Civic integration for religious community leaders new to Australia : a multifaith peacebuilding approach

We inhabit a mobile world. Globalisation has resulted in the rise of the movement of religion and therefore an increase in religiously diverse societies. A heightened awareness of global risks has also produced an unprecedented interest in global peace and security initiatives. Multifaith peacebuilding is an example of this phenomenon as it has gained increasing prominence on the global agenda since September 11. The role of religious leaders in promoting violence and peace is being examined by scholars, as is the growing multifaith peacebuilding movement. This paper will discuss a recent Australian pilot study, which applied a multifaith peacebuilding approach to civic integration training for religious community leaders. It argues that the peacebuilding potential of religious community leaders must be recognised and that integration strategies that are inclusive and promote the building of networks between multiple function systems, can contribute to security and social cohesion in diverse societies. Alternately, assimilationist, exclusionist strategies can exacerbate security risks. In an increasingly mobile world, religious diversity has become the norm and multifaith peacebuilding strategies require further research and state support

Multifaith initiatives in Victoria

Following crisis events - including September 11, and the Bali and London bombings - religious communities in Australia increasingly initiated multifaith activities to dispel negative stereotypes promote and to understanding between people of diverse faith traditions. In Victoria in particular culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse (CRALD) communities collaborated with the state, including the police, aiming to build positive community relations informed by the principles of multiculturalism.<br /

Countering Islamophobia : Muslim participation in multifaith networks

In recent years a heightened awareness of global risks has produced an unprecedented interest in global peace and security initiatives. This article discusses the impact of international crisis events on religiously diverse communities in Australia, in particular rising Islamophobia, migrantophobia and attacks on multiculturalism. Religious communities have been far from passive in their responses to the impact of these events, initiating dialogue and educational activities to dispel negative stereotypes and attitudes. In addition, state actors, including police, have prioritized engagement with religious leaders, and this has resulted in a rise of state supported multifaith peacebuilding activities. The article argues that, in response to global risks of terror and exclusion, multifaith movements and multi-actor networks, including religious leaders, state actors, educators and the media, have the potential to advance common security. In response to conflicts both local and global, these examples of cooperation between religious and non-religious actors in Australia can be instructive to other increasingly multifaith societies

UnAustralian values

The 9 Australian Values promoted in the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools have been developed with emphasis on valuing cultural and religious diversity, tolerance and inclusion. The document states:These shared values such as respect and &lsquo;fair go&rsquo; are part of Australia&rsquo;s common democratic way of life, which includes equality, freedom and the rule of law. They reflect our commitment to a multicultural and environmentally sustainable society where all are entitled to justice (DEST, 2005:4). It would follow that UnAustralian Values of exclusion, ignorance, disrespect and dishonesty, synonymous with a resurgence of narrow nationalism and intolerance for cultural and religious diversity, are in conflict with Australian Values. However many public figures seem to have confused UnAustralian with Australian Values and the socalled &lsquo;Values Debate&rsquo; has largely ignored the actual content of the 9 Australian Values promoted in the National Framework for Values Education. Something is amiss in UnAustralia. This paper aims to examine this discrepancy