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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.
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The involvement of UNESCO in the work on interfaith dialogue in New Zealand is being formalised by the establishment of a UNESCO Chair in ‘Interreligious Understanding and Relations’ at Victoria University of Wellington.
The current holder of the Chair will be Professor Paul Morris, Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University. The Chair will be formally announced at the 7th National Interfaith Forum in Christchurch from 26- 28 February 2010.
One of Professor Morris’s current research projects explores religious change in the Pacific nation states. This will enhance our understanding of the role and contemporary significance of religion in this important region of the world. The study will map the religious contours of the Pacific nations and focus on the dynamics of religious transitions (the growth of Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity and of new churches such as the LDS) since the 1980s, in the context of global religious changes. Professor Morris held a Workshop on Religious Diversity in the Pacific in Auckland in 2008, together with the NZ National Commission for UNESCO and the Human Rights Commission. A forum in the Pacific is being planned to develop the outcome of that initial workshop for late 2010 or 2011.
2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures
UNESCO has been asked by the UN to play a leading role in the celebration of the Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. The main goal of the year will be to demonstrate the benefits of cultural diversity by acknowledging the importance of the constant transfers and exchanges between cultures and the ties forged between them since the dawn of humanity.
The main types of activities scheduled are:
- greater opportunities for research, meetings and public debates and broadening of the spaces for intercultural mediation in the form of exhibitions illustrating exchanges and transfers between cultures, as well as fairs and festivals
- promotion of the role of creativity
- improvement of access to formal and non-formal education
- contribution of the media and the new communication and information technologies to change the perception of different cultures and religions through, inter alia, the promotion of dialogue on the Internet where numerous cultural and linguistic expressions can be circulated and shared
- recognition of and respect for knowledge - including traditional knowledge and the knowledge of indigenous peoples
- promotion of human rights, philosophy and intercultural dialogue.
You are invited to inform the NZ National Commission for UNESCO of the activities you are planning in order to celebrate the 2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, and the goals you intend to achieve through them. A logo has also been designed especially for the year and is available for use. Contact Susan Isaacs, Culture Programme Officer, NZ National Commission for UNESCO (P.O. Box 1666, Wellington) for more information or to request a copy. | | |
The annual Diversity Season is upon us, with a multitude of multicultural events from now until Race Relations Day (21 March) and even beyond.
The theme of this year’s Race Relations day is about whānau. Race Relations Day posters are available free from the Human Rights Commission - email NZ Diversity with your address if you would like some. The poster, designed by illustrator Ahu Te Ua, reflects the theme with bright, cheerful and colourful images, and aims to inspire and attract attention to Race Relations Day from both adults and young people.
The overall message of the poster is that Race Relations Day is about all of us and we are all members of the wider family of New Zealanders, no matter where we are from. Cultural icons are portrayed alongside the word “family” in Arabic , Chinese, Dutch, English, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Samoan, te reo Māori and Tongan.
Please inform us if you will be organising an event this year. Find out more about Race Relations Day in New Zealand by visiting the Race Relations Day event page. | | |
Click here for the February newsletter. The Religious Diversity Network is facilitated by the Human Rights Commission as part of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. Its purpose is to support and publicise groups that undertake interfaith activities, projects and programmes that contribute to religious tolerance, public understanding of religions, beliefs and interfaith cooperation for peace, security and harmonious relations. | | |
A delegation of 10 New Zealand interfaith representatives accompanied the Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Hon. Pansy Wong, to the fifth Asia-Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue held in Perth, Australia 28-30 October. The New Zealand delegation included Dr Manuka Henare, Reverend Fei Taule’ale’ausumai, Professor Paul Morris, Rehanna Ali, Richard Tankersley, Dr Anwar Ghani, Verpal Singh, See Shen Lee, Pritika Sharma and Tayyaba Khan. The delegation was supported by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of Ethnic Affairs.
The theme for the Dialogue was Future Faith Leaders: Regional Challenges and Responses. New Zealand led a plenary session on the topic of Faith and the Media/internet. Hon Pansy Wong delivered a keynote address on the topic which was followed by presentations from Dr Anwar Ghani and Verpal Singh. All the New Zealand delegates had active roles in the Dialogue including through chairing working groups and leading intra-faith sessions. The other three main topics for the event were Building Relationships among Future Faith Leaders, Faith and Education, and Conflict Resolution and Peace-building. The event concluded with agreement on the Perth Declaration setting out recommendations for follow up action by faith communities and governments.
New Zealand is a co-sponsor of the Asia-Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue together with Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The objective of the Dialogue process is to bring together faith leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss and address tensions between communities. The Dialogue helps break down barriers between faith communities and provides support for religious moderates to speak out against extremism.
The Perth Declaration, issued at the end of the dialogue, focused on fostering interfaith projects, the development of future faith leaders, educational resources on religious diversity, involvement of faith community leaders in peace and conflict resolution, and religious diversity and the media. Key practical follow-up actions for New Zealand are identified as:
- the development of an interfaith environmental project - to be recommended to the national interfaith forum in February 2010
- a leadership development project for future interfaith faith leaders, to be discussed with the national youth interfaith forum in February 2010
- teachers’ workshops to promote and develop curriculum resources on religious diversity
- a workshop for faith leaders and media on religious diversity and the media in conjunction with the 2010 New Zealand Diversity Forum.
New Zealand will report back on the implementation of these recommendations at the Sixth Regional Interfaith Dialogue. | | |
Click here for the November newsletter. The Religious Diversity Network is facilitated by the Human Rights Commission as part of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. Its purpose is to support and publicise groups that undertake interfaith activities, projects and programmes that contribute to religious tolerance, public understanding of religions, beliefs and interfaith cooperation for peace, security and harmonious relations. |
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