Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 176

PROGRAM DEST
Friday, December 4, 2009
Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 1 of 3
Rabbi Dr Alon Goshen-Gottstein Room 111
What are the newest challenges of religious leaders, and how do they compare with challenges that are longstanding? What should be the goals of religious leaders be? How might religious leaders be trained in light of the above? This is the first session of a three-day open space workshop, based on study materials prepared by a recent gathering of leading interreligious scholars. The session is geared to religious leaders or those in training to become one and is limited to 30 participants. Advanced registration is required, along with a commitment to participate in the entire series.
Alon Goshen-Gottstein is the director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute and director of the Centre for the Study of Rabbinic Thought, Beit Morasha College, both in Jerusalem. He was ordained a rabbi in 1977. Projects of the Elijah Interfaith Institute include the bi-annual meeting of the board of World Religious Leaders, the Educational Network, as well as the Jewish and the Muslim Theology of the Religious Other.
South African Songs for the Soul Zain Bhikha and Band Room 201
Artistic Performance
Please join Zain Bhikha and his South African group for an inspirational and intimate performance incorporating traditional Zulu Acapella songs, Islamic Nasheed and some soulful, new, acoustic tunes.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Zain Bhikha is a singer-songwriter who has achieved fame as a performer of Nasheed songs. Bhikha has collaborated on albums with other artists, released several solo albums and performed around the world. He is a pioneer in the Nasheed genre and, as one of the first Islamic singers in the English language, he has opened the door for many other Muslim artists.
Leaps Of Faith
Nobuko Miyamoto Carla Vega
Room 201
Artistic Performance
A woman born both Jewish and Muslim wrestles with god; a comical superhero attempts to save people from their ignorance about the religious practices of others; a woman raised Catholic finds another mother in the Hindu tradition. These are some of the stories in the ensemble theatre piece Leaps of Faith. In a world where religious differences often become divisive and destructive, 'Leaps of Faith' dives into the swirling waters of religion and spirituality to explore how people of multidimensional cultures and religious identities can live side by side.
172
PWR Parliament of the World's Religions
4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE
Developed through a highly collaborative process with artists of diverse faiths, 'Leaps of Faith weaves together personal stories, dance and music. Together the artists question contradictions, find humour in differences, and search for a common language to express unity within diversity. The aim of this performance is to deepen our resolve for justice by recognising the humanity in those different from us, and to build community across religious boundaries.
Nobuko Miyamoto is a director, performing artist, songwriter, teacher, and Founder and Artistic Director of Creat Leap, which uses the performing arts to bring diverse cultures together. Since 9/11 her art and spiritual practice as a Buddhist have met around the goal of deepening understanding between people of diverse religions. Nobuko has received the Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World award for her work in using art for social change.
Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1)
Christopher Peters, USA: Karuk, Moderator Jonas Trinkunas, Lithuania: Romuva Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Room 208
Panel Discussion
In the first of two sessions, members of this panel will discuss why sacred sites are a necessary part of the spiritual life of their respective Indigenous communities. The spiritual beliefs and practices of most Indigenous peoples are land based. As such, sacred places are an essential part of the culture. There are many different types of sacred sites and while some bear the mark of the ancestors, another place might be the place of emergence or the home of an important deity. Sacred sites, therefore, can be a community's creation story. Various religious or sacred ceremonies are conducted at these sites and are blessed with songs, prayers, and other offerings.
Chris Peters is the director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas.
Chris Peters is the director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas.
Jonas Trinkunas is Krivis (highest priest) of Romuva, the Indigenous pagan religion of Lithuania, and teaches ethics at the Vilnius Pedagogical University. In 1997, he was awarded the National Prize for his work and contributions in the field of Lithuanian culture. The main area of Trinkunas's activity is the revival and popularisation of the ancient Baltic faith of the Lithuanians.
Marcos Terena is a professor of Traditional and Spiritual Knowledge of the Indigenous People and Coordinator of the International indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. He founded the United Indigenous Nations, the first Indigenous movement in Brazil and he was a leader in gaining recognition for Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Constitution. He is a spokesman for Indigenous rights for the UN and President of the Intertribal Committee and VIATAN, an Indigenous information centre.