April 10, 2008CathNews
Australian delegates including Federal Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, joined 200 participants at an intergovernment conference on interfaith cooperation for peace and harmony in Phnom Penh last week.
The Fourth International Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony which involved 15 countries from Asia and the Pacific adopted an Action Plan to promote regional grassroots initiatives in education, conflict resolution and promotion of interfaith understanding, a media release from Australian delegate Sr Trish Madigan OP reports.
According to Sr Madigan, "Cambodia’s role in hosting the conference was significant since it was the first time the conference had taken place in a Buddhist country.
Opening the conference Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasised the need for religious tolerance and criticised the practice of stereotyping entire religious groups because of the actions of a few.
"Crime is crime," he said, "It should not be labelled as religious."
Although Cambodia is more than 95 percent Buddhist, local Catholics were well represented, Sr Madigan says.
"Thirty Catholics attended the opening ceremony. They included 22 laypeople, four priests, two bishops and two nuns from the various provinces of Cambodia."
Kompong Thom Catholic Sem Kit said he expected the meeting would "help all religious understand each other better."
Mr Bob McMullan, representing the Australian government, noted that "all great religions of the world share common perspective on respecting human dignity, on what is right and wrong, and what is fair and just".
Therefore they have an important role in speaking up for shared values and common objectives and working to create a harmonious society, Mr McMullan said
"Governments can and should only do so much. Success or failure rests with community leaders," he said.
Australian delegates at the Dialogue were: Dr Ameer Ali (Muslim), Dr Appupillay Balasubramaniam (Hindu Council), Rev John Baldock (Anglican), Rev Glenda Blakefield (Uniting), Ven Bhikku Brahmavamso (Buddhist), Sr Giovanni Farquer rsj (Catholic), Rev John Henderson (NCCA), Ms Zuleyha Keskin (Muslim), Rabbi Aviva Kipen (Jewish), Sr Trish Madigan op (Catholic), Mr Ikebal Patel (AFIC), and Prof Swee-Hin Toh (Griffith Multifaith Centre).
The Fourth International Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony which involved 15 countries from Asia and the Pacific adopted an Action Plan to promote regional grassroots initiatives in education, conflict resolution and promotion of interfaith understanding, a media release from Australian delegate Sr Trish Madigan OP reports.
According to Sr Madigan, "Cambodia’s role in hosting the conference was significant since it was the first time the conference had taken place in a Buddhist country.
Opening the conference Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasised the need for religious tolerance and criticised the practice of stereotyping entire religious groups because of the actions of a few.
"Crime is crime," he said, "It should not be labelled as religious."
Although Cambodia is more than 95 percent Buddhist, local Catholics were well represented, Sr Madigan says.
"Thirty Catholics attended the opening ceremony. They included 22 laypeople, four priests, two bishops and two nuns from the various provinces of Cambodia."
Kompong Thom Catholic Sem Kit said he expected the meeting would "help all religious understand each other better."
Mr Bob McMullan, representing the Australian government, noted that "all great religions of the world share common perspective on respecting human dignity, on what is right and wrong, and what is fair and just".
Therefore they have an important role in speaking up for shared values and common objectives and working to create a harmonious society, Mr McMullan said
"Governments can and should only do so much. Success or failure rests with community leaders," he said.
Australian delegates at the Dialogue were: Dr Ameer Ali (Muslim), Dr Appupillay Balasubramaniam (Hindu Council), Rev John Baldock (Anglican), Rev Glenda Blakefield (Uniting), Ven Bhikku Brahmavamso (Buddhist), Sr Giovanni Farquer rsj (Catholic), Rev John Henderson (NCCA), Ms Zuleyha Keskin (Muslim), Rabbi Aviva Kipen (Jewish), Sr Trish Madigan op (Catholic), Mr Ikebal Patel (AFIC), and Prof Swee-Hin Toh (Griffith Multifaith Centre).
6 comments:
This interfaith conference is yet another reminder that our Ministry of Religious Affairs should sponsor national interfaith meetings among different religious groups, including religious groups of indigenous peoples from different provinces. It should encourage them to understand, appreciate and repsect each other's religions and practices.
More importantly, the Ministry should encourage them to join forces to build a common moral and ethical foundation for Cambodian society with contributions from from all those religions.
This foundation is urgently needed to address the current moral breakdown and restrain excessessive materialism and violence in the country.
"Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself" is the common golden rule in all religions, and it could be a good starting point.
A solid moral and ehtical foundation would promote freedom and a culture of obedience to law, which is lacking in Cambodian at the moment.
French jurist and author of the classic book "Democracy in America" said: "There cannot be freedom without morality, nor morality without faith." And French sociologist Emile Durkheim said: "When mores [moral attitudes] are sufficient, laws are unnecessary. When mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable."
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
"French jurist and author of the classic book "Democracy in America" said: "There cannot be freedom without morality, nor morality without faith." And French sociologist Emile Durkheim said: "When mores [moral attitudes] are sufficient, laws are unnecessary. When mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.""
Oh my God, dr Lao, I never thought I'll see the day you'll find your way to the real world, LOL, but I supposed the glory of God can hit any one surprisingly.
Sah Touk, Sah Touk.
It is weired that this interfaith colonized by Catholic priest. If you count, why in Buddhist country, but only one Buddhist monk representing in the conference? 70% delegates are Catholic.
Is this just a religious proselytizing of Catholic?
Yeah, that is one of the thing I am concern with also. What I mean is Jesus is a middle-east Jews Asian, and the westerner (Rome) somehow got a hold of him, but I don't know how much politic they implemented in the catholic religion.
In any case, if people lost trust in this association due to politic, then well mind flush the whole thing down the toilet.
this goes to show that cambodia is a very tolerant society. god bless cambodia.
Yes, and Khmer people don't as for much. All they asked is for jobs so that they can raised their family, but a lot of immoral people just ignored their cry, and continue to deter job from them. This is why moral education is so important here.
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