serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
UN World Day of Tolerance was celebrated at SPC Ardmona Kidstown on 14 September with students from Sirius College and St Georges Road School, along with representatives of the community. In all, approximately 250 people were in attendance.
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UN World Day of Tolerance is celebrated worldwide each year on 16 November. This year, the World Day of Tolerance will be observed in Shepparton at Kidstown on Friday, 14 November commencing at 12:00PM. Schools and Community Organisations around Shepparton will be participating, and the event is supported jointly by Shepparton Interfaith Network and Ethnic Communities of Shepparton and District.
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The official opening of Shepparton’s new St Paul’s African House took place on Thursday, 30 October at Poplar Ave, Shepparton. A large crowd of Shepparton's African community joined Jeanette Powell MP, Member for Shepparton and other dinitaries for the opening.
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A celebration of Tibetan music and culture with internationally renowned Tibetan singer-songwriter Tenzin Choegyal will be conducted at Kialla, on 30 November, 2104. The event proceeds will go to support the Childrens' Village at Dharamsala, India, where the Tibetan children reside and are educated.
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UN World Day of Tolerance is celebrated worldwide each year on 16 November. This year, the World Day of Tolerance will be observed in Shepparton at Kidstown on Friday, 14 November commencing at 12:00PM
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The Faith Communities Council of Victoria has issued a press release focussed on promoting harmony. Shepparton Interfaith Network fully supports and endorses all efforts to maintain harmony in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria and in urban and regional Australia.
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North East Health in conjunction with North East Multicultural Aged Care Connections will conduct a Multifaith Forum on Health and end-of-life-care in Wangaratta, on Wednesday, 12 November 2014.
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Islamist extremists are seeking to radicalize disaffected people on the fringes of society. Yet, in a land of social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and cultural diversity, such things seem far away. It is meet and fitting that Islam be understood as a religion tolerant of ambiguity and the ability to adapt to local conditions without force. We bring you one thoughtful, simple article from a german scholar who makes this point succintly.
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A informative session was enjoyed at St Augustine's Hall, Shepparton on the evening of Monday, 29 September when speakers gave talks about pilgrimages in the many religions of humanity.
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The Tibetan Buddhist Nun, Ven. Robina Courtis gave a talk on Courageous Compassion at Mooroopna Community Hub on Monday 23rd September 2014.
Report Racism aims to create an environment where you can feel confident and safe to report any cases of racism you experience or witness (including racial discrimination and vilification).
Report Racism is a third party reporting initiative which means that people can report racism online or at a local community organisation as well as directly to Victoria Police or the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
Report Racism is trialling this initiative with the Aboriginal community. The Commission has partnered with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Victoria Police. Report Racism is being trialled in two locations – Northern Melbourne (City of Yarra, Darebin and Whittlesea) and Shepparton.
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Shepparton Interfaith Network presents an evening on Pilgrimages with guest speakers from different religions describing the experience of pilgrimage in their faith tradition.
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Approx. 260 persons attended the Bendgio EID Dinner which was a most wonderful opportunity with members of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities along with locals from Bendigo and guests from Melbourne coming together. There were a total of 15 guest speakers representing different groups and communities demonstrating that Bendigo is a “prosperous multicultural community of people living together in peace and freedom”.
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Two new worship and community centres are presently under construction and nearing completion in Shepparton. The Afghani Community are constructing a new mosque in Shepparton which will also serve as a Community Centre.
Plans are advancing for the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change, to be held in New York from 21 to 22 September. A new website featuring interfaith perspectives on climate change, highlighting the upcoming summit, has recently gone online.
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The Shepparton Interfaith Network, along with Imam Yassim Alkarawi of Cobram, have responded to the actions of the self-proclaimed "restoration of the caliphate" and given reflections on what this issue raises for the communities of the Goulburn Valley and the need for dialogue and understanding. The Shepparton Interfaith Network joins in with the Roman Catholic Church's interfaith body - called the Pontificial Council for Interreligious Dialogue - in their condemnation of barbarity and atrocities committed. We seek harmony, cooperation and understanding to the effect that this does not represent the attitudes of the Islamic Communities of the Goulburn Valley.
The Vatican interfaith bureau (called the Pontificial Council for Interreligious Dialogue) has condemned the atrocities accompanying the restoration of the self-declared "caliphate". The Council calls on all people engaged in interreligous dialogue to denounce and condemn the practices of the so-called "caliphate".
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An Iraqi Cobram imam has expressed his sorrow at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in northern Iraq, and urged non-Muslim Australians to understand that the brutality of Islamic State is not what his religion stands for.
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The Shepparton Interfaith Network was invited by the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to appear and make submissions to the Committee during its visit to Shepparton, which took place on Wednesday, 13 August 2014. Appearing for the Shepparton Interfaith Network were the President, Dr Frank Purcell, PhD, and the Secretary, Rev. Chris Parnell. A submission was made to the effect that the constitution, by way of preamble or insertion of a new section into the constitution, should recognise the spiritual dimensions of the cultures, languages and heritages which give purposeful meaning to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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The separation of Church and State is the basis on which Australia builds its relationship between religion and politics. This doesn’t mean that our religious beliefs and practices are not allowed to have influence and impact in the public life of our country. This article sets out how religion and politics relate in a country which accepts that there should be a separation of Church and State.
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The declaration by the ISIS jihardist group of an Islamic State, their restoration of the Caliphate and enforcement of a harsh version of Sharia law poses a serious challenge for Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. Part of the challenge will be for Muslim and non-Mulsim Australians to engage in serious dialogue on the key issues raised by this development.
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