christian" country, indeed as a "British Protestant" society which more or less tolerated Catholics, Jews and others. The results of the recent 2011 Census challenges Australia and Australians to consider what a Multi-faith society might mean in practice.

Youth Climate Embassy 2012

Australian Religious Response to Climate Change will conduct a Youth Climate Assembly in Canberra, Australia, between 25 - 28 June 2012, on the lawns of Parliament House.

Christian, Muslim youth gather for dialogue in Mindanao

The Silsilah Dialogue Institute is gathering young Christian and Muslim leaders and professionals from Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in several forums scheduled throughout the year to teach them the importance of building dialogue as a sustainable foundation of personal and social transformation.

2012 New Zealand Interfaith Forum

The national interfaith movement received a shot in the arm from the largest ever national interfaith forum held in Hamilton on the weekend of 18-19 February.