Can the Parliament make a difference?

Attendees at the Parliament, coming from hundreds of faith traditions, may hold very different views on many issues. But they agree on a few important things:

• religions need to step up and intervene in quality of life issues for women and children
• humans can and should make a positive difference in climate change
• many governments need to be persuaded of the benefits of free religious expression
• religions are vital sources of peace, justice and reconciliation, not war and conflict
  

In other words, we can agree to act on behalf of ourselves and the world community. No matter what happens inside prayer groups, seminaries, monasteries, and churches, there is lots of room for believers to act in the public realms of media, NGOs, education, politics, and entertainment.
Watch these videos to see the questions that attendess have brought with them....

Getting Ready for Melbourne

In a few days, I arrive in Melbourne, Victoria, where I was born. Back then, the forests In Victoria were thick and churches were few. Your family was either Anglican, Catholic or some breed of strange spiritual brew. Aussies generally didn't go much for religion...it was a private matter...unless you wanted to get married or buried.