Dear friends of Alliance for Bhikkhunis:
Beginning on the full
moon day of September 21^st, 2013, we have been engaged with this year’s
3^rd Annual Bhikkhuni Day (IBD). We are happy to report that this
year’s worldwide celebration was once again a great success! At last
count, there were sixteen events hosted across the globe. This year, the
AFB board of directors elected to remember and honor the contribution
of the Seven Sisters (Theris), a remarkable story of spiritual
friendship and accomplishment in the time of the Buddha that laid the
foundation for today’s regeneration of the bhikkhuni sangha. Your
generous contribution of time, energy and money during this year’s event
and over the last six years is greatly appreciated. Please visit our
new website at: http://www.bhikkhuni.net.
There you will find full information about this year’s IBD as well as
past year’s happenings. You will also find a map of this year’s
reported IBD events.
For the full article :
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d081c03c356665756e3a8ac94&id=153e592732&e=bd165d4899
Friday 22 November 2013
Saturday 16 November 2013
NATIONAL INTER FAITH WEEK 2014
NATIONAL INTER FAITH WEEK
www.interfaithweek.org
Inter Faith Week Sunday 17 – Saturday 23 November
National Inter Faith Week begins this
Sunday, 17 November in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is its fifth
year. The Week’s aims are:
- Strengthening good inter faith relations at all levels
- Increasing awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
- Increasing understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs
Many different kinds of organisation will
be holding events to mark the Week: faith community bodies; inter faith
organisations; non-religious belief bodies; schools and Standing Advisory
Councils on Religious Education (SACREs); universities and colleges; local
authorities and Police and Fire and Rescue Services; hospitals; businesses;
voluntary organisations; chaplaincies; and others.
"How
people of different faiths and beliefs interact and cooperate is of enormous
importance in our society. Inter Faith Week is an opportunity for people to come
together for inter faith dialogue, learning and action. It’s a time for
extending existing bonds of cooperation and friendship and creating new ones.
We hope that this year sees even wider circles of involvement and wish all
taking part success in their events and projects." - The Revd Bob Fyffe and Vivian Wineman,
Co-Chairs Inter Faith Network for the UK
A map showing events is at http://www.interfaithweek.org/events/events/main-events-calendar,
and new events are being added to this daily.
Just a few examples of local events:
- Kirklees Faiths Forum ‘Focus on Faith’ lecture by Baroness Warsi at the University of Huddersfield, hosted by the Bishop of Pontefract
- Special launch events in Coventry, Preston, Sutton and a number of other cities, towns and boroughs
- Reading Inter Faith Open Day with seven Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh places of worship welcoming in visitors
- An ‘exchanging pulpits’ project in Leicester between Christian and Muslim clergy arranged by Leicester Cathedral, St Philip's Centre, Near Neighbours, and Masjid-Al Husayn
- ‘Voices of Faith: Religion, War and Peace’ - an evening of inter faith dialogue with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist speakers at the Multi Faith Chaplaincy of Northumbria University
- Collecting food and packing boxes to support Norwich Food Bank, organised by the Council of Christians and Jews Norfolk branch to mark Mitzvah Day and Inter Faith Week
- Inter faith discussion and crime prevention presentation in Barking organised by the Safer Transport Team of the Metropolitan Police
- Inter faith embroidery workshop in the London Borough of Brent
- ‘Women and Faith’ organised by Woking People of Faith
- Discussion on the ethics of biotechnologies, organised by Birmingham Council of Faiths, Christians in Science (Birmingham) and University of Birmingham Atheist, Secular and Humanist Society
- A ‘Meet the Mormons’ open house event in Kidderminster
- Launch of a hospital inter faith network at University Hospital Southampton, with Southampton Council of Faiths
- Inter faith minibus tour of faith venues in Bute Town, Cardiff, visiting eight venues across two days - South Cardiff Interfaith Association and C3SC
- Cornwall Faith Forum - ‘sharing and shaping inter faith in a rural setting’
- A youth SACRE in Thurrock
- A conference on ‘Forgiveness’, with contributions from six faiths - Wolverhampton Inter Faith and Regeneration Network
- St Peter’s by the Waterfront, Ipswich, Storytelling around the faiths for primary school children – Suffolk Inter Faith Resource
- A Week long series of talks run by Slough Faiths Partnership on aspects of Fear: Fear of Change; Fear through Faith; Fear of Secularism, Fear of Extremism; Fear and Freedom of Speech; and Overcoming Fear.
