Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 206

PROGRAND Saturday, December 5, 2009
11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION
level of society, from the individual to the global, to establish peace, social cohesion and justice. Wendi Momen holds a BSc in Economics and a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics. She is a freelance book editor. She was a member of the national governing council of the Baha'is of the UK from 1982 to 2005. She is Chair of Bedford Council of Faiths. Trustee of the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby, secretary of the UK National Committee for UNIFEM and the author of twelve books. Dr Moojan Momen was born in Iran but raised and educated in England, attending the University of Cambridge. He has a special interest in the study of the Baha'i laith and Shi i Islam. His principal publications include: Introduction to Shi ilsiam (Yale University Press, 1985) and The Phenomenon of Religion (OneWorld. Oxford, 1999, republished as Understanding Religion, 2008). He has contributed articles to encyclopaedias and academic journals.
Colonisation: Indigenous Peoples Striving for Self-Determination Linda Hogan, USA: Chickasaw, Moderator Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa, Zimbabwe: Shona/ Ndebele Room 219 Panel Discussion The devastation wrought by Western colonisation continues to run deep in the lives of many Indigenous peoples worldwide. The recovery and self-determination efforts undertaken by Indigenous communities takes many forms, from the simple power of the spoken and written word to inspire a nationalist sense of pride, to formal legislative processes. The panellists in this session will speak to some of the most pressing issues facing their respective Indigenous communities. Linda Hogan is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is the author of four novels, as well as a poet, environmental writer, and longtime par ticipant in Native Science Dialogues. She works for the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma as Writerin Residence, and is Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado, Ms Hogan has produced documentaries on Native Religion and has studied ceremonial literature. Her main interest is in the connection between the natural world and spirituality. 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 recog. nition 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. Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa was born a Svikiro lin Shona, his native tonguel-a carrier of many earth and water spirits, and a Mhondoro-one who is in constant prayer on behalf of others. As a vessel of the Spirits. Mandaza receives visions and dreams, makes offerings, performs healing rituals, and serves as messenger for the Ancient Ones. Mandaza teaches us to become living prayers in service of the One Spirit.
Voices of Challenge and Wisdom: Gay and Lesbian Perspectives on Faith, Spirituality and Embodied Grace Michael Kelly Chaplain Pamela Yetunde Donald Chalmers Rev Rowland Macaulay Madelaimber Ben Colburn Room 218 Panel Discussion Throughout the history of religion, no group has been more excluded, silenced, condemned and demonised than gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. In order to heal the world's spiritual rifts, we must embrace the unique perspectives on spirituality offered by this community. This panel discussion will explore the spiritual insights, questions and wisdom of gay, lesbian and queer people both in relation to mainstream religious traditions and in the shaping of their own spiritualities. Speakers from a variety of faith traditions will share the experience of coming out as gay in the face of widespread religious condemnation. They will also reflect on new ways to embrace the sacredness of the body and sexuality and the prophetic challenges they offer to institutional religion. The session will include discussion of the situation facing gay and transgender minorities in Africa, with a special focus on Nigeria, Michael Bernard Kelly is an educator, retreat leader, activist and spiritual writer who has worked in Australia, the USA and the UK He is the author of the book 'Seduced by Grace: Contemporary Spirituality, Gay Experience and Christian Faith and creator of the video series "The Erotic Contemplative' He holds professional qualifications in theology. Spirituality, education and creative media and is a doctoral candidate at Monash University Chaplain Pamela Yetunde is a member of Insight Atlanta and is a hos pice and hospital chaplain in the United States. Donald Chalmers is a campaigner for equal rights within religion in Australia. Rev Rowland Macaulay is a campaigner for equal rights within religion. Madelaine Imber is a youth and sexuality educator in Melbourne, Australia. Ben Colburn is a queer student, activist, poet and spiritual researcher in Providence, RI, USA.
Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part 11: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey Room 220 Seminar This one-day, interfaith educational seminar seeks to provide a context for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth while weaving the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are asked to attend all four sessions. This segment will cxplore the theme of building mutual justice and promoting reconciliation among communities who have suffered from human and civil rights abuses and historical injustices, sometimes leaving them with a sense of alienation and hostility directed against those whom they
202 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions