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World Interfaith Harmony Week, Melbourne, 2012
"Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour"
World Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN Observance which takes place during the first week of February each year.
"Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour" is the message of harmony found in all sacred teachings of authentic religions and spiritualities.
The message includes everyone, excludes no one, and participation in observing the World Interfaith Harmony Week is purely voluntary.
A celebration of this important annual interfaith week, was held on February 1 in Melbourne. Rev Swami Sridharananda, President of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centres of Australia and New Zealand, and Aunty Helen Bnads, Coordinator of Local Government and Community Engagement with Reconciliation Victoria, shared the meaning of the common message from the perspectives of their traditions.
Master didgeridoo musician, Ron Murray, opened the formal proceedings with traditional indigenous music and Mr Chin Tan, Chair, Victorian Multicultural Commission, welcomed over 90 religious, spiritual and community leaders, from diverse communities.
We celebrated by gathering together, strengthening our ties, sharing news of our interfaith activities and our future plans, by meeting new friends and creating new partnerships.The Morning Tea celebration took place in Queen's Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne, and was hosted by The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne together with the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, the Islamic Council of Victoria, Religions for Peace Australia and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.
Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour
In the steps of the Buddha
National Gallery of Victoria
March 16 -17-18
A rare and precious collection of sacred relics of the Buddha and many other Buddhist masters will be exhibited in the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Most of the relics resemble beautiful pearl-like crystals, which were found among the cremation ashes of Buddhist masters, and are said to embody the masters’ spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom. Until this tour, most of these relics have been enshrined inside statues and stupas unavailable for viewing.
The exhibition includes relics from Shakyamuni Buddha that were donated to the touring exhibition by His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama.
The Relics Exhibition promotes interfaith and cultural harmony, and aims to bring together people of all backgrounds to inspire world peace, by sharing the blessings of a unique collection of more than 1,000 sacred Buddhist relics.
Visitors often report experiences of inspiration and peace when in the presence of the relics.
- Location: The Great Hall, National Gallery of Victoria
- Exhibition: Saturday and Sunday 17 and 18 March 2012 10AM – 5PM
- Opening Ceremony: Friday 16 March 3PM - 5PM
These events are free and open to the public.
For more information on the relics, visit:
www.maitreyaproject.org/en/relic
Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour on Facebook
World Interfaith Harmony Celebration, Victoria, 2012
World Interfaith Harmony Week seeks to spread the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs. It seeks to do this by promoting their common basis of "Love of God and Love of the Neighbor, or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbor". Its message includes everyone, excludes no one, and is purely voluntary.
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne has invited over 100 religious, spiritual and community leaders to a morning reception in Queen's Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate the second World Interfaith Harmony Week. We will celebrate by gathering together, strengthening our ties, sharing news of our interfaith activities and our future plans, through meeting new friends and creating new partnerships. The Faith Communities Council of Victoria, the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne, Religions for Peace Australia and the Australian Multicultural Foundation are partners in this special event.
World Interfaith Harmony Week, 2012
"Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour"
World Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN Observance which takes place during the first week of February each year.
Planning and preparation are underway for a celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week in Melbourne on Sunday, 5 February, 2012. Watch this space!
You can read more about World Interfaith Harmony Week on their website. Go to World Interfaith Harmony Week
Our Mission
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne was founded in 2000 as an educational and cultural non-profit organization. Our mission is to promote understanding and respect among the world's religious and spiritual communities living in the State of Victoria, and to build bridges of dialogue and friendship between communities in Melbourne, the region and the world, thus fostering peaceful coexistence.
Who We Are
The Founder and Director, Helen Summers, graduated from The New Seminary, New York, in 1997 and was ordained in The Cathedral of St John the Divine as an Interfaith Minister. In general, interfaith ministers remain members of their own religious tradition, but are informed, knowledgeable and deeply respectful of the world's diverse religions and spiritualities.
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne is advised by international and national religious leaders and wisdom-keepers. We work in collaboration with relevant organizations and individuals who are all dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among faiths, within Australia and throughout the World.
What We Do
In consultation with our advisors, we develop seminars and educational programs and produce artistic events for the public. Through our programs, we develop active partnerships with religious and ethnic groups, educational institutions and the United Nations Association of Australia.
For more information:
Email: info@interfaithcentre.org.au
Telephone: 03 9650 7163
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne - Promoting Understanding and Cooperation For Peaceful Coexistence