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Tina Turner’s Journey into Faith

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Tina TurnerThe night before a show in New Zealand in November of 1993, Tina Turner had a rollicking party with her band and dancers. The men in the band dressed in drag and serenaded Tina, lip-syncing to her own songs; everyone drank and ate into the wee hours of the morning. You can imagine what happened the next day: she woke up in no shape to perform. To top it off, there was a severe rainstorm, and the show was outdoors. “There was no question of my cancelling that show,” she writes. “My fans had paid to see me perform, made sacrifices to get tickets, traveled to the venue, and were willing to stand in the rain without shelter.” Instead, Turner, a practitioner of Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism, began chanting the signature mantra of Nichiren Buddhism—Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (known as the daimoku)—in order to “turn poison into medicine.”
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Indigenous artwork on V/Line train aims to educate Victorians about diversity of Aboriginal nations

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Indigenous artwork at Vline

V/Line has unveiled a new design on one of its trains that aims to educate travellers about the diversity of Aboriginal groups across Victoria. The names of Victoria’s 38 Indigenous language groups can be seen weaved throughout the colourful piece.

Gunai and Yorta Yorta artist Dixon Patten designed the work, which is mainly featured along the outside of the train’s windows.

The artist behind a new design featured on a V/Line train says he hopes it will cause Victorians to “stop and reflect”. The symbolic work references dozens of different Indigenous groups across the state. V/Line says the work has been unveiled as part of their Reconciliation Action Plan.

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Do Muslims Celebrate Christmas?

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Christmas Ball It is that time of year again. The time of year as a Muslim where I am asked by co-workers and friends, “What are you doing for Christmas?” “Why are you not decorating?” and “Will you be attending any Christmas parties?” Usually my response is always the same, “I don’t celebrate Christmas.”

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Christmas Tree of Remembrance

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Community Christmas Tree of Remembrance at MooroopnaYou are invited to decorate the Community Christmas Tree of Remembrance with messages written on cards to family members, friends and pets who have passed in the last 12 months to include them in the spirit of Christmas. For Christmas 2020, the Community Christmas Trees are located at the Shepparton Library and the Mooroopna Library.
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Hanukkah – Pillars of Light

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Magen DawooThe eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. The Atrium at Federation Square, Melbourne, will be live-streaming the Menorah lighting each evening commencing Thursday, 10 December from 7:30pm.
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Germany Apologises for refusing William Cooper’s Petition in 1938

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William CooperThe German government has officially apologised after its consulate in Melbourne refused 82 years ago to accept a letter of protest from the Australian Aborigines’ League about the Nazi persecution of the Jews. On Sunday 6th of December 2020, Felix Klein – the Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Anti-Semitism – issued the historic apology via video link on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government.

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Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices of Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis

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Kimberly Brown

Buddha Weekly magazine has interviewed book author Kimberly Brown about her work and her book, Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices of Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis. For over a decade, Kimberly Brown has offered classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others.

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Hanukkah Cuisine: What We Eat and Why

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Hannukah Latkes


Hannukah approaches, commencing 10 December 2020. There are many traditions surrounding Hannukah, including foods. During Hannukah, the Jewish people traditionally serve holiday dishes cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle of a single vial of oil lasting eight days. But oil as the Hanukkah food of choice was not always so.

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Spirit Harmony Multicultural Festival Australia

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Spirit Harmony Multicultural Festival Australia

Sangam Kala Group Australia Inc in association with Victorian Multicultural Commission, State Govt of Victoria & City of Kingston presents a Virtual Spirit Harmony Multicultural Festival Australia which will be broadcasted via multiple social media channels from 4th-6th December. Enjoy cross-cultural diverse stage performances, fun & acts by Australian, Indian & all singers, dancers, actors, musicians and health lovers.

