Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 195

PROGRAM
Saturday, December 5, 2009
9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION
thirty years and is interested in the practical issues of interfaith marriages and caring for elders in a religiously plural society. Pinit Ratanakul is the director of the College of Religious Studies at Mahidol University. Thailand. He is a leading voice in Theravada Buddhist ethics and has written extensively on Thai Buddhist approaches to bioethics
Mrinali Clarke, a student of Sri Chinmoy for 23 years, and teacher of meditation at the Sri Chinmoy Centre, Melbourne, for over 15 years, has also written a minor thesis on the poetry of Sri Chinmoy and published articles in the Asia Pacific Dialogue magazine on the new path of meditation taught by Sri Chinmoy.
Sri Chinmoy: A Spirituality of Transformation Kusumita Pedersen, Moderator Kazem Abhary Vidagdha Bennett Utsahi Neree St-Amand Mrinali Clarke Room 217 Panel with Audiovisual Segments This panel will present the life and work of Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), the world-renowned advocate of a transformative spirituality in which music, poetry, art, athletics, community service, intercultural dialogue and other vocations are spiritual practices. Sri Chinmoy's philosophy is based on love, self-transcendence and dedication to the ultimate goal of world-oneness and universal fulfilment. This session will offer a vivid and inspiring presentation that includes narrative, poetry, music and audiovisuals. We will describe the tireless work for peace and extraordinary creativity of Sri Chinmoy during his life, and also highlight some programs he founded: The World Harmony Run la torch relay reaching 3.5 million people in over 100 countries), the annual Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race, the Songs of the Soul concerts, Jharna-Kala or FountainArt, and the international all-volunteer Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles humanitarian aid initiative. Throughout our presentation we will seek to show how the inner life of meditation and prayer empowers and guides all these diverse activities of service and manifestation. Our panel will be composed of a group of Sri Chinmoy's long-time students, hailing from the US, Canada, Australia and Iran. Kusumita P Pedersen is a professor of religious studies at St Francis College, New York, and has been active in the global interfaith movement for twenty-five years. She is a scholar of comparative religious ethics with interests in the environment and human rights. The author of several articles on the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy. She has edited a book of his poetry. Here is the Place Kazem Abhary, originally from Iran, is a professor of engineering at University of South Australia and an authority on mechanical design. In his profession, he is committed to the awareness of the social and environmental impact of engineering and the need for engineers to be exposed to spirituality. Also a speaker and author on social and literary topics, Abhary has translated Sri Chinmoy's poetry into Persian Vidagdha Bennett received her PhD from the University of Melbourne. Her dissertation was titled 'Simplicity and Power: The Poetry of Sri Chinmoy. She is currently working on Sri Chinmoy's literary biography and is also an expert on his painting. She has wide-ranging interests in spiritual writing in English and Indian literature. Utsahi Neree St-Amand is a professor of social work at the University of Ottawa, Canada. St-Amand is interested in complementary and alternative approaches to social work, including native, ecological and spiritual approaches. He is the owner of The Garden of Light gift shop in Ottawa and is active with the Sri Chinmoy World Harmony Foundation of Canada.
Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in Timor-Leste Constantino Pinto Inge Lempp Patrick Walsh Room 218 Seminar After centuries of colonial rule and brutal military occupation, how can an Indigenous people heal from these traumas and wounds? Under years of occupation, East Timor faced the destruction of traditional beliefs and customs. Yet, in their struggle for independence, the Timorese found protection in traditional ways and beliefs. Since the 1999 United Nations referendum on independence, there has been a revival of the traditional beliefs in East Timor. The Uma Lulik, a traditional Timorese sacred house, is the legal seat that regulates the lia moris (regulations for the living and the lia mate (regulations for the world of the dead). These two worlds are believed to be intricately connected and they interact with one another. The Uma Lulik regulates law, sacred rituals, and the social and economic activities of a clan. Both the construction and use of the Uma Lulik are a part of communal healing from the violence and trauma of the past. The return and recovery of ancient spiritual roots is a critical part of East Timor's healing process and can serve as a model for other nations. Constantino Pinto is co-founder and current director of Fundacao Lafaek Diak (FLD - The Good Crocodile Foundation), an Indigenous Timorese nonprofit, non-government community development organisa tion. He and his family lived through the Indonesian military invasion and occupation of East Timor Inge Lempp is the translator for Constantino Pinto's presentation. She has lived in East Timor since 1999 and currently works in the Civil Peace Service at Centro Treino Integral e Desenvolvimento, a holistic skills training centre for rural Timorese women, at the Canossian College. Baucau, East Timor. Pat Walsh is Senior Adviser to the Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat. CAVR is Timor-Leste Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation It was an independent truth commission established in East Timor in 2001 under the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAETI and charged to inquire into human rights violations committed on all sides, between April 1974 and October 1999, and facilitate community reconciliation with justice for those who committed less serious offenses. Following the dissolution of CAVR in December 2005. President Xanana Gusmao inaugurated a Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat to complete unfinished CAVR projects.
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