- An event to celebrate Inter Faith Week and raise awareness of Cheltenham’s different faith communities hosted by Cheltenham Inter Faith, Cheltenham Borough Council and the University of Gloucestershire
- Celebrating Our Diversity in Medway - Medway Inter Faith Forum
- Bradford Cathedral, with Touchstone, exhibition in a ‘yurt’ of stories of local people sharing why faith matters to them
Other types of events include: film
screenings; inter faith cricket; family faith trails; ‘inter faith talent
contests’; short, speed-dating style dialogues between people of different
faiths and beliefs; multi faith music making and choirs; fairs and cultural
events; charity fundraising events; exhibitions; arts and crafts themed events;
classroom activities, visits and assemblies; and combined Inter Faith
Week/Mitzvah Day events (‘Interfaith Mitzvah Days’).
The Near
Neighbours Programme is involved with multiple events during this year’s Inter
Faith Week. http://www.cuf.org.uk/near-neighbours/Inter-Faith-Week-2013
The Week will also see the launch of
‘Together in Service’, a new grant programme funded by the Department for
Communities and Local Government and led by Faith Action highlighting and supporting multi faith social action projects.
Notes
to editors:
1.
Enquiries:
ifnet@interfaith.org.uk, tel 020 7730 0410
2.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/IFWeek
| Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFWeek
| Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/IFWeek
3.
The Inter Faith Network for the
UK (www.interfaith.org.uk),
was founded in 1987. It works to promote good inter faith relations in the UK. It
manages the Inter Faith Week website: www.interfaithweek.org and links the involvement in the Week of the
different participating nations. It also leads on the Week in England. In Wales, the lead is taken by the Inter
Faith Council for Wales (www.interfaithwales.org), and in Northern Ireland, the
lead is taken by the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum
(http://niinterfaithforum.org).
4.
Inter Faith Week was
established in England and Wales in 2009. Scottish Interfaith Week has taken
place since 2004 and is led by Interfaith Scotland
(www.interfaithscotland.org) This year
it begins on Sunday 24 November.
5.
Sunday 17 November, the first
day of Inter Faith Week, is also Mitzvah Day (www.mitzvahday.org.uk)
- a Jewish-led day of social action involving people of all faiths and none
working together in their local communities.
Many events are being jointly held to mark both Inter Faith Week and
Mitzvah Day.
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Alliance For Bhikkhunis, Update from the President, Susmita Barua
Update from the President, Susmita Barua
Alliance For Bhikkhunis
November 11, 2013
Dear friends of Alliance For Bhikkhunis:
It is my great pleasure and privilege as the president of the Alliance For Bhikkhunis (AFB) to connect with you. I’d like to share with you some background information about me, and how I came to serve the bhikkhuni sangha.
My own birth and identity as a vanishing minority of Buddhists in Calcutta, India was very much hidden, as there were hardly any other Buddhists in my neighborhood, school or college. My father devotedly worked for the preservation of the Bengal Buddhist Association, Kolkata, founded in 1892 by my great grandfather Ven. Kripasaran Mahathero. My father also impressed upon me the urgency of upholding dharma and our disappearing family lineage in my own life. Now the twists and turns of life have reconnected me to the rich diversity of Buddhadharma here in the West in unique ways, one of which is my involvement with organizations initiated by outstanding Buddhist nuns and women.
