Barmah Anzac pilgrimage honours Indigenous soldiers in WWI Light Horse enactment

 Indigenous soldiers in WWI Light Horse enactment

Descendants of Indigenous diggers have paid tribute to their ancestors at Anzac celebrations across the country, as calls for recognition of First Nations soldiers continue.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the names and images of people who have died, but published with the descendants’ permission.

It was the first time that Aboriginal riders joined the Light Horse memorial parade in the tiny border town of Barmah, Victoria on the banks of the Murray River.

Former stockman and Wangkangurru man Uncle Raymond Finn has made it his mission to highlight the sacrifices of First Nation soldiers and their military service to Australia.

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Aboriginal Military Service

Sgt Saunders
Sergeant Saunders with fellow soldiers of the 2/7th Infantry Battalion in North Queensland, October 1943.

Military service and war is a significant part of our mob’s history and current experience. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served in large numbers in every conflict since Australia’s Federation in 1901 and some signed up to colonial forces before this.
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The Mosque Between the Past, Present, and its Function Beyond a Religious Space

The Mosque Between the Past, Present, and its FunctionThe mosque; the Islamic holy place of prayer, carries a distinct structural characteristic and identity. It is a serene and spiritual architecture that brings individuals closer to their faith and divine entity. Prophet Muhammad’s original house in Medina (in present-day Saudi Arabia) is believed to be the first place of prayer, and served as a model for early mosque architecture; a mud-brick structure with living quarters on one side of an enclosed rectangular courtyard. Soon after, the allocation of open spaces in the center of towns where Muslims could gather and pray became more frequent, resulting in several spaces of worship with a universal spatial characteristic: their orientation towards Mecca.
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Giant cross erected in the Australian outback

Giant cross erected in the Australian outbackA 20 metre cross, which took more than a decade to build, has been unveiled in a remote part of Central Australia. It’s located in Ikuntji, more than 230 kilometres west of Alice Springs. Landscape photographer Ken Duncan has led the project, raising several million dollars through private donations. Community members hope the site will be a meeting place for locals and create economic opportunities through tourism.
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Mooroopna: Community BBQ and Conversation Session

Mooroopna: Community BBQ and Conversation Session


Greater Shepparton City Council in partnership with Emergency Recovery Victoria, Wellways, Goulburn Flood Recovery Service and Mooroopna Football Netball Club are hosting a Community BBQ and Conversation Session with David Younger, natural disaster preparedness and recovery consultant. This event will take place at the Sir Ian McLennan Centre, Echuca Road, Mooroopna on Tuesday 2 May from 6pm.

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Vatican formally repudiates ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to justify colonization

Vatican formally repudiates ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to justify colonization

The Vatican on March 30 formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” officially declaring that an historic policy used to justify colonial exploitation is “not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church.”

The rejection of the concept, which has been used to describe a collection of papal teachings dating back to the 15th century, comes after years of pressure from Indigenous groups and some government leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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The Sacred Season of Many Religions

symbols of religions


The Full Moon after the March Equinox (often called the Vernal Equinox) brings in its wake many religious celebrations based on the lunar calendar each year. We think of Passover, Easter, Buddhist New Year, Jain celebration, Hindu and Baha’i Observances and the Islamic observance of Ramadan ending in Eid-al-Fitr, the festival of celebration.

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Understanding reporting barriers and support needs of people experiencing racism

Understanding reporting barriers and support needs of people experiencing racism
Victoria University is conducting an anti-racism project called Understanding reporting barriers and support needs of people experiencing racism, in collaboration with Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV). The project is funded by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).

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Shepparton: Where ‘everyone belongs’ this Harmony Day

Harmony Day Oranisers
Convenors: Cameron Albanoi and Azem Elmaz are the organisers of the Harmony Day celebration. Photo by Holly Curtis
For the 16th year, Shepparton’s Voices For Harmony is hosting its annual Harmony Day celebration next week. This year the event will be held at the University of Melbourne’s Department of Rural Health in Graham St, Shepparton on Tuesday, March 21.
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UN 2023 Water Conference

UN 2023 Water Conference

From 22-24 March 2023, United Nations Member States, civil society, and other stakeholders will gather in New York for the UN 2023 Water Conference, to unite the world for water. The primary goal of the Conference is to raise awareness of the global water crisis and commit to joint action to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, such as Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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A National Human Rights Act for Australia

A National Human Rights Act for Australia

Australia is the only liberal democracy that does not have a bill or charter of rights at the national level, and people’s human rights are not very well protected in Australian law. The starting point for a national Human Rights Act is to recognise that people’s human rights matter, all of the time, and should be protected.

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500 churches and religious sites destroyed in Ukraine during the war

Almost 500 religious sites were destroyed in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression

 

At least 494 religious buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed, damaged, or looted as a result of the Russian invasion—and seizure of religious buildings for use as Russian military bases increases the scale of destruction of religious sites in Ukraine, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.

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Voice to Parliament: Faith Leaders’ Open Letter

Yes - support a first nations voice to parliament

This morning, Leader’s of Australia’s major religious and ethno-religious organisations have called upon all Federal parliamentarians to support a First Nations’ voice to parliament, called for through the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Shepparton Interfaith Network supports the Voice to Parliament along with the national multifaith leaders.

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