Faith Communities Council of Victoria: Promoting a Harmonious Victoria

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Welcome to FCCV

Established in 2010, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) is Victoria’s umbrella multifaith body. FCCV was created to contribute to the harmony of the Victorian community by promoting positive relations between people of different faiths and greater public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, customs and practices of Victoria's diverse faith traditions.

2020 Multifaith Calendar

logomfcalendar The following are major holy days and festivals for Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. Whilst this list is not exhaustive it is comprehensive to represent each of the religions in good faith.

Click here to view 2020 Multifaith Calendar (pdf)

Siva Singh, immigrant who fought White Australia policy to regain right to vote, leaves lasting legacy

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Siva Singh, a Punjabi Sikh, discovered how deeply racism was entrenched in Australia in 1915, when he appeared in court at Benalla in north-east Victoria.

Source: ABC

Summit of Faith Leaders to Prevent Child Abuse

Senior leaders representing 30 faith traditions from across Victoria gathered to discuss ongoing efforts to prevent institutional child abuse.

FCCV statement in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

The Faith Communities Council of Victoria has issued the following statement in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has created unprecedented challenges for Victoria’s faith communities.

Public religious gatherings have been cancelled, places of worship have been forced to close, and social distancing laws have made it difficult to assist the most vulnerable in our community.

Statement by Religions for Peace (RfP) on coronavirus crisis

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On Friday, March 20th, 2020, senior interfaith leaders from almost all Australian States and Territories met electronically. We decided to share this message with the Australian community.

Source: Religions for Peace Australia

Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria: Attack on Sikh worshippers in Afghanistan

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Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria (SICV) and the Sikh Community of Victoria are greatly saddened and condemn the murderous attack on Sikh worshippers in Afghanistan.

Source: Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria

Teens are tolerant but uneducated about religion, study finds

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One in four high school students do not have a positive attitude towards people of the Islamic and Hindu faiths, a major study of "religious literacy" among Australian teens has found.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

How the internet is bringing comfort to faith communities during coronavirus social isolation

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Hemangini Patel has been attending her temple every Sunday for as long as she can remember. But for the past two Sundays, the religious ritual has looked slightly different.

Source: ABC

These Buddhist nuns in perth saw coronavirus coming - and took action

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The Fo Guang Shan temple in Perth shut down in February, more than a month before the Australian government announced social distancing measures. Nuns there have been using social media and chat groups to lift the spirits of the community ever since.

Source: SBS

Queensland's first Muslim scout group combines religion and tradition to empower youth

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Queensland's first Muslim scouting group is proving particularly popular with girls, who are keen to prove they can do anything the boys can do.

Source: ABC

What are Muslim women’s options in religious divorce?

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Both Muslim men and women are allowed to divorce in the Islamic tradition. But community interpretations of Islamic laws mean that men are able to divorce their wives unilaterally, while women must secure their husband’s consent.

Source: ABC

Mandatory reporting laws for religious institutions come into effect

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Laws requiring clergy to report child abuse to authorities — even if it's heard in the confession box — will come into effect on Monday, ending the "special treatment" for Victoria's religious institutions.

Source: The Age