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Please post news items relating to interfaith activities here. This area is moderated so your submission will be reviewed prior to public release on this site.
| | Registration is now open for the annual New Zealand Diversity Forum, to be held in Auckland on 25-26 August. The focus of this year’s annual religious diversity fourm is on the principles of safety and freedom form discrimination set out in the Statement on Religious Diversity. There will also be a discussion on New Zealand’s Plan of Action to Support the Alliance of Civilizations.
The forum will be held from 1.30 – 4.30pm at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. Paul Morris, Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University, will give an overview of safety and discrimination in relation to religious communities in New Zealand, and Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope will discuss police experience and strategies in relation to crime. Islamic Women’s Council member Anjum Rahman and Sikh Centre Director Verpal Singh will discuss the experiences of two visible religious communities, Muslims and Sikhs.
There is no charge for the Religious Diversity forum, but there is a charge of $50 for participation in the plenary programme on Tuesday. Details of the programme are here and the registration form is here. The NZ Diversity Forum brings together organisations and individuals who have a commitment to practical action to support cultural diversity and foster harmonious race relations in New Zealand. It is the signiture event of the NZ Diversity Action Prorgamme. | | | The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO is taking a lead role in a project on Religious Diversity in the Pacific. In conjunction with the NZ Diversity Forum they will host a meeting of key Pacific advisers in the area of inter-religious relations, to form an Advisory group. The meeting will be held in Auckland on 26 and 27 August with a view to drawing up a Status Report on religious diversity in the Pacific.
The Status Report produced by the Advisory Group will examine religious diversity across the Pacific, with special emphasis on religion and human rights, and it is intended that this report will form the basis for further activities in this area, to be undertaken by UNESCO and others. This might include a Pacific statement on religious diversity, commitment to the development of educational curriculum materials, professional teacher activities and ongoing contributions to the work of the Alliance of Civilisations. | | | The New Zealand delegation to the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue meeting, 3-6 April, in Phnom Penh, gathered in Wellington on 18 June to discuss ways to take forward recommendations from the Phnom Penh Dialogue. The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand generously hosted the event. Also present were officials from the Ministry of Education, Office of Ethnic Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Key recommendations from Phnom Penh discussed by the delegation related to the education curriculum, training on religious diversity, conflict resolution and incorporating the recommendations from the Phnom Penh meeting into New Zealand’s Alliance of Civilisations National Implementation Plan. Following their own meeting, the delegation met at the Beehive with Prime Minister Helen Clark where the delegation acknowledged the commitment of the Government to the regional Interfaith Dialogue process. The delegation presented its report from Phnom Penh, highlighting plans for taking forward the recommendations. The final report of the dialogue is available here. The delegation agreed on the value, both domestically and as an international contribution, of continued participation in the regional Interfaith Dialogue process. Members of the New Zealand delegation plan to meet again in the margins of the New Zealand Diversity Forum in August to discuss where they would like to see interfaith dialogue initiatives heading in the future. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that the next regional meeting will take place in Australia. | | |
Click here for the July newsletter. The Human Rights Commission facilitates an interfaith network as part of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. To join the network mailing list e-mail nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz and specify Interfaith Network in the subject line. Kia ora mai koutou katoa – welcome to Te Korowai Whakapono, an interfaith network update which aims to support and publicise groups that undertake interfaith activities, projects and programmes that contribute to religious tolerance, public understanding of religions, and interfaith cooperation. The content of Te Korowai Whakapono is driven by the network. The network operates on the principles of inclusivity, mutual respect, acceptance of difference and the autonomy of participants. For more information visit www.hrc.co.nz/diversity . Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to others. | | |
Dave Moskovitz (Jewish), Fr John D'Alton (Christian), and Mark Pedersen (Muslim) have started a new blog dedicated to telling the stories about positive interactions between the three Abrahamic faiths. The aim is to provide a call to action as well as a critique of their own faiths, with a focus on breaking down stereotypes and creating new paradigms of interaction, particularly drawing upon traditions of non-violence within each faith. Read the blog here and let others know about it. | | |
