The growth of a rich diversity of community interest in interfaith dialogue in Queensland over nearly two decades has provided a most valuable and inspirational dimension to Queensland's 150th Anniversary celebrations. As experienced in many countries worldwide, interfaith dialogue in Queensland has helped to increase understanding, respect, trust and cooperation among diverse faiths and spirituality traditions. In turn, this has promoted harmony and peaceful living together in multicultural communities and societies. This Report, recognizing and documenting the dedicated involvement of many institutions/communities in interfaith dialogue, will certainly help to enrich the story of interfaith dialogue for harmony and peace in Queensland, and a most relevant project to the vision and themes of the Q150 Celebrations – “reflect on our past, imagine our future” – the key themes of history, people, places, and future.
With funding provided by the Q150 Community Funding Program, the Multi-Faith Centre undertook this project: (a) to document the initiatives and efforts of faith and interfaith groups in building peace and harmony in Queensland, with particular reference to the greater Brisbane area; (b) to provide a web-based resource and a publication summarizing the various activities, programs, and future plans of these faith and interfaith communities and groups; and (c) to encourage and strengthen collaboration, coordination, and networking among faith institutions to promote the goal of interfaith dialogue for peace and harmony in Queensland.
In late 2007, forty institutions/communities and multicultural, educational and peace organizations with interfaith involvement were invited to participate in the survey and interview of their leaders or representatives on the past, present and proposed future interfaith initiatives, and to allow access to their reports, newsletters and other documentary material (including photos) which are included in the web-based and printed publication of this Report. A number of follow-up invitations to respond to the survey were sent. Among the initial list of invited organizations, a total of twenty two institutions and organizations provided information about their involvement in interfaith dialogue in one form or another.
The scope of this Report, however, does not imply that the twenty two institutions documented are the only ones interested or engaged in interfaith dialogue. Due to their busy schedules, a number of faith communities and institutions, including Indigenous, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and other Buddhist leaders, communities and institutions who have co-operated regularly with the Multi-Faith Centre and other interfaith groups, were not able to participate in the survey for this Q150 Report. Hopefully, through further follow-up surveys, it will be possible for other Brisbane communities and groups, also promoting interfaith dialogue, to be included in the web-based report that can be accessed in the website of the Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre (MFC). Furthermore, the submissions of included faith institutions can be periodically updated as their interfaith activities continue or expand. It is also important to note that due to resource limitations, this Report does not seek to cover all parts of Queensland. Certainly, interfaith understanding is also being fostered in other regional locations.
In documenting the emergence and progress of interfaith dialogue in Brisbane, the underpinning principle reflected in the well-known indigenous rights song by Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly, From Little Things Big Things Grow, is most relevant. The vigorous and dynamic state of interfaith relationships in Southeast Queensland today, based on the values of respect, openness to understanding each faith's truths, and mutual sharing of the wisdom of diverse traditions, would not have been possible without the early and small beginnings. These include initiatives of dedicated individual faith leaders, members and institutions (e.g., Catholic-Jewish Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese, Chung Tian Temple's participation in school multi-faith services), and educational and government institutions (e.g., University of Queensland and Griffith University multi-faith commencement services; Queensland Government’s multi-faith prayers for refugee week). A significant catalyst was the Interfaith Multicultural Forum (IMF) which began in the early 90s to gather representatives of diverse faiths in regular monthly meetings to promote understanding and respect of each other's tradition as well as organizing multi-faith segments in major public commemorations such as Australia Day, Harmony Day and Refugee Week.
These pioneering initiatives laid fertile soil for the growth of interfaith dialogue over the past decade, and greatly facilitated the work of the Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre (MFC) after its establishment in 2002. Local faith leaders, especially IMF members and university administrators, played key roles in envisioning and founding the MFC. The generous funding provided by Ven Master Chin Kung, the MFC's Patron, Ms. Lily Hwoo and the Pure Land Learning College to build the Centre and support staffing and programs to promote interfaith dialogue for a culture of peace, as well as inaugural donations from other faith institutions, deserve grateful acknowledgement. Various faith communities have also assisted with grants and in-kind support (e.g., volunteers, co-sponsorship) for specific MFC projects and activities. At the same time, the support of the Queensland Government, especially through Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ), demonstrated the important and complementary role of government leaders, agencies and institutions in fostering interfaith dialogue as an essential dimension of multiculturalism, and affirms Queensland as one of the leading states promoting interfaith understanding and harmony in Australia.