It was at the 12th Sakyadhita Buddhist Women’s Conference in Bangkok, where I came to know AFB founder Susan Pembroke and the first Theravadan nuns from my own Bengali community! Susan Pembroke founded the Alliance for Bhikkhunis in 2006 with the mission of supporting monastic Theravadan women in the United States and abroad who are seeking ordination or are fully ordained. Her journey to understanding the need for bhikkhuni support began in 2006 when she travelled to Malaysia to attend a Sakyadhita Conference. She was also inspired by her teacher Venerable Ayya Khema’s example and her enduring concerns for the revival and support of bhikkhuni sangha.
The four-fold sangha as envisioned by the Buddha for the proper establishment of dhamma in human society for the benefit of all beings, includes both male and female monastics and lay practitioners: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and upasikas. The rich legacy and contributions of the bhikkhuni sangha, especially relating to early-enlightened Arahant Theris from times of Buddha, extending to times of King Ashoka, are not widely known to this day. Forces of materialism, Brahmanism, and patriarchy intensified along with corruption of collective mind through greed, hatred and ignorance. Eventually the dhamma declined in its land of origin along with the demise of the feminine pillars of the sangha.
The nurturing and healing presence of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis in society is a constant reminder to the rest of us that a simple happy life of peace, freedom and benevolence is possible without accumulation, overconsumption, self-harm, exploitation of nature and oppression of people. This sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, hospitalities, offerings, and reverential salutation as they represent the unsurpassed field of merit in a world split by war, violence, poverty, destruction of environment and injustice. I thank each of you for being part of a worthy social cause and vision.
I’m excited to tell you about a couple of important happenings with AFB. First, our newly upgraded our website (http://www.bhikkhuni.net) is fully functioning and live! There you will find new content, uplifted design and easier navigation. A tremendous amount of love and hard work by our volunteers have created this more dynamic, informative and helpful site for you to enjoy and share.
Secondly, I would like to mention International Bhikkhuni Day (IBD), which began on September 21st, 2013 is still happening around the world. I will explain more in detail next week in a follow-up email on the happenings for this year. In the mean time, you can find an interactive map of IBD event locations celebrated by individual IBD ambassadors, sanghas and other participating organizations on our web page here: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/map-international-bhikkhuni-day-celebration-locations/
In closing, I am asking you to support AFB in any way that suits you. Become a volunteer, contribute money to us here at AFB, or find a bhikkhuni monastery near you to donate to directly. AFB cannot provide the critical support to the bhikkhuni sangha without the help of our great volunteers and your financial support. We have made it easy for you to contribute to AFB. Just go to our donation/dana page on our website at: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/support/ . Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
If you wish to contact me, you can do so at: president@bhikkhuni.net. Until next week, I wish you peace and metta,
Susmita Barua, President
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
============================================================
Copyright © 2013 Alliance for Bhikkhunis, All rights reserved.
If you need assistance, please contact us by clicking on info@bhikkhuni.net
Copyright © 2010 Alliance for Bhikkhunis. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
P.O. Box 1058
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1058
USA
Alliance For Bhikkhunis
November 11, 2013
Dear friends of Alliance For Bhikkhunis:
It is my great pleasure and privilege as the president of the Alliance For Bhikkhunis (AFB) to connect with you. I’d like to share with you some background information about me, and how I came to serve the bhikkhuni sangha.
My own birth and identity as a vanishing minority of Buddhists in Calcutta, India was very much hidden, as there were hardly any other Buddhists in my neighborhood, school or college. My father devotedly worked for the preservation of the Bengal Buddhist Association, Kolkata, founded in 1892 by my great grandfather Ven. Kripasaran Mahathero. My father also impressed upon me the urgency of upholding dharma and our disappearing family lineage in my own life. Now the twists and turns of life have reconnected me to the rich diversity of Buddhadharma here in the West in unique ways, one of which is my involvement with organizations initiated by outstanding Buddhist nuns and women.
