[Report is compiled from multiple public addresses, multiple sources made over multiple publication dates and post-event reflection]
Conference began at 12pm with a free lunch and an opportunity to network with people who are part of the interfaith/multifaith movement across Victoria. A number of fun, educational and inspiring activities were also available during this time. Upon arrival, participants selected their preferred workshop.
. Gambling is normalised in our society, marketed as entertainment but it can result in significant harm for the gambler and those close to them. Based on per capita spending, Australians are the world’s most prolific gamblers.
Gambling harm is a negative consequence, caused or made worse by gambling, that affects the health or wellbeing of an individual, their family or community. The social costs of gambling harm are enormous: bankruptcy, homelessness, family and personal dysfunction, domestic violence and countless other stories. And these negative effects seem to fall disproportionately on the poor and disadvantaged, including culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities.
What do the world’s great religions have to say about gambling? What issues and concerns do faith communities face regarding gambling harm, and what primary, secondary and tertiary approaches have they taken to address these issues within their communities? And what practical responses can faith communities collectively take to tackle the ravaging impact of gambling on our society?
Facilitator: Dr Mark Zirnsak, Uniting Church in Australia (Synod of Victoria and Tasmania), Chair of the Victorian Inter-Church Gambling Taskforce, and member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council.
Panelists:
• Rev Tim Costello, Baptist minister, Spokesman & Director Alliance for Gambling Reform, Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia
• Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas, Community Engagement Facilitator, Al Siraat College
• Rabbi Yaakov Glasman, Senior Rabbi of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation & Immediate Past President of the Rabbinical Council of Australia & New Zealand
• Venerable Phuoc Tan Thich, Abbot of Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook & President of the Buddhist Council of Victoria
• Lyn Dundon, Gambling Harm Project Coordinator, Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria
Workshop 2: Freedom of Religion Vs Freedom of Artistic Expression
Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Artistic Expression have been at loggerheads for ages in different parts of the world.
Religious communities can feel outraged when their religious beliefs and sacred symbols are mocked, insulted, attacked or vilified. Aggrieved believers argue that respect for beliefs and symbols is fundamental to and part and parcel of the right of Freedom of Religion. On the other hand, the artists and creators of these controversial works argue that any law seeking to restrict their works amounts to a violation of the sacrosanct right of Freedom of Artistic Expression.
So what happens when the liberty to freely express oneself is at odds with another’s right to freedom of religion? An expert panel explored the rationales underpinning the freedoms of expression and religion to determine the boundaries and limits of each of these rights in a pluralistic, secular, multi-faith society.
Facilitator: Nur Shkembi, Melbourne based curator, writer and scholar undertaking interdisciplinary research at the University of Melbourne
Panelists:
• Daniel Nellor, Advisor to the Australian Humans Rights (Freedom of Religion) Commissioner, Mr Edward Santow
• Dr Anna Halafoff, Senior Lecturer in Sociology @ Deakin Uni. & Research Associate of UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations @ Monash University
• Ciran Jiva Dasa Adhikari, Brahman Priest in the Hindu Vaisnava Tradition
• Robyn Ayres, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Law Centre of Australia
Workshop 3: Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world
Our generation is the first to start feeling the impacts of climate disruption and the last to be able to do something meaningful about it.
One response is Living the Change, a multi-faith global campaign which draws on our spiritual beliefs and values to inspire lifestyle choices which, when aggregated with the actions of others, will help limit global warming.
Today, we know that climate disruption is hurting most those who are already vulnerable, and that greed is a large part of the problem. Consumerism tells us we never have “enough”. Living the Change calls on people of faith to lead in a global effort to re-set what is regarded as enough. We want to promote lifestyles of gratitude for life’s blessings, lifestyles of care for the earth and all who depend on it.
Given that close to six billion people globally identify with a religion (Pew Research Center, 2017), the opportunity for these groups to create meaningful change through collective action cannot be ignored.
What are religious people being asked to do? Ordinary people and communities have the power to help keep emissions down and thereby help to protect our common home. Through commitments in diet, transportation, and energy use, Living the Change invites individuals to fortify healthy, balanced relationships that help sustain the earth.
Participants of the workshop were invited to join a globally-connected community of religious and spiritual institutions working together to champion sustainable living.
Facilitator: Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), Rabbi at Leo Baeck Centre and member of the Jewish Ecological Coalition (JECO)
ARRCC is a multi-faith, member-based organisation of people from around Australia who are committed to taking action on climate change. We believe that as people dedicated to the common good, inspired by our beliefs and energized by our spirituality, people of all faiths can and should be at the forefront of creating a safe climate. While celebrating the uniqueness of our different traditions, we stand together in working for an ecologically and socially sustainable future. For more information on ‘Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world’ see
www.arrcc.org.au/living_the_change
Workshop 4: Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme
From 1 January 2017, religious and faith-based organisations that provide services for children are required to comply with Child Safe Standards.
These standards aim to drive cultural change in organisations so that protecting children from abuse is embedded in everyday thinking and practice. The standards are compulsory but not prescriptive. This allows religious organisations flexibility in how they implement the standards to meet the requirements.
