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 On behalf of The Uniting Church Relations with Other Faiths Working Group we would like to congratulate Josie on receiving the Premier’s Multicultural Award.

Josie Lacey has made a lasting contribution to interfaith and intercultural harmony in NSW. Her achievements in multiculturalism span the issues of social justice, anti- racism, women's rights and children's rights.

Her experiences of the aftermath of war-torn Europe strengthened her commitment to help create a society that denigrates racism. Over some three decades, Ms Lacey built a vast network of personal relationships across many faiths and cultural groups. The foundation of these networks is in the bonds of trust, loyalty, affection and respect. She has inspired three generations of young people to pursue a path of peace and understanding.

Josie is part of the Uniting Church in Australia and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Dialogue. She is the Chair of Religions for Peace in NSW and the Founder and Convenor of the Women’s Interfaith Network.

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Jones

The Uniting Church in Australia and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Dialogue held its most recent meeting on Thursday May 2 at the Great Synagogue in Sydney.

The meeting was the first at which Rev Dr Matthew Wilson was convenor for the Uniting Church and it was also the first meeting for Rev Dr Rob McFarlane. Long term dialogue member Rev Dr Howard Wallace and Rev Graham McAnalley from the Synod of Victoria/Tasmania were also present for the Uniting Church.

15 Uniting Church Ministers have joined 15 Muslim scholars, Imams and leaders at a landmark interfaith event in Sydney.

The conference titled “To Love God and To Love Neighbour” was hosted by Al-Faisal College in Auburn on Wednesday 17 April 2013.

The President Rev. Professor Andrew Dutney, Associate General Secretary Rev. Glenda Blakefield and Convenor of the Relations with Other Faiths Working Group Rev. Seforosa Carroll led the UCA delegation.

The Golden Rule – treat others as you want them to treat you – is a guide for harmonious living. It is found in all religions, philosophies and cultures across the world.

The Golden Rule Postershows this principle in the sacred texts of thirteen different religions and spiritualities, including the Australian Aborigines.

The Poster can be used in schools, homes, congregations, universities, workplaces, hospitals and prisons for teaching compassion, multicultural and multi-religious cooperation and human solidarity.

• Includes sacred texts from 13 different religions
• Promotes mutual respect and harmony in our multi-religious society
• Provides discussion topics for schools, homes, offices and congregations

Reflections on an Interfaith Experience

Jamila Hussain, UTS

Australia has become a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society in which all major religions of the world are represented and it is very important that the followers of different religions should make efforts to get along together with a better understanding and acceptance of their differences and commonalities. For some years now, the Affinity Intercultural organisation, founded by Muslims of Turkish descent and various Catholic, Uniting Church and Jewish institutions have been collaborating in projects to promote interfaith harmony. There have been many interfaith dinners, especially iftars (the meal which breaks the fast in Ramadan) and Passover dinner with the Jewish community, visits to churches and mosques, conferences and seminars and friendly interactions between individuals.

It was therefore with pleasure that I accepted an invitation to join an Interfaith Study tour to Istanbul and Rome in October last year. The tour group was made up of nine Catholics from the diocese of Broken Bay, headed by Bishop David Walker, and eight Muslims, both men and women. The majority of Catholic participants were of Anglo-Australian background, and all the Muslims, except for me, were of Arab or Turkish descent though some had been born and brought up in Australia. The aim was to foster friendship and to increase understanding and remove misconceptions that members of each group might have had about the religion of the others. The tour was for two weeks, spending one week based in Istanbul and the second in Rome.