It was at the 12th Sakyadhita Buddhist Women’s Conference in Bangkok, where I came to know AFB founder Susan Pembroke and the first Theravadan nuns from my own Bengali community! Susan Pembroke founded the Alliance for Bhikkhunis in 2006 with the mission of supporting monastic Theravadan women in the United States and abroad who are seeking ordination or are fully ordained. Her journey to understanding the need for bhikkhuni support began in 2006 when she travelled to Malaysia to attend a Sakyadhita Conference. She was also inspired by her teacher Venerable Ayya Khema’s example and her enduring concerns for the revival and support of bhikkhuni sangha.
The four-fold sangha as envisioned by the Buddha for the proper establishment of dhamma in human society for the benefit of all beings, includes both male and female monastics and lay practitioners: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and upasikas. The rich legacy and contributions of the bhikkhuni sangha, especially relating to early-enlightened Arahant Theris from times of Buddha, extending to times of King Ashoka, are not widely known to this day. Forces of materialism, Brahmanism, and patriarchy intensified along with corruption of collective mind through greed, hatred and ignorance. Eventually the dhamma declined in its land of origin along with the demise of the feminine pillars of the sangha.
The nurturing and healing presence of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis in society is a constant reminder to the rest of us that a simple happy life of peace, freedom and benevolence is possible without accumulation, overconsumption, self-harm, exploitation of nature and oppression of people. This sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, hospitalities, offerings, and reverential salutation as they represent the unsurpassed field of merit in a world split by war, violence, poverty, destruction of environment and injustice. I thank each of you for being part of a worthy social cause and vision.
I’m excited to tell you about a couple of important happenings with AFB. First, our newly upgraded our website (http://www.bhikkhuni.net) is fully functioning and live! There you will find new content, uplifted design and easier navigation. A tremendous amount of love and hard work by our volunteers have created this more dynamic, informative and helpful site for you to enjoy and share.
Secondly, I would like to mention International Bhikkhuni Day (IBD), which began on September 21st, 2013 is still happening around the world. I will explain more in detail next week in a follow-up email on the happenings for this year. In the mean time, you can find an interactive map of IBD event locations celebrated by individual IBD ambassadors, sanghas and other participating organizations on our web page here: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/map-international-bhikkhuni-day-celebration-locations/
In closing, I am asking you to support AFB in any way that suits you. Become a volunteer, contribute money to us here at AFB, or find a bhikkhuni monastery near you to donate to directly. AFB cannot provide the critical support to the bhikkhuni sangha without the help of our great volunteers and your financial support. We have made it easy for you to contribute to AFB. Just go to our donation/dana page on our website at: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/support/ . Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
If you wish to contact me, you can do so at: president@bhikkhuni.net. Until next week, I wish you peace and metta,
Susmita Barua, President
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
============================================================
Copyright © 2013 Alliance for Bhikkhunis, All rights reserved.
If you need assistance, please contact us by clicking on info@bhikkhuni.net
Copyright © 2010 Alliance for Bhikkhunis. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
P.O. Box 1058
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1058
USA
Thursday 7 November 2013
http://www.secularism.org.uk/uploads/religious-education-briefing-paper.pdf
And here is what the National secular Society has got to say about Religious Education, to put things in context
And here is what the National secular Society has got to say about Religious Education, to put things in context
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/religious-education-realising-potential
Religious education: realising the potential
06 Oct 2013
Ref: 130068
Religious education (RE) makes a significant contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development. It also plays a key role in promoting social cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy, which are important in our diverse society. However, the potential of RE was not being realised fully in the majority of the schools surveyed for this report.
The report identifies barriers to better RE and suggests ways in which the subject might be improved. The report is written for all those who teach RE, for those who lead the subject, and for headteachers of primary and secondary schools.
Ref: 130068
Religious education (RE) makes a significant contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development. It also plays a key role in promoting social cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy, which are important in our diverse society. However, the potential of RE was not being realised fully in the majority of the schools surveyed for this report.
The report identifies barriers to better RE and suggests ways in which the subject might be improved. The report is written for all those who teach RE, for those who lead the subject, and for headteachers of primary and secondary schools.
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