Several academics, co-operating with community organisations and
government agencies, are working to promote public policies, social
practices, and media coverage that assist in bridging different cultural
and religious traditions in Australia.
The program, still in its early stages, has seen the successful
conclusion of a year-long pilot called The Dialogue Project - Promoting
Inter-Religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue in Victoria.
La Trobe was one of five sponsoring organisations. Its co-ordinator
was Dr Michalis Michael, Research Fellow in Politics. Professor of
Politics, Joseph Camilleri, provided intellectual leadership and
co-authored with Dr Michael the report of the pilot project.
Two of the other sponsoring organisations, the Uniting Church and the
Islamic Council of Victoria, are keen to retain their collaboration with
Professor Camilleri and Dr Michael and to help them apply to various
funding bodies for an expanded three-year project. This project aims to
examine the implications of recent international conflicts involving
Islam for the future of multiculturalism in Australia.
Based on past collaboration, the project will have two components.
The first will first assess the adequacy of government, media and
community responses to these conflicts, especially since September 11.
On the basis of this assessment, the second component will design an
educational program to promote culturally-sensitive and
socially-constructive roles and policies.
A team of experts, consultants and community workers will develop
leadership training modules aimed at key sectors of society. The
objective is to develop public policies, social practices and media
coverage that facilitate dialogue and conflict resolution. The project
is seen as enhancing the richness, diversity and creativity of
Australia's multi-faith and multi-ethnic society.
Dr Michael said the pilot program was designed to foster a deeper
dialogue in Muslim-Christian relations in Victoria in the context of the
disturbing developments of the last few years including September 11,
the Bali bombings, the 'war on terror' and the Iraq War.
The Reichstein Foundation, the Uniting Church of Australia (Victoria
Synod) and La Trobe University funded the program run by a research
education team led by Professor Camilleri and Dr Michael. The team
included the Uniting Church of Australia, International Christian Peace
Movement, Pax Christi, other academics from La Trobe, RMIT and Melbourne
universities, the Islamic Council of Victoria and the Islamic Women's
Welfare Council of Victoria and East Timorese Student Association
(Victoria University).
The pilot project conducted four one-day inter-active workshops,
Initial Consultation on Christian and Muslim Dialogue (in July 2003);
First (General) Islamic-Christian Dialogue Workshop (October 2003);
Second (Middle Eastern) Christian-Muslim Dialogue Workshop (December
2003), the East Timorese-Indonesian Dialogue Workshop (March 2004) and
three public forums in association with Readers' Feast Bookstore in
Melbourne.
Dr Michael said the project deepened understanding of the dialogue
process among the target groups and helped to raise community and media
awareness of the opportunities for inter-cultural dialogue in Australia.
'One practical indication of this is a decision by East Timorese and
Indonesian students studying in Melbourne's tertiary institutions to
develop their relationship through organising joint social, cultural and
sporting activities.'
Contact: Dr Michael Tel: 03 9479 2140 |