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Lotjbadhan / B’yah’ad / Coming Together

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William Cooper

On 6 December 1938, William Cooper and a delegation from the Australian Aborigine’s League, marched to the German Consulate in Melbourne to stand up for the Jews of Europe being persecuted under the Nazi regime. 

They stood up for the rights of others whilst not having any rights of their own.

Join the William Cooper Legacy Project on the 82nd anniversary to commemorate this momentous occasion – an online event on Sunday 6 December, from 2 – 3.30pm, online event.

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What Happens When Summer Heatwaves Strike?

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The Global Goals

If the predictions are true and this summer proves to be extraordinarily hot, more people than ever before will be working from heated-up homes instead of air-conditioned office buildings.

It is crucial to develop concrete ideas for how the urban population can safely navigate the summer.

The long-term goal for livable cities in line with SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) must be green-blue infrastructure, which not only benefits climate change adaptation and mitigation (SDG 13) but also gives us space for leisure and recreation, and ultimately contributes to human health and well-being (SDG 3).

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A Jewish Lesson in How to Practice Gratitude All Year Long

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Gratitude

Two thousand years ago, a rabbi named Ben Zoma outlined the difference between a grateful and un-grateful guest.

As he explains, a grateful guest who comes to dinner will say, “How much trouble did my host take for me! How many kinds of wine did he bring before us! How many kinds of cuts [of meat] did he bring before us…and all the trouble that he took for me!” However, an ungrateful guest will say, “How little trouble did this household take…I ate only a loaf of his bread. I drank only a cup of his wine. He went to all this trouble only to provide for his wife and children” (Tosefta Berachot 6:2).

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faithSAFE

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faithSAFE Logo

Family Violence and Violence Against Women is a major social and human rights issue in our society. In Australia, one in three women will experience some type of intimate partner abuse at some stage in their life. Family Violence has an enormous impact on women and their children, eroding their mental, physical, emotional and financial well being.

Preventing and responding to family violence requires action from all sectors of our society – including faith communities. In particular, faith leaders can play an important role in raising awareness and emphasising equality and respect toward women.

faithSAFE is an online resource designed to assist faith communities in taking a primary prevention approach to the issue of family violence and violence against women.

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Overview: Faith Communities Supporting Healthy Family Relationships

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Faith Communities Supporting Healthy Family Relationships‘Faith Communities Supporting Healthy Family Relationships‘ is a Participatory Action Research project established by the Multifaith Advisory Group based on recommendations 163 and 165 of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence. It is funded by Multicultural Affairs within the Department of Premier and Cabinet and is being implemented in partnership between University of Melbourne and the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health.
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Halima Aden and shaping one’s own hijab journey

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Halima Aden attends a premiere When I opened model Halima Aden’s Instagram story it was like watching a landmark moment in history — hijab history that is. As I continued to read her confessions and revelations about being the first hijabi model, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. She was blowing the lid on something deeper than a disdain of the pressures associated with the fashion industry. She was tackling her highly praised — and criticised — public journey with her hijab and setting the record straight.
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River Above Asia Virtual Launch

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River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network

Asia and Oceania share a common image in the ‘River Above’– the Pacific Ocean is the life, the river of Asia feeding all rivers, seasons and lives. The welfare of the lands and peoples is bound to the welfare of the seas.

The River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN) seeks to serve the dialogue of integral living so that broader collaboration is possible and breadth and integrity of the ecology and territory are maintained.

The River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN) are inviting you to the RAOEN Virtual Launch on 24 November, 3:00 p.m. (Philippine time)/ 7:00 p.m. (Fiji time) 18:00 Sydney (AEDT).

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Climate Change and the Strategy for our Local Resources:

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Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is hosting two online workshops to gather feedback on the recently released Goulburn Broken Regional Insights Paper on 3 December and 7 December 2020. The Shepparton Interfaith Network considers that “we are a river people” and how we manage our natural resources (water, land, biodiversity) in the face of climate change is a critical matter for us all. Hence, we recommend these workshops.

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