Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

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PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009
9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION
INTRARELIGIOUS 9:30-11:00am
actions. While the good actions bring prosperity and well being, the evil actions cause suffering. Jain's basic tenets of five great vows include nonviolence, truth, non-stealing. non-possession and celibacy. By following these vows completely, a soul can break through the cycle of karma. get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, and pave the way for his or her nirvana. These five virtues lead household ers to the conduct of nonviolence, friendliness, tolerance, forgiveness, self-control and respect for all living beings. Through good thoughts and actions, we can make a better world. His Holiness Swami Devendra Keerti Ji is a Jain Bhattarak Swami. An authority on lain philosophy and scriptures, he has attended various national and international conferences. He is very knowledgeable of ancient languages including Sanskril, Prakrit and Kannada, and he specialises in new temple inaugural ceremonies and consecration of Jain deities. Born in Udaipur, Dr Narayan Lal Kachhara received his PhD from the University of Salford. He has taught at the University of Jodhpur, Malviya Regional Engineering College, the University of Salford UK, and the University of Aden. Since retiring in 1997, Dr Kachhara has been working for religious and social causes and exploring the scientific nature of Jain philosophy. on which he has authored half a dozen books. He has lectured on Jain philosophy at many national and international conferences.
Indigenous peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II, Akan/Ghana: Apeadu,
Moderator Tonya Gonnella Frichner, USA: Onondaga Anna Pinto, India: Meiti Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong Plenary Hall Panel Discussion The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues examines and addresses among others such critical issues as Indigenous peoples' human rights, intellectual property and land rights, and the protection of cultural heritages. The panellists are active members of this forum and will discuss the challenges of bringing the issues of Indigenous communities to the United Nations and report on the progress made thus far. Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II, a noted African leader, is one of Ghana's queen mothers. Among the first African women to be elected village chief, she is a fellow with the UN Institute for Training and Research, working on a project on refugee women. Since 1986, she has served as a consultant on the UN Decade for Women, an advisor to the Committee on African Women's Affairs, and president of the Pan African Human Rights Association Tonya Gonnella Frichner, Esq is the North American representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a professor of Native American law and human rights. She is president and founder of the American Indian Law Alliance, an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert on the legal aspects of Indigenous peoples' rights, she is a veteran activist and advocate with long experience of the United Nations and its systems Anna Pinto is executive director of the Centre for Organisation, Research and Education ICORE), an Indigenous peoples policy research and advocacy organisation based in northeast India. An active member of the Indian Women's Movement for over two decades, she is also a prolific writer whose work addresses and critiques such issues as policy initiatives by the government of India and international agencies such as the World Bank Margaret Lokawua is the chairperson for the Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja, and director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project
Spirituality and Healing in Melbourne's North Pastor Esme Atkinson Uncle Reg Blow Elizabeth Pike Room 102 This panel highlights the ways that Aboriginal and Indigenous communities and individuals have adjusted to the challenges of living within the larger social and cultural contexts. Aboriginal Pastor Esme Atkinson will provide insight about Barak Christian Ministries, the only Indigenous Church in Melbourne, highlighting its uniqueness among Melbourne's diverse faith communities. Aboriginal Community Elder, Uncle Reg Blow will present his belief that Aboriginal people have been disconnected from the source of their power by their legacy of intergenerational trauma caused through dispossession, loss of culture, identity and independence. The understanding of self is required by Aboriginal people to heal and connect us back to spirit. The Aboriginal community needs to strengthen the connections of Aboriginal families and community to the land and the culture, to revive our spirituality, so that inner peace and the resilience to live healthy and productive lives can be achieved. Elizabeth Pike describes the experiences of the offspring of the Stolen Generations through the eyes of an Aboriginal myth that mirrors her own life story. Esme Atkinson is Pastor of Barak Christian Ministries. Uncle Reg Blow is a senior Aboriginal Elder from Melbourne. Elizabeth (Betty) Pike is writer in residence at Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Melbourne. She is a Nyoongah woman whose ancestors are the people of southwestern Australia and an Irish convict. Elizabeth is the author of numerous articles with an Aboriginal focus. Her work has appeared in Developing an Australian Theology and 'Bread for the Table as well as journals such as Madonna, Outlook, Summit, Nelen Yubu, Kairos and Earth Song
Basic Tenets and Karma in Jainism Davendra Keertiji Dr Narayan Kachhara Room 101 Panel Discussion This panel will explain the doctrine of Karma that is central to the Jain philosophy. The doctrine holds that our actions determine the quality and quantity of future rewards and advocates a culture and practice of nonviolence. The karma body constitutes a system whereby a soul maintains a record of actions that becomes a guiding factor in the future. Thus every individual has an opportunity to shape the future by controlling his or her present
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