Buddha's Day and Multicultural Festival
Federation Square, Melbourne, 18 - 19 May 2013
Annual Interfaith Ceremony for Peace and Understanding
3:00 pm Saturday 18 May 2013, Buddha's Stage
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne is honoured to participate in the 2013 Buddha's Day and Multicultural Festival, 18 - 19 May, in Federation Square.
The Annual Interfaith Ceremony for World Peace and Understanding will take place at the Buddha's Stage, The Square, on Saturday May 18 at 3:00 pm.
Religious and Spiritual representatives will join with Venerables of Fo Guang Shan Melbourne to offer prayers, chants and reflections. Please join with us at this sacred ceremony.
The photo below is from the Interfaith Ceremony conducted last year (2012) as part of the Buddha's Day Festival.
You can find out more about Buddha's Day by visiting the website below.
(Hint: Click the image, it will take you to this site in a new window)
The Rumi Concert
The Rumi Concert was performed for the first time in Australia, and recorded live, at St Michael's Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne on August 31, 2007.
2007 was the 800th anniversary of Rumi's birth and has been declared by UNESCO as The International Year of Mevlana (Rumi). The Rumi Concert is a glorious celebration of this mystic's legacy to people of the world's diverse religions and spiritualities.
Rumi (1207-1273) was a teacher, mystic, founder of what we know as Whirling Dervishes, and a poet of lyrical spiritual power. Born in Afghanistan, Rumi and his family became refugees and settled in Konya, Turkey. In 1244 he met the powerful spiritual seeker, Shams of Tabriz. Through his association with Shams, Rumi found a deeper level within himself, which he called the Friend or the Beloved. Rumi created 20,000 poems as oral extemporizations that were recorded by his students. Many of his verses are fervent love poems, although the eroticism is a metaphor of the soul's longing for God's love.
"His poetry reflects the transcendent longing we all feel. Rumi speaks to the times. He sees the Divine in grace and kindness, and also in the terrible things, revealing to us the ecstasy that resides at the deepest core of experience, and the way out of sorrow." Coleman Barks
An audio CD of Coleman Barks is available. To read more, please visit this page.
Religions are many, but is God one?
In observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week, Dr Nicholas Coleman (Head of Religious Education at Wesley College, Melbourne, and Vice-President of the Australian Association for Religious Education (Vic), Deputy Director of the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne) has kindly given a reflection entitled, Religions are many, but is God one? You may read Dr Coleman's reflection.
Harmony Video: Celebrating 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week
Harmony from The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne on Vimeo.
All contributed individual works of art in this video, by individual artists, remains the property of the artist, and each artist retains copyright of his or her work.
- Asher Bilu: Cosmotif Series 1
- John Bayton: The Love of God is in the Dance of Joy
- John Bayton: Greater love has no man than this, to lay down one's life for one's friend.
- John Bayton: Love is poured out in Creation
- John Bayton: My love reaches to the heavens
- Peter Gould: Ishk
- Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori: Dibirdibi Country 2011
(Synthetic polymer paint on linen, 151 x 168 cm
Image courtesy of the Artist, Mornington Island Art, QLD and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne) - Marianne Baillieu: Prana Portrait III 1998
Mixed Media on Plywood, 240 x 120 cm, Collection of the Artist - Philip George: Paradise Suite
- Ray Messner Photography, www.raymessner.com
Flickr Account, Parliament of the World's Religions Melbourne 2009 - Ahmad Sabra Photography: www.lahza.com.au
- Tom Fantl: : Photograph of Marianne Baillieu
www.tomfantl.com.au
CELEBRATING THE 2013 WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK
First Week of February
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne hosted a Morning Tea on Friday February 1st in Queens Hall, Parliament House Melbourne for religious, spiritual and community leaders to celebrate the 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week and to launch the "Harmony' DVD.
Our partners this year were the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, the Islamic Council of Victoria, Religions for Peace Australia, the Shepparton Interfaith Network and the Australian Multicultural Foundation. Invited speakers were Mr Andrew Elsbury MLC, representing the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Bishop John Bayton AM, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, and Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim, Abbess of The Seon (Zen) Centre.
You may download Bishop John Bayton's talk here.
You may read Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim's talk here.
About World Interfaith Harmony Week
The World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed by HM King Abdullah II of Jordan before the United Nations General Assembly on September 23rd 2010. The proposal was further explained to the General Assembly on October 20th 2010 by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to the King of Jordan. The Resolution was unanimously adopted by the UN, with the first week of February being proclaimed as the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs.
The Resolution also "encourages all States to support, on a voluntary basis, the spread of the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world's churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship during that week, based on love of God and love of one's neighbour or on love of the good and love of one's neighbour, each according to their own religious traditions or convictions."
Participants at World Interfaith Harmony Week Launch
L to R: Rev. Helen Summers of the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne; Dr Helen Light AM, of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Mrs Helen Heath OAM, Executive Officer of the JCMA at the Launch of World Interfaith Harmony Week, Parliament House, Melbourne
'HARMONY' DVD
The DVD of images illustrating 'Harmony" was launched at the Morning Tea.
Rev Helen Summers, Director of The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne, and Ms Nur Shkembi, Arts Officer for the Islamic Council of Victoria, curated the images of people, places and sacred artworks to illustrate 'harmony' in the Confucian concept of 'beautiful and dynamic interaction between different elements within a whole' as explained by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad at the United Nations.
Mark Pederson of Chailight Productions created the DVD weaving the images together to convey the common values that bind us together as a community, as well as respecting the differences.
To celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week, the DVD will be randomly displayed throughout the Week on the Big Screen at Federation Square and the Atrium from Friday 1st February to Friday 8th February, 2013 along with 15 scheduled screenings spreading the meaning of the World Interfaith Harmony Week to the wider community.
We are very grateful to Federation Square Pty Ltd for their generous sponsorship to screen 'Harmony' on the Big Screen for eight days.
Federation Square is Melbourne's 'Meeting Place' and one of the State of Victoria's most popular tourist destinations.
World Interfaith Harmony Week on the big screen, Federation Square
Love of the Neighbour, theme of the World Interfaith Harmony Week on the big screen, Federation Square
Respect, one of the values of the World Interfaith Harmony Week on the big screen, Federation Square
For a Schedule of Screening Times, please click here.
You can read more about World Interfaith Harmony Week on their website. Go to World Interfaith Harmony Week
World Interfaith Harmony Week 2013
"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.
You can read more about World Interfaith Harmony Week on their website. Go to World Interfaith Harmony Week
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, AC, DBE
8th February 1909 - 5th December 2012
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne is deeply saddened at the passing of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch at the age of 103.
Dame Elisabeth was genuinely interested in interfaith activities and the sacred arts. She was a Patron of the 2009 Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions and generously supported the Arts and Culture Program, which included an exhibition especially curated for the Parliament, The Spirit Within Australian Contemporary Art.
We will miss her kindness, her generosity and her interest in our work.
- Reverend Helen Summers, Founder and Director
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