World Interfaith Harmony Week Lecture: Religions for Peace Australia

Religions for Peace Australia and Canberra Interfaith Forum invite you to:

World Interfaith Harmony Week Event 2025
Topic: Acknowledging Respect & Inclusion of Indigenous Nations Spirituality in a Nation that embraces many diverse cultures and faiths

Date: Wednesday 5 February 2025      Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Location: Online (Zoom details below)

Speaker: Professor Anne Pattel Gray

Australia is proud of its multicultural nation that boasts 270 ethnic groups. Australia is considered a secular country with a diverse migrant and refugee population with over 120 faiths. Yet Australia has traditionally been a majority Christian country that has largely ignored, oppressed and marginalised its First Nations peoples. As an Aboriginal woman, I am proudly from the Bidjara nation [in QLD] with a connection to a country that predates British invasion and colonisation. How do we forge a nation based on the truth that includes and shows respect to First Nations people, recognises our Spirituality and culture, and embraces our ancient knowledge? There is a critical need in Australia for a greater understanding of each other’s cultural and religious differences. This will enable us to find common ground and build stronger relationships that allow respect for each other to grow.

More about the speaker: Professor Dr Anne Pattel-Gray is a scholar, theologian, activist, prolific writer, and a nationally and internationally renowned Aboriginal leader. The former Head of the School of Indigenous Studies at Melbourne’s University of Divinity, Professor Pattel-Gray earned her Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Sydney in the Studies of Religion with a focus on Aboriginal Religion and Spirituality and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from India in 1997. She is a recognised expert in de-colonising biblical narratives and developing Indigenous theology, and brings significant insights into the cultural knowledge and religious life of Aboriginal people, and the impact of colonisation and missionisation on First Nations peoples of Australia. Professor Pattel-Gray has a long history of advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples.

This event will be zoomed across Australia.To register for Zoom link, please click here. 

For further information contact Dr Sarah Haggar admin@religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au