From 1 January 2018, religious and faith-based organisations are required to comply with the Reportable Conduct Scheme and respond to allegations of reportable conduct, and misconduct that may include reportable conduct, made against their workers and volunteers, by investigating those allegations and reporting to the Commission for Children and Young People.
If you are part of a religious and faith-based organisation that is required by law to be compliant with Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme, this is an information session to support your knowledge and implementation. We all have an obligation to do the best we can to keep children safe from harm and abuse.
Facilitator: Emily Sanders, Director Regulation (Commission for Children and Young People) with introduction by Reverend Ian Smith (Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Churches) on the Reportable Conduct Scheme Faith Booklet
The Commission for Children and Young People is an independent statutory body that promotes improvement in policies and practices affecting the safety and wellbeing of Victorian children and young people. We have a particular focus on vulnerable children and young people. For more information see:
www.ccyp.vic.gov.au
Special Appearances Included
Walking the Labyrinth: A Spiritual Experience
The Labyrinth is an ancient symbol known by numerous faiths and cultures. It has been described as a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit, and even a mirror of the soul.
Labyrinths can be used in various ways. Sometimes in just a general way - time out to refresh, renew, slow down, refocus. Sometimes people have an issue or a decision to make, wisdom they require, a heavy concern they are carrying, and they use the Labyrinth as a spiritual discipline seeking guidance or enlightenment.
The Labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is a puzzle to be solved, it tries to trick and tease you. A Labyrinth has no tricks and no dead ends. It has a single circuitous path that winds its way from the entrance to the centre and returns you back safely. Once you put your foot in, the Labyrinth becomes your friend – it will guide you in and out. Visitors to the Labyrinth were invited to take a walk in silent contemplation and enter into a spiritual experience.
Vietnamese Lion Dance
The Lion Dance is performed primarily at traditional festivals such as Vietnamese lunar new year. The dance symbolizes the removal of negative energies, as the lion is a creature believed to bring good luck, health, and prosperity. The Lion Dance is also known as the Unicorn Dance in Vietnam.
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Coffee holds a sacred place in Ethiopia. An invitation to attend a Coffee Ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. The ceremony is usually conducted by women dressed in traditional Ethiopian costume. In a world where time has become a commodity, the Ethiopian Coffee ceremony takes us back to a time when value was given to conversation and human relations. Visitors to the stand were invited to sit back, relax and enjoy Ethiopian hospitality served with the finest coffee in the world.
Buddhism - Tea Ceremony
While tea is popular with everyone today, Buddhist monasteries were the first to develop and promote the virtues of tea drinking and the Tea Ceremony. Tea drinking brings with it a special tranquillity, purifying one’s heart and bringing it closer to mindfulness. The Tea Ceremony allows participants to learn attention to detail in preparing, brewing, pouring, serving and drinking tea. Visitors to the Buddhist stand experienced tea served with peace and harmony.
Hinduism - Henna Painting (Mehendi) & Bindi
Henna Painting (Mehendi) & Bindi: Henna is a small flowering shrub that has many uses. The art of applying henna to the hands and feet is known as Mehendi, and is traditionally used for Hindu festivals and celebrations as well as rites of passage. A bindi is a small red dot that symbolises the mystic third eye, the central point of the base of creation. When visiting a temple, it is common for the priest to mark men, women and children with a bindi on the forehead. A bindi can also be a social symbol, worn by married women very similar to western wedding bands. Visit our stand and try on some henna painting and/or a bindi.
Islam - Arabic Calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy is considered the quintessential art form of the Islamic world. While some of the best examples of calligraphic writing make this art form appear effortless, each letter and diacritical mark is the result of painstaking measurements and multiple strokes. Today Arabic calligraphy can be found on both religious and secular objects in virtually every medium – paper, architecture, ceramics, carpets, glass, jewellery, woodcarving, and metalwork. Visit our stand to view some of our artwork and to have your name written in Arabic calligraphy.
Sikhism - Try on a Turban
Sikhism is the only religion in the world which requires its followers to tie a turban. Hence a turban is an article of faith. Turbans can be different colours, styles and types but they are not hats. Sikhs tie their turbans a new each day. Sikh turbans become a part of a Sikh’s body and are usually removed only in the privacy of the house. A turban is a sign of royalty, a figure of stoic courage, an emblem of dignity and self- respect, a mark of charity and a figure of purity. Visit our stand and try on a Turban.
Brimbank Multicultural Community Choir
Directed by Veronica Gauci and singing in over 20 languages, the Brimbank Multicultural Community Choir celebrates cultural diversity through song, regularly performing at venues and events throughout Melbourne. On this occasion, they performed pieces from Indigenous Australian, New Zealand Maori and Persian Arabic.
Concluding Remarks
This annual occasion mixing diverse religious views with modern topics proves a useful personal development vehicle for young and old, inexperienced or experienced citizens of a modern world. The format is easy to access, sincerity of invited speakers measurable and opportunity to learn, discover and engage in a meaningful way on topics that universally affect us is highly recommended.
