Interfaith is a unique space where inter-culturalism and social inclusion happen naturally.
It is imperative for Councils to protect and strengthen community cohesion by recognising the significance of religious literacy (knowledge of, and ability to understand, religion) and engaging with all of their interfaith communities. Without direct connection to these communities Council becomes ineffective, uninformed and disconnected from their communities.As the level of government closest to the community, local government knows better than most the important work of councils to promote and facilitate social cohesion at the local level. The 2017 Victorian Local Government Multicultural Issues Network Annual Forum will focus on how councils can leverage their work through partnerships and collaborations to achieve better outcomes to strengthen social cohesion across their communities.
Keynote speaker: George Megalogenis, a Walkley Award winning author and documentary maker. George will challenge our assumptions about what works to support social cohesion in today’s Australia.
The scheduled program includes presentations, panel discussions, Q&A and workshops, exploring the role local government plays in leveraging its position to strengthen social inclusion. The forum will facilitate dialogue amongst a range of stakeholders who are active in social cohesion research, policy development, projects and practice.
A workshop example is this Interfaith panel: a collaboration between the Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Darebin Interfaith Council with contribution from Nivy Balachandran of the United Religious Initiative who will offer her perspectives on international models of interfaith councils.
Interfaith Panel Presenters:
Aziz Cooper, Interfaith Officer from Darebin City Council will talk about why local government needs to have religious literacy
Helen Heath, Interfaith Network Development Officer - The Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong
Nivy Balachandran, Regional co-ordinator (Australia-Pacific sub zone) for URI (United Religions Initiative) and Executive Director at InterAction, interfaith youth organisation
Introduced and facilitated by: Petr Svoboda of Moreland and Maribyrnong Councils and former program officer at the Parliament of the World's Religions – Melbourne 2009
Where: Kensington Town Hall, 30-34 Bellair St, Kensington
Registration: on day begins at 9:00am, and the forum includes morning tea and lunch
Or for whole forum: http://www.cvent.com/events/communities-without-borders-council-collaboration-for-social-cohesion/event-summary-5d88f0824d7a4192b9b6378bb40aad2f.aspx
MORE:
Victorian Local Government Multicultural Issues Network (VLGMIN)
Municipal Association of Victoria
Post: Level 12, 60 Collins St, Melbourne 3000
Tel: 03 9667 5555
Katherine Wositzky, Diversity Policy Adviser on Tel: 03 9667 5580
Email: kwositzky@mav.asn.au
Website: www.mav.asn.au