2014 National Interfaith Forum held in Dunedin
The 2014 National Interfaith forum organised by the Dunedin Interfaith council was held on the 27th of June at Dunedin's Latter-day Saints Church. Representatives from Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim and other faiths, up to about 10 in total, attended the forum on behalf of their respective religious communities. Fo Guang Shan (FGS) New Zealand Venerable Abbess Manshin, Venerable Jue Xi, Venerable Zhi Min. Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) North Island President Dolly Tsai and several members had all went to the forum.
The opening ceremony commenced with the arrival of distinguished guests Reverend Dr. Lord Leslie Griffiths from Wesley Chaplin, Dunedin Vice Mayor Chris Staynes, Green party MP Metiria Turei, South Dunedin MP Clare Curran, and North Dunedin MP David Clark.
The guests in their speeches expressed how righteousness exists because of belief, and that even though faith is very important, it is essential too to encourage a communication and mutual understanding between the 230 ethnics or so religions in New Zealand. Achieving multicultural and multi-faith understanding is a feature itself to behold indeed, and we are certainly lucky that in New Zealand, there are standards to stop racism, protect people's religious beliefs, and promote peace and harmony in our communities. It is hoped that we as religious people can find a common ground to coordinate our efforts towards those goals, and use this forum too as an opportunity to socialize together and exchange ideas.
The five interfaith committee members from Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin respectively presented their brilliant reports, sharing the outcomes of many interfaith activities they have organized, speaking of the harmonious interactions between people of different religious groups, achieving multicultural respect, understanding, and learning, for the common purpose of co-existence.
The welcoming dinner consisted of delicious vegetarian food and concluded with several dance and singing performances reflecting the multiculturalism of the people attending the event. Each of the religious representatives expressed their delight and hoped that the three-day forum will open up the avenues for interfaith communication and understanding, towards a prosperous religiously diverse New Zealand.