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 DE Tuesday, December 8, 2009
2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto Rican-American and Australian Voices Shamir Allibhai Dr Pamela Ryan Jennifer Maytorena Taylor Hussein Rashid Room 106 Panel Discussion
The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: 'Traces of the Trade' Rev Denise Yarbrough Dain Perry Constance R Perry Room 107 Film and Discussion In the documentary 'Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, filmmaker Katrina Browne discovers that her New England ancestors were the largest slavetrading family in US history. She and nine cousins retrace the Triangle Trade and gain a powerful new perspective on the black/white divide. This program also shows how the Episcopal Church USA has worked to heal the pain of its participation in the pervasive racism in the history of the United States. A panel discussion will follow the film. Rev Denise Yarbrough is the Canon for Christian Formation and Theological Education at the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, New York, and acts as the Interreligious and Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese. She teaches interfaith studies and world religions at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and serves on various interfaith bodies. She has authored a curriculum for interfaith education in Christian congregations and is working on a book on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Dain Perry and nine cousins in 2001 travelled to Rhode Island USA, Ghana, and Cuba exploring the history of their DeWolf ancestors, America's foremost slave-traders. Dain and his wife Constance recently retired early so they can travel around the United States screening 'Traces of the Trade and facilitating conversations on racial reconcilia tion with people from diverse backgrounds, including faith communities. colleges, high schools, libraries and community groups. Constance R Perry is active in the Episcopal Church and is currently on the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Massachusetts. She and Dain were married in 2006, and live in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
In this session, participants will hear from speakers involved with the making of three internationally acclaimed films that promote dialogue between Muslims and nonMuslims. In 'New Muslim Cool', Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Perez takes viewers on a ride through the streets, projects and jail cells of urban America, to some surprising places where we can all see ourselves reflected in a world that never stops changing. An Islamic Conscience features the life of the Aga Khan, who has been the spiritual leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims for the past five decades. Born into wealth and privilege, he has devoted his life to eliminating poverty and inequality. At a time when Islam is at odds within itself and with the West, this film presents the Aga Khan as a voice of moderation and pluralism. Riots in Sydney in 2005 signalled a deepening divide between Muslims and non-Muslims in Australia. The film 'Beyond Beliefs tells the story of how, in March 2007, some 400 Australians came together at Old Parliament House in Canberra for three days to consider how to build understanding across the divide. Please consult the schedule for viewing times of each film, which should be watched as a prerequisite. Shamir Allibhai is the producer of An Islamic Conscience: The Aga Khan and the Ismailis', which has been screened in the UK, USA, Canada, Lebanon, Tajikistan, East Africa, France and Switzerland. Shamir is a candidate for a Master's of Theological Studies in Islamic Studies from the Harvard Divinity School and is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario. He also attended the Gulf Islands Film and Television School. As a psychologist, political scientist, organisational consultant and academic. Dr Pamela Ryan has worked with numerous private and public organisations. As Managing Director of Issues Deliberation Australia/ America (IDA), the international NGO that commissioned the making of 'Beyond Beliefs', Dr Ryan has influenced major public policy projects in Australia and the United States. Dr Ryan is also co-founder of the international nonprofit organisation, Psychology Beyond Borders (PBB) American filmmaker Jennifer Maytorena Taylor has won awards at festivals around the world, including two Emmys. Her credits include the documentaries Special Circumstances. "Ramadan Primetime. 'Paulina'. "Home Front' and Immigration Calculations. She has done several television series and short films, and held fellowships at the Bantt Centre for the Arts, the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism, and the Sundance Institute Documentary Lab. She also serves as a guest lecturer and teacher in documentary film production. Hussein Rashid is a PhD candidate at Harvard University. He has an MTS from Harvard Divinity School and a BA from Columbia College. In 2006 he became one of the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow. He is a frequent speaker, television and radio guest, and is currently a visiting faculty member at Hofstra University, Mr Rashid is the author of the blog islamicate (www. islamicate.coml. His current research interests include the representation of Muslims in graphic novels.
Enabling Response: Contributions of the Ecological Humanities toward an Environmental Culture Anne Elvey Freya Mathews Norman Habel Kate Rigby Deborah Bird Rose Room 108 Panel Discussion Embedded within the diversity of the Earth community. religious and spiritual communities face immense challenges to respond adequately to climate change, species loss, the intersections of ecological and social justice, and the invitation to live ethically and joyfully in solidarity with other animals. These challenges require people of goodwill not only to act well but also in many cases to rethink the cultural foundations of their actions. Ecotheology. ecophilosophy and the ecohumanities more generally represent a sustained interdisciplinary project to offer critical and dynamic bases for articulating an environmental culture responsive to the Earth community. This panel brings together four experienced Australian researchers in the
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