As detailed in the survey and/or interview contributions of faith and interfaith communities, institutions or organizations in this Q150 Report, interfaith dialogue in Brisbane and Southeast Queensland encompasses a wide range of programs and activities. While these programs may not necessarily occur at regular schedules as in weekly or daily prayer services or other faith ceremonies, their increasing frequency in many local contexts as well as at the MFC confirm that interfaith dialogue is slowly and steadily attaining visibility and growing interest within and among diverse faiths and spirituality traditions. This Report also indicates there are many creative and fruitful ways and strategies of interfaith dialogue, including:
- multi-faith prayer services, especially on significant International or National Days (e.g., Peace, Environment, Women's, Human Rights, Harmony, Reconciliation, Refugees, Australia Day, Commonwealth Day, Centenary of Federation, etc.), University Commencement services, and festivals of individual faith communities;
- attending each other's religious festivals; visiting places of worship, including sharing meals and informal friendly interactions;
- multi-faith concerts of sacred music and other arts;
- faith and interfaith lectures; conferences, symposia and workshops; hosting local and visiting speakers, including theologians, clergy, monastics, scholars, etc.;
- interfaith dialogue forums on building various dimensions of a culture of peace (e.g., non-violence, conflict resolution, local/global justice, refugees, reconciliation, human rights, sustainable futures, inner peace and spirituality);
- meditation strategies from diverse traditions;
- interfaith committees, forums, task-forces (e.g., Catholic-Muslim; Catholic-Buddhist; Qld Forum for Christians ,Jews & Muslims; Churches Together Indigenous Peoples' Partnership);
- interfaith education for youth and children (e.g., workshops, camps, visits to places of worship; International Day of Peace; talks in schools notably in Studies of Religion and Religion & Ethics classes);
- curriculum development and in-service workshops for teachers and educators;
- enhancing multi-faith dimension of palliative care and hospital chaplaincy services;
- joint interfaith projects for action, e.g., fundraising for overseas aid; feeding the homeless; environmental clean-ups; support for migrants, refugees; reconciliation with indigenous peoples, justice and rights for women and other marginalized sectors;
- interfaith publications and resource materials; faith-based newsletters and magazines with articles or special issues on interfaith themes;
- interfaith dialogue training program (in 2008, forty members representing diverse faiths graduated from the MAQ-funded project conducted the Multi-Faith Centre);
- providing advice to government agencies and faith, multicultural and educational institutions on protocols and resource persons for interfaith events (e.g., multifaith prayer service, interfaith panels, etc.)
- contact and liaison with national faith and interfaith peak bodies, institutions, councils and movements, and local, state and national government agencies.
Another challenge is posed by the availability of time and human resources in active and regular participation in interfaith dialogue, given the many demands of intra-faith programs and activities. Hopefully, this can be overcome as more members of a community develop an interest in interfaith relationships and responsibilities. Approaches will also need to be found in organizing events that take into account the limitations of time and energies (e.g., sharing resources and coordinating interfaith events to avoid duplication; giving adequate time for RSVPs). There is of course also a related difficulty of raising sufficient financial resources from a broad range of faiths to support a systematic and sustainable interfaith program, such as the work of a centre like the MFC. This will be a continuing challenge especially given the current financial crisis facing all institutions.
However, participating faith communities in this Report also confirmed a number of helpful factors enhancing the growth of interfaith dialogue. Key factors include the presence of a number of leaders and members with substantial dedication and passion for promoting interfaith initiatives, thereby serving as a role model and giving vital leadership for their local communities and wider institution, as well as the presence of a multi-faith centre which offers a "neutral," safe and welcoming space for diverse faiths to learn about each other's teachings and wisdom, respect differences and together affirm common values and principles found across many faiths. A continual effort and careful attention responsive to the complexities and sensitivities of developing interfaith relationships amidst the wider context of local/global social and political tensions and divisions is also crucial. The importance of ensuring that programs and activities receive the endorsement and cooperation of diverse faith leaders and institutions and that networking among faiths is continually strengthened are also highlighted. Schools in particular noted the benefit of being able to draw on resources facilitated by the MFC or individual faith institutions to support interfaith education programs. As earlier noted, the support given by government agencies, especially MAQ has helped to facilitate progress on interfaith dialogue in Brisbane and southeast Queensland.
In conclusion, the Multi-Faith Centre is indebted to all the participating faith and interfaith, educational and multicultural communities and institutions for their cooperation in this Q150 funded project to document the progress of interfaith dialogue in Brisbane and parts of the southeast Queensland area. We also gratefully acknowledge the funding support of MAQ through its Q150 community program. While mindful of the ongoing challenges and barriers, this Report provides a considerable basis for affirming the many encouraging and hopeful signs that diverse communities are able to live together in active harmony with mutual respect and understanding, thereby contributing to the building of a culture of peace in Brisbane and this corner of Queensland and Australia. The need to strengthen networking is also crucial.
No doubt, much more remains to be accomplished but hopefully many small seeds have been sown to yield the roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and ever more seeds of interfaith sharing and solidarity for cultivating more peaceful selves and communities, and a peaceful world.
Prof. Toh Swee-Hin (S.H. Toh)
Director, Multi-Faith Centre
Laureate, UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2000