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Gala Dinner with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
June 19, 2010
10 Promises to Peace
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne and the Islamic Council of Victoria invite you to join us for this very special event with Yusuf Islam.
Yusuf Islam will be touring Australia in June, his first visit to the country in nearly four decades. The Gala Dinner will be the only event Yusuf Islam will attend outside of the Concerts.
The Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria is the venue for this special occasion, with Leonard French's stunning stained glass ceiling as a magnificent backdrop for the Dinner.
Guests will be welcomed in Federation Court beneath the glass ceiling and can later wander in the landscaped sculpture Garden.
Peter Rowland Catering will provide a special three-course halal and kosher friendly menu with a vegetarian option. Special dietary requirements may be organised.
Yusuf Islam is an internationally renowned singer-songwriter and philanthropist. In 1999 he established Small Kindness, a charity dedicated to alleviating suffering amongst orphans and families in some of the most deprived parts of the world. In recognition of his tireless humanitarian work, Yusuf has received the 2003 World Social Award and the 2004 Man for Peace Award, presented to him by Mikhail Gorbachev who praised his "dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism". Yusuf performed at the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo and in 2009 he was presented with an Honorary Award at the German Sustainability Awards.
You may read about Yusuf Islam, his life, musical career and humanitarian works on his biography page.
We welcome people from diverse religious and spiritual traditions to share a dinner together and hear our guest speaker, Yusuf, speak on "How to return to a more peaceful world through commitment to the Ten Commandments by all people, to overcome the dangers of differences and self-interest."
Bookings Closed
Bookings for this event have now closed. There has been significant interest in this Interfaith even, and it will be recorded and made available for purchase from this website. Watch this site for news about Dinner with Yusuf Islam.
In the Media
The Age Newspaper had a front-page article called An Australian gift turned the Cat to Islam. You may read this article on The Age Website.
Haiti Emergency
212,000 people are dead, more than 300,000 people are injured. More than 1.2 million people are living in spontaneous settlements after a 7.0 magnitude quake rocked Haiti at 5 p.m on Tuesday 12 January. The earthquake was the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years. Our partners have been on the ground providing emergency relief since the quake struck and they will continue to help Haitians as they rebuild long into the future.
Act for Peace is accepting gifts to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal and once immediate needs are addressed we will focus on the long term rehabilitation of the affected populations. The scale of the damage is immense and we must make a long-term commitment to our partners to ensure they can rebuild.
Follow the link if you wish to participate in the Act for Peace Haiti Earthquake Appeal
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.
Interfaith Gatherings
Monthly gatherings have been postponed until mid 2010 due to our involvement with the preparation for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, which was hosted in Melbourne, December 3-9, 2009. To learn more about the Parliament of the World’s Religions, visit their website.
Please watch this space for further announcements.
For more information:
Email: info@interfaithcentre.org.au
Telephone: 03 9650 7163
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne - Promoting Understanding and Cooperation For Peaceful Coexistence