Members of the Australian Baha’i community participated in a major inter-faith event this month where issues relating to the environment, indigenous Australia and youth were featured.
Held at Old Government House in Parramatta and attended by the Premier of New South Wales, Nathan Rees, the day-long gathering had the theme of “Hearing Each Other, Healing the Earth”.
As well as Baha’is, participants included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Zoroastrians.
A Baha’i, Vincent Takizadeh, 25, was a member of a panel discussion by young people from seven religions on social cohesion and the search for inner peace. The discussion was chaired by Radio National personality Rachael Kohn.
The gathering was part of the lead-up to the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s biggest inter-faith event, which will be held in Melbourne in December 2009.
The program began with an inter-faith forum chaired by Radio National’s Steven Crittenden on “Fasting and Feasting: Food, Faith and the Environment”.
A noon-time concert featured performers from Sydney’s diverse communities including didgeridoo star Turtle Tamwoy, the Gazi Husref Beg Bosnian choir, opera singer Helena Sindelar, Israeli singer Dahlia Dior, an African Gospel a capella group, and Sikh musicians.
Keynote speakers in the afternoon were Rev Dirk Ficca, the executive director of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and Indigenous Person of the Year, Professor Larissa Behrendt.