Click here for the June newsletter. The Human Rights Commission facilitates an interfaith network as part of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. To join the network mailing list e-mail nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz and specify Interfaith Network in the subject line. Kia ora mai koutou katoa – welcome to Te Korowai Whakapono, an interfaith network update which aims to support and publicise groups that undertake interfaith activities, projects and programmes that contribute to religious tolerance, public understanding of religions, and interfaith cooperation. The content of Te Korowai Whakapono is driven by the network. The network operates on the principles of inclusivity, mutual respect, acceptance of difference and the autonomy of participants. For more information visit www.hrc.co.nz/diversity . Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to others. | | |
The final report is available as a PDF here. The Asia-Pacific regional interfaith dialogue process began in Yogyakarta in December 2004. The governments of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines co-sponsored the first dialogue which brought together delegations of 10 faith and community leaders from each of 14 countries in South East Asia and the Pacific. The process continued with meetings in Cebu, the Philippines in 2006 and Waitangi, New Zealand in 2007. Cambodia hosted the fourth dialogue in Phnom Penh on 2-4 April 2008. | | |
Click here for the May newsletter. The Human Rights Commission facilitates an interfaith network as part of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. To join the network mailing list e-mail nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz and specify Interfaith Network in the subject line. Kia ora mai koutou katoa – welcome to Te Korowai Whakapono, an interfaith network update which aims to support and publicise groups that undertake interfaith activities, projects and programmes that contribute to religious tolerance, public understanding of religions, and interfaith cooperation. The content of Te Korowai Whakapono is driven by the network. The network operates on the principles of inclusivity, mutual respect, acceptance of difference and the autonomy of participants. For more information visit www.hrc.co.nz/diversity . Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to others. | | | In 1947, after the devastation of war, the Edinburgh International Festival was conceived to 'provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit'. The Festival of Spirituality and Peace seeks to reawaken the heart of the festival for people who want to work for a peaceful future.
Here is a link to a copy of the programme of the 2007 festival, but be careful - it is a 2MB PDF so not advisable to open if you are a dial-up user.
| | | The National Interfaith Forum being held in Wellington this week has applauded the decision by the Police to sponsor the annual secondary schools Race Unity competition for the next five years.
The speech competition has been organised since 1999 by the Baha’i community in association with the Human Rights Commission. The regional heats are conducted throughout March as part of Race Relations Day activities. The topic is the Race Relations Day theme of “Finding Common Ground”.
From small beginnings the competition has spread to 14 regions with the finals to be held in Auckland on 5 April. Last year’s winner was Bridget Scanlan from Sacred Heart College in Lower Hutt.
Forum Co-chairperson Dr Pushpa Wood said that members of all faiths represented at the forum welcomed the partnership and other initiatives by the Police to enhance intercultural and interfaith understanding. In particular the forum supported the Police ethnic responsiveness strategy, the Police handbook on religious diversity, and recruitment of staff of all faiths and ethnicities.
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres welcomed the Police support. “The speech competition produces some wonderful contributions from secondary school students on the subject of diversity. Last year’s winner was invited to speak to the New Zealand Diversity Forum in Auckland. Her speech was very moving, and for many delegates it was the highlight of the conference.”
This year’s national interfaith forum was preceded by the first ever national youth interfaith forum and a national women’s interfaith forum last weekend. Youth forum delegates presented their decisions to the Governor General, Hon Anand Satyanand, who was a keynote speaker at the forum.
The delegates endorsed the New Zealand Statement on Religious Diversity, offered support for activities marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year and agreed to develop a
national youth interfaith network.
For media inquiries about the Interfaith Forum contact Dr Pushpa Wood, 021 165 8771. For inquiries about the Racial Unity Speech Award contact Beverley Watson, 021 2576526.
Human Rights Commission, Media release, 11 March, 2008 | | | Pictures of the 3 National Interfaith Forums are available here:
If you have any pictures or documents you would like to contribute, please email them to info@interfaith.org.nz | | | The fifth Aotearoa New Zealand National Interfaith Forum was held at Parliament on 10 March, organised by the Wellington Interfaith Council. The plenary forum was preceded by the first ever national youth interfaith forum on Saturday and the third national women’s interfaith forum on Sunday. This year’s theme was “Beyond Tolerance: Towards Understanding and Respect”.
