This
conference
"From Dialogue to
Collaboration: The Vision of
Fethullah Gulen and
Muslim-Christian Relations"
aims to explore, through the
prism of Fethullah Gülen’s
personal and theological
profile, his worldwide
contribution to Islamic
studies, education,
philanthropy, and
interreligious dialogue. Gülen’s
vision of dialogue and
Muslim-Christian relations
will be brought into
relation with developments
in the Catholic Church and
other Christian Churches
since Vatican II’s Nostra
Aetate
(1965)
In 2003, Human
Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission (HREOC) commenced a
project called Isma: National
consultations on eliminating
prejudice against Arab and
Muslim Australians. During this
project the Commission consulted
with over 1400 Arab and Muslim
Australians around Australia.
Participants described their
experiences of racial and
religious discrimination,
vilification and abuse since the
September 11 attacks in 2001 and
the Bali bombings in 2002. This
conference will focus on issues
relating to Islamophobia.
Traditional VIP and
Community Iftar Dinner which
play a major role in social
inclusiveness and
integration will continue in
the Ramadan period of 2009.
Once Again the Australian
Intercultural Society will
organize prestige Iftar
Dinners with Government
officials, Universities,
Religious leaders, Community
leaders and members of
different cultures and
faiths. Iftar Dinner
programs also includes Iftar
Dinners at the private homes
of Muslims. These dinners
enable members of different
cultures to meet Muslim
families in a private
atmosphere.
A group of
Australian Muslim and Catholic
leaders participated in a joint
prototype pilgrimage to Istanbul
and Rome. This tour enabled
religious leaders from both
faith groups to study and
understand each others’
religious values, customs and
significant institutions by
means of a close encounter.
Spending two weeks together,
meant that the 11 Muslims and 11
Christians would travel, eat and
sleep together, sharing all the
special moments as well as the
challenging ones. It certainly
was living dialogue to the
fullest. The important
pilgrimage was organised under
the umbrella of the historic MOU
signed between the Catholic
Archdiocese of Melbourne and the
Australian Intercultural
Society,
Interfaith dialogue
continues to flourish in Australia. Once again, Muslims from the
Melbourne community visited their Christians friends during the
holiest period in the Christian calendar. Members of the Melbournian
Muslim community fragmented into groups of 15 to visit the Catholic,
Anglican and United Church on Easter Sunday. They were greeted by
the Church officials at the entrance and acknowledged by the
Archbishops during the ceremony. Visits to places of Worship plays a
great role in building a harmonious society through encouraging
social inclusion.
A VIP group of
Muslims and Catholics came
together on Sunday 29 March to
commemorate the birth of the
Prophet Muhammad. The event was hosted by the Ecumenical and
Interfaith Commission of the
Catholic Archdiocese of
Melbourne and the Australian
Intercultural Society. This
event is a product of the
Memorandum of Understanding
signed by the Australian
Intercultural Society and the
Ecumenical and Interfaith
Commission of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Melbourne in
2007.
Date: 13 April to 27 April 2009
Date: 12 April 2009
Date: 29 March 2009
Time: 14 days
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Venue: Turkey and Italy
Venue: St Pauls, St Patricks and
the Uniting Church - Melbourne
This
year Australian
Intercultural Society will
organize its annual
Intercultural study tour of
Turkey in series of three
trips.
The Intercultural Study Tour to Turkey
is a part of AIS's international Dialogue Project that has been
continuing for the past three
years. AIS would like to invite
those who are interested in the
project to join the fourth
Annual Intercultural Study Tour
to Turkey during one of the
following periods listed below.
More info...>
On the 29th of
July 2007 a memorandum of
understanding was signed between
the Australian Intercultural
Society and the Ecumenical and
Interfaith Commission of the
Catholic Archdiocese of
Melbourne. The formal
understanding covers a term of
three years in which both
parties will set up a working
group to undertake many
projects.
The
Australian Intercultural
Society (AIS) in conjunction
with the Australian Catholic
University (ACU) held the
official launch of the
Fethullah Gulen Chair in the
Study of Islam and
Muslim-Catholic relations
last Friday 23 November at
the Central Hall, ACU. The
launch marks the important
step the AIS has taken to
establish an important
academic professorial Chair
that will assist second and
third generation...more>>>
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