The Victorian Government will establish a truth and justice process to formally recognise historic wrongs – and address ongoing injustices – for Aboriginal Victorians.
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Interfaith Open Letter to Prime Minister
The Interfaith Open Letter in support of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is sent this day to the Prime Minister of Australia and all Members of Parliament. This letter has been signed by 58 faith organisations in Australia and represents an important initiative towards gaining Peace on Earth.
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Interfaith service for nuclear disarmament
Thursday the 6th of August marks 75 years since the nuclear attack on Hiroshima in 1945. By the end of that year, Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered more than 200,000 deaths and countless injuries. The impacts of those two explosions are still felt today, with many survivors requiring ongoing medical care.
Join the Uniting Church in Australia, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the Hindu Council of Australia, the Australian Baháʼí Community, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, the Buddhist Council of NSW, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Pacific Conference of Churches and more to commemorate the Hiroshima anniversary. We will come together on Zoom, from our homes, at 6-6:45 on Thursday 6th August.
Prayers from seven faith traditions will be shared.
Kindness and Love in a Time of Separation – Perspectives from the Three Abrahamic Faiths
Join us at the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia in a free on line event on the theme, ‘ Kindness & Love in a Time of Separation – Perspectives From The Three Abrahamic Faiths’ on the afternoon of Sunday 9 August 2020. This is an online event, free.
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Greater Shepparton community to wear masks
With the escalation of positive coronavirus cases across Victoria the State Government has announced as of Sunday 2 August at 11:59pm, a face covering or mask will be mandatory for all Victorian’s whenever they leave their home, including Greater Shepparton.
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Hindus halt bill calling Swastika a hate symbol
New York State just tried and failed to get all swastikas declared hate symbols. The Swastika, a 6000 year old symbol in Hinduism – and some schools of Buddhism and Jainism – was taken by the Third Reich and turned on an angle and used as their symbol of war. It was an experiment that failed miserably. The swastika is a sacred symbol of the Hindu religion, a timeless reminder of the Source of All Creation.
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Ganesha’s new abode in Melbourne
Much to the disappointment of thousands of devotees, the latest COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne has caused delays in the consecration ceremony (Maha Kumbabhishegam) of the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere made with handmade granite stones.
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Tishah B’Av: Mourning the destruction of the Temple
Tishah B’Av, observed on the 9th (tishah) of the Hebrew month of Av, is a day of mourning the destruction of both ancient Temples in Jerusalem. Liberal Judaism never has assigned a central religious role to the ancient Temple, so mourning the destruction of the Temple may not be particularly meaningful to liberal Jews. In modern times, many Jews understand Tishah B’Av as a day to remember many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history, and to reflect on the suffering that still occurs in our world.
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Chief Health Officer gives Eid-al-Adha greetings
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Brett Sutton, gives Eid-al-Adha greetings and advice on celebrations, with Arabic subtitles.
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Call for National Day of Prayer – 2nd August
Out of concern for the pandemic, the National Council of Churches in Australia calls for a National Day of Prayer for the Pandemic and asks that all pray on Sunday 2nd August 2020. A prayer is given for use.
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Prime Minister’s Message for Eid-al-Adha
Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP gives one message to Australia’s Muslims on occasion of this time of social distancing and Islamic religious celebration, a festival by name Eid-al-Adha.
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Climate Pastoral Care Conference – 2020
The unprecedented bushfires experienced around Australia, and particularly in NSW & the ACT, over spring and summer 2019/2020 further emphasized the need for climate pastoral care, and the idea of climate anxiety became newly concrete for many people as they faced the smoke and other impacts of the fires for themselves.
In June 2020, Common Grace and the Five Leaf Eco-Awards joined Uniting Earth as co-sponsors, and the conference was renamed the ‘Climate Pastoral Care Conference: Christian training in Care, Communication & Action’, to welcome greater ecumenical participation.
We are excited to gather online this year, and for the opportunities this offers for church leaders and interested parties from all around Australia and New Zealand to attend.
Webinar: Prayer, Patience and Pandemic
Australian Intercultural Society will host a live webinar on Youtube with the topic, Prayer, Patience and Pandemic. Panellists include Dr Mashrreed Ansari of the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy, Rev. De Colleen O’Reilly – Chaplain to Trinity College, and Moderator Dr Duleyha Keskin of Islamic Sciences and Research Academy, Charles Sturt University. The webinar takes place on the evening of Monday, 27 July, 2020.
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A Buddhist Chaplain reflects: Lessons of Covid-19
Recovering from Covid-19 has felt like a losing game of Chutes and Ladders, says hospital chaplain Kristina Pearson. She shares the lessons of impermenance, acceptance, and wise hope she’s learned along the way.
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Jainism making inroads in Japan, thousands of people travel to India to embrace Jainism
Inspired by the spiritual thought of Jainism, thousands of Japanese have turned towards the Indian origin religion and are living like astute Jains, apart from marking their calendars for an annual pilgrimage to India where they spend weeks studying Jain script under learned monks, reports Times of India.
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Three Different Types Of Japa In Hinduism
Japa in Hinduism is the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name. There are three different ways in which japa is performed. This is often done with (rosary beads)(called Japamala Beads in Hinduism) or prayer wheels, or specific prayer beads – sometimes in a small handheld loop.
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Mental Wellbeing During Uncertainty
The Muslim Professionals Association is hosting a series of webinars to support the community through the global pandemic. The series aims to provide a platform where professionals are able to share reliable information from their respective fields.
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How did Biblical Characters gain Legendary Status?
Moses and King Solomon are two of the most popular figures in the Hebrew Bible, but what do we really know about their lives, and how did they reach such legendary status?
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New Human Rights Website for Victoria
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission launched a new website, accompanied by a refreshed organisational brand.
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Line of Remembrance – Indigenous Deaths in Custody
Shepparton Region Reconciliation Group members together with members and supporters of Shepparton’s indigenous community have organised a silent vigil in which 437 stakes bearing messages will be placed around Victoria Park Lake marking the number of indigenous people who have died in police custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody ended in 1991. The “Line of Remembrance” will commence at 09:30 am Saturday, 18 July 2020. The earlier event was a washout, due rain and vandalism.
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