Event: UN World Interfaith Harmony Week
In celebration of the inaugural World Interfaith Harmony Week, Victorian based religious and spiritual leaders and interfaith practitioners, have been invited to a Luncheon in Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne, on Tuesday 1st February, 2011 at 12.30 pm.
Professor David de Kretser, AC, Governor of Victoria and Mrs Jan de Kretser will be Guests of Honour at the Luncheon.
Invitations have been extended to Parliamentary Ministers of the newly formed Government to attend the Luncheon in order to meet with the Interfaith Community of Victoria and to celebrate the inaugural UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.
On 20th October, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first week of February of every year, the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs. 'Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour' are found in all our Holy Texts and are the Substance of our faiths and beliefs. These values are recognised in all faiths.
While this inaugural event is to be celebrated, we are mindful of the recent local flood disasters in Queensland and the people who have lost their loved ones and homes. We are encouraged by the Love of Neighbour that has poured out from Australians, and from distant overseas Neighbours, to those people in distress and communities in devastation. Some 12,000 people have registered as volunteers to assist in clean up and community rehabilitation. Community strength and unity are the key to getting through such events.
UN Proclaims World Interfaith Harmony Week
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 21 - The UN General Assembly late Wednesday adopted a consensus resolution, proposed by Jordan, proclaiming the first week of February of every year "World Interfaith Harmony Week" among all faiths and beliefs.
World Interfaith Harmony Week was introduced by Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad, the Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to the King of Jordan, the resolution recognized the urgent need for dialogue among different faiths and religions in enhancing mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among peoples. The Prince said the Assembly was well aware the world was rife with religious tension, mistrust, and hatred, which facilitated war and violence. The remedy for such problems could only come from the world's religions themselves, and although much good work had already been done towards that end, religious tensions were on the rise.
The resolution, he explained, would seek to turn the tide against that negative movement by coordinating and uniting efforts among all interfaith groups doing positive work through one focused annual theme. At the same time, it would harness the collective might of places of worship for peace and harmony and regularly encourage the "silent majority" of preachers to commit themselves on the record for peace and harmony.
He said the proposal was purely voluntary and no place of worship should be forced to observe "World Interfaith Harmony Week". The resolution, he added, also "excludes no individual, compromises no one, commits no one, forces no one, harms no one, costs nothing, and - on the contrary - includes everyone, celebrates everyone, benefits everyone, unites everyone and has the potential to bring much needed peace and harmony to the entire world, InshaAllah".
UN Documents for World Interfaith Harmony Week
H.M. King Abdullah II's Speech to the United Nations, H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad's Speech reading the Declaration to the General Assembly along with further documentation are available on the World Interfaith Harmony Week Website
2011 New Year with Gyuto Monks
The Gyuto Monks will conduct a 7 day program at the Dromana Uniting Church Hall, commencing 7PM on Monday, 27 December. The Program is titled OM DHUM SO HA, Life is the Gift. The program will take place daily from 10:00AM until 6PM. Participants will have the opportunity to welcome the New Year with a Sacred Puja by the Gyuto Monks on 31 December. Futher information Futher information is shown below.
Zhambhala Wish Fulfilling Tour
by the Gyuto Monks
24 September to 3 October, Incinerator Arts Complex, Moonee Ponds
Over 10 days the Gyuto Monks will be at the Incinerator Arts Complex in Moonee Ponds, where they will share ancient Tibetan philosophy, and culture and their special humour and lightness of touch.
A highlight is the Culture for Kids program, each day between 11am and 12noon - a program which offers kids of all ages an opportunity to work hands-on with the monks making unique art works.The Gyuto Monks will also conduct a Heart Resonance Concert on Saturday 2 October at 7.30pm at the Incinerator Arts Complex. This is a performance of harmonic chanting to fill the heart with gratitude and joy.
You may download a flyer which contains the ten day program for this event.
Pakistan Floods Emergency
The Indus River in southern Pakistan has breached flood defences, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. The floodwaters have burst their banks in many places in southern Pakistan.
There are reports of new flooding in the province of Sindh, with estimates that hundreds of thousands more people have been made homeless by floodwaters in the past four days.
Several towns remain under water and the United Nations is warning the situation remains critical, with humanitarian aid yet to reach many and disease still a major threat
Act for Peace is responding with emergency assistance to the flood ravaged people of Pakistan. With your generous support combined with Government grants, Act for Peace has been able to raise over $900,000 for the emergency, allowing our partners on the ground to provide life-saving assistance to those affected by the disaster. Follow the link if you would like to participate in the Act for Peace Pakistan Emergency Appeal
Pause for Peace
UN International Day of Peace
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne and St Michael's Uniting Church, invite you to join us for a time of chant, meditation and private prayer, creating a shift in global consciousness, starting with the self.
12 Noon 'A Million Minutes for Peace'
Please join us wherever you are, at home, at work or in your place of worship, with people from 114 countries to Pray for Peace in your own way. To make your Pledge please go to: A Million Minutes for Peace . In Melbourne, the Carillion at St Michael’s Uniting Church will sound at Noon. Please note that Mingary, at St Michael's, will be open for prayer and meditation throughout the day.
5.00pm - 6.30pm Special Event
Meditation, Music and Chant for Peace
With The Gyuto Monks of Tibet
The Gyuto Monks are the unique masters of deep harmonic overtone chanting. Trained for many years, each monk has the capacity to chant in three octaves at once. The sound is reputed to have a transformative effect on the physical as well as the emotional body. The Gyuto Monks have been coming to Australia annually since 1994. They are practitioners of kindness and compassion and encourage the practice of their wisdom in our daily lives.
And Brahma Kumaris Musicians
David Jones, world renowned master musician, and Carmen Warrington, meditation artist, practise Brahma Kumaris meditation techniques in their performances and recordings. The meditative music and soothing guided meditations enable a journey deeper into our own inner peace and power. David and Carmen were commissioned by the ABC to create a series of meditation CDs.
Where: St Michael's Uniting Church
Corner Russell and Collins Streets,
Melbourne.
Refreshments to follow in St Michael's Hall
Free event ~ Donations welcome
Enquiries: The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne Ph: 03-9650 7163
Email: Use our contact page
A flyer is available for this event.
Click the image below to download the flyer.
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
BUDDHIST RELICS COMING TO MELBOURNE
in JUNE 2010
Melburnians have a brief and rare opportunity to glimpse the 1000 sacred relics, or the pearl-like crystals, that were found in the cremation ashes of great Buddhist masters from Burma, Thailand, Tibet, India, Korea and Taiwan.
The Maitreya Project Relics Tour which will be on show at The Koorie Heritage Trust, 295 King Street Melbourne (on the corner of Little Lonsdale street) on June 4, 5 and 6, also includes eight relics from Shakyamuni Buddha that were donated to the touring exhibition by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Thousands of people have attended exhibitions of these relics across the world, and people often report experiences of inspiration and healing.
Entrance to the exhibition is free and any donations will go to benefiting statue building and health care projects in some of the poorest regions of India
.For more information on the relics, visit:
www.maitreyaproject.org/en/relic
Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour on Facebook
The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne - Promoting Understanding and Cooperation For Peaceful Coexistence