National Interfaith Forum, Wellington, 8-10 March 2008.
The fifth Aotearoa New Zealand National Interfaith Forum was held at Parliament on 10 March, organised by the Wellington Interfaith Council. The plenary forum was preceded by the first ever national youth interfaith forum on Saturday and the third national women’s interfaith forum on Sunday. This year’s theme was “Beyond Tolerance: Towards Understanding and Respect”.
The youth forum focused on “creative encounters generating change”. Delegates endorsed the Statement on Religious Diversity, and supported activities marking the forthcoming 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the development of a national youth interfaith network, and regional youth interfaith councils. They noted the importance of developing educational resources on religious diversity and sought youth input into policy and legislative changes.
The women’s forum included a number of presentations and workshops, and shared stories. Participants looked at both personal and strategic ways of supporting interfaith understanding. They supported more social interaction and planned activities between the annual forums, better use of existing interfaith directories, a more strategic approach to public relations, more information sharing and an expanded interfaith website.
The Forum also included a public address on the Sunday evening by New Zealand born Rabbi David Rose, who is the Hebrew Congregation Rabbi for East Scotland, Executive Member of the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association and Executive Member of the Conference of Scotland’s Religious Leaders. Rabbi Rose spoke of his experience of interfaith activity in Edinburgh, the importance of effective relationships between faith communities and government, and four principles - integrity, openness, inclusion and honesty - that should underpin interfaith dialogue.
The Governor General, Hon Anand Satyanand, opened the plenary forum. He spoke of New Zealand’s increased religious diversity, and the fact that public reaction to some incidents in recent years revealed a continuing lack of understanding of different religions. He referred to the preamble of the Statement on Religious Diversity, and its account of the guarantee of religious diversity at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. He emphasised the importance of intra-faith as well as interfaith dialogue.
The forum included reports of activities from regional interfaith councils in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. A further session covered government agencies’ role in promoting interfaith dialogue, including contributions from Rohan Jaduram of the Human Rights Commission and Sgt Rakesh Naidoo from the New Zealand Police.
| | | A section of the 2007 Race Relations Report was released at an Interfaith workshop hosted by Auckland City on Saturday 19 January.
The review of interfaith activities reveals a busy and significant year for cooperation and dialogue for the country’s religious communities.
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said the 2006 census pointed to significant increases in religious diversity in the past decade.
New Zealand had made an important contribution to global interfaith understanding by hosting an international symposium on the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations initiative in May and the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue at Waitangi (Building Bridges), also in May.
Earlier in the year the development of the Statement on Religious Diversity in New Zealand had prompted much public discussion. It was finalised after being endorsed by the national interfaith forum in February, 2007 and published in May, when it prompted a demonstration by the Destiny Church against the principle in the statement about the need for separation of church and state.
Many organisations have endorsed the statement, including the Anglican and Catholic Bishops of New Zealand, the Federation of Islamic Associations, the Council of Christians and Jews, the Methodist Church Conference, Buddhist, Baha’i and other faith and interfaith groups. The statement was also at the centre of a major exhibition at Waikato Museum, Keeping Faith, which continues until March this year.
Mr de Bres said that the statement provides a good basis for ongoing community discussion on religious diversity within a human rights framework.
In August last year, the annual New Zealand Diversity Forum considered the sometimes vexed issues surrounding religion and schools. The Human Rights Commission produced guidelines on religious instruction for school boards.
Strong support for teaching about religious diversity in schools was reflected in the diversity principle underpinning the new school curriculum released in November.
Mr de Bres said that interfaith activities in 2008 would include the national interfaith forum in Wellington in March (including a youth forum and a women’s forum), further discussion of the Statement on Religious Diversity, New Zealand participation in the Asia Pacific Interfaith Dialogue in Cambodia and a New Zealand Action Plan for the UN Alliance of Civilisations initiative.
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