serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
The Golden Rule is ancient and modern, secular and religious, personal and common. Golden Rule Day is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on and celebrate the universal principle of treating others the way that we want to be treated. It is a powerful tool for all of our relationships – with ourselves, others, animals, and the planet.
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In a survey of 1000 New Zealanders, taken a month after the Christchurch mosque shootings of 15 March 2019, respondents were asked how much they trusted people from different religious groups living in New Zealand.
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If you have ever spotted a group of people in a park standing in a circle clapping and laughing “ho, ho, ha-ha-ha”, you’ve stumbled across a Laughter Yoga Club in progress. Growing in popularity around the world, this wellbeing practice that comprises laughter, pranayama (breath work), Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation) and meditation was founded just 16 years ago by Dr Madan Kataria, a physician in India.
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The My New Neighbour campaign is a neighbourhood-led solution to help refugees – people who are seeking to rebuild their lives somewhere safe. It’s all about people power and giving communities the opportunity to lead the change from within. Amnestyu International will present a Community Conversation in Shepparton on August 27. Hosted by Goulburn Valley Libraries, this story telling evening taking place at the Shepparton Library, involves the Ethnic Community Council of Victoria, Amnesty International and Erfan Daliri, author of Raising Humanity.
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The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences invite you to attend a Public Lecture Panel ‘Breaking Down Stigma in Mental Health’ – What can we do to eradicate cultural, social and gender barriers? at Westside Centre on Thursday 12 September 2019
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The Buddha was one of the first great teachers to recognise that in the human realm things happen for a reason. Even the most heinous perpetrators of violent acts are still human beings, acting out of desperation, rage, ideological fervor, or mental illness. While we cannot and should not excuse them, as Buddhists we should avoid dehumanizing or vilifying them to the point that we respond in kind.
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Judaism offers a ritualized structure to deal with grief. The first stage, shiva, is intended to see mourners through the first days of intense grief and disorientation. Of course, grief continues long after shiva ends, and Jewish tradition offers additional rituals to support mourners beyond this initial period
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Australian authorities are being urged to consider a new “duty to assist” law that would force governments to help homeless people find accommodation, amid warnings homelessness is spiralling out of control and funding is drying up.
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Greater Shepparton has several agencies that assist with housing for the homeless. The Bridge Youth Service, Beyond Housing, Kildonan, Pathways at the Salvation Army and other welfare agencies all provide assistance. Statistics tell that – for regional Victoria – Shepparton has an unusually high number of homeless. Social planning is proceeding for social housing on several fronts. Here, we look to the statistics and data about those presenting for rental and housing solutions.
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The Race Discrimination Commissioner is undertaking a project to listen to and share the stories of Australian Muslims. He is holding national consultations with members of the Australian Muslim community about their needs and experiences of discrimination, Islamophobia and hate speech and their right to safely practice their religion. The Race Discrimination Commissioner has provided an online survey for all muslims to give acccount of their experiences – in English, Arabic, Dari or Urdu.
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The Victorian Parliament Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee is currently conducting hearings into the proposed Spent Convictions legislation. A hearing was conducted at The Connection, Midland Highway, on Monday 15 July 2019. The Shepparton Interfaith Network participated in one such hearing.
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After six years of controversy that saw protests in the streets and a mock beheading, a mosque is finally being built in the central Victorian city of Bendigo. Accompanied by police, Premier Daniel Andrews took part in a sod-turning ceremony at the site of the future Bendigo Islamic Community Centre in East Bendigo this morning.
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Hosted by Kaiela Institute and University of Melbourne, the 2019 Dungala Kaiela Oration will be delivered by Yawuru leader Senator Patrick Dodson, “Father of Reconciliation”, at Rumbalara Football Netball Club on Friday, 09 August 2019, commencing at 5:30 pm
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The National Museum in New Delhi doesn’t usually welcome visitors until 10 a.m., but on the first morning of the 2018 International Buddhist Conclave, they open their doors early for us. This, the sixth edition of the conclave, is attended by nearly three hundred people from twenty-nine countries. We are journalists and monastics, travel agents and scholars. We are Buddhists from many traditions and non-Buddhists. Our purpose is to connect with each other and explore the potential of Buddhist pilgrimage in India.
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LAUREN, A LOS ANGELES yoga teacher, slipped in a lunge while teaching and injured her ankle. Because she’s a practice- through-the-pain kind of yogi, she didn’t even stop to assess the injury before continuing her class. When she finally got to the doctor, she discovered she would have to stay off the ankle for at least a month. For Lauren, this triggered an identity crisis. Since her teens, her strong body has been the source of her wellbeing, her self-esteem and, in adulthood, her income.
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“As you shift your gaze from the Mt. of Olives towards the West, you can see the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The golden dome – the Dome of the Rock/Kubat Al Sachra – clearly marks the skyline of ancient Jerusalem.”
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The Race Discrimination Commissioner is undertaking a project to listen to and share the stories of Australian Muslims. He is holding national consultations with members of the Australian Muslim community about their needs and experiences of discrimination, Islamophobia and hate speech and their right to safely practice their religion.
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In January, Buddhist Global Relief chair Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi gave the keynote address at a conference on “Buddhism and Women’s Liberation” in Bodhgaya, India. What follows is a lightly edited version of his address. The liberation of women in all spheres — secular and spiritual — requires above all a deep recognition of their inherent dignity, an honouring of their full humanity.
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Far-right extremist Blair Cottrell has been knocked back in his bid to contest his racial vilification conviction in Victoria’s supreme court. The United Patriots Front leader, along with two of his supporters, were convicted of inciting hatred, contempt and ridicule of Muslims after making a video beheading a dummy in protest of a Bendigo mosque.
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The South Sudanese Community of the Goulburn Valley in collaboration with the Shepparton Interfaith Network will join National Day of Prayer for South Sudan on the evening of Monday 29 July commencing at 6PM, in the hall behind St Brendan’s Church, 121 Knight St, Shepparton.
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