{"id":1103,"date":"2009-11-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/news\/bahais-active-in-interfaith-parliament\/"},"modified":"2017-10-14T04:48:16","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T04:48:16","slug":"bahais-active-in-interfaith-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/bahais-active-in-interfaith-parliament\/","title":{"rendered":"Baha'is active in interfaith Parliament"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bahais
Botswanan Baha’i Lucretia Lally Warren will be one of the speakers at the Parliament of the World’s Religions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Baha\u2019is from Australia and four other continents will deliver presentations at the Parliament of the World\u2019s Religions to be held in Melbourne from 3-9 December 2009.<\/p>\n

Thousands of participants will attend the event, which will be addressed by 1000 speakers including prominent international figures.<\/p>\n

Held every five years in a different city, the Parliament is the world\u2019s biggest multi-faith event. In Australia for the first time, the event has as its theme \u201cMake a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth\u201d.<\/p>\n

Prominent among the Australian speakers will be Aboriginal elder Uncle Bob Randall, former deputy prime minister and now ambassador to the Vatican, Tim Fischer, and the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.<\/p>\n

Speakers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Baha\u2019i speakers at the Parliament will come from Africa, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Their topics will be equally diverse.<\/p>\n

From Africa, Lucretia Lally Warren, the chairperson of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha\u2019is of Botswana and a speaker at the past two Parliaments, will participate in a session on \u201cInterfaith and the Future of Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n

Native American Kevin Locke, described as the world\u2019s leading performer of the Lakota Hoop Dance, will present a spectacular session titled \u201cThere are no back row seats in the Hoop of Life\u201d.<\/p>\n

Professor Brian Lepard, a human rights specialist from the University of Nebraska, will examine from a Baha\u2019i perspective the concept of a human right to development. Dr A. K. Merchant, a Baha\u2019i from New Delhi, will speak at the same session.<\/p>\n

British authors and scholars, Moojan and Wendi Momen, will present a panel discussion on \u201cBuilding Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Baha\u2019i Approach\u201d.<\/p>\n

The national secretary of the Australian Baha\u2019i Community, Arini Beaumaris, will speak on \u201cSpirituality and Women\u2019s Leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n

Australian Baha\u2019is<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spokesperson for the Australian Baha\u2019i Community, Natalie Mobini, said that Australian Baha\u2019is would be closely involved in the Parliament.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big representation of members of the Baha\u2019i Faith at the Parliament demonstrates how committed Baha\u2019is are to enhancing harmony between the world\u2019s religions,\u201d Dr Mobini said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is inspired by the injunction from Baha\u2019u\u2019llah to \u2018consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Dr Mobini said there would be musical performances by recording artists Shadi and Shidan Toloui-Wallace as well as presentations by other Australian Baha\u2019is on topics including:<\/p>\n