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The first Religion and Education in Multifaith Australia Roundtable, hosted by the UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific, Monash University, Religions for Peace, Australia and the Together for Humanity Foundation, was held at Monash University on the 2nd December 2010. This symposium was convened to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2009 Melbourne Parliament of World’s Religions. The second Religion and Education in Multifaith Australia Roundtable was convened by the Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Macquarie University on the 21st February 2011.

Academic, community and broader public debates have increasingly focused on issues regarding religion, ethics and education in recent years. These seminars brought together leading Australian scholars and community leaders to discuss a number of topics including: Religion and Education in Australian Schools; Shifting from Special Religious Education to Multifaith Education; Countering Religious Prejudice and Advancing Respect for Religious Diversity; Faith-based Schools; and Religion and Diversity in the New National Curriculum.

Participants agreed to form a working group – the Religions, Ethics and Education Network Australia (REENA) - to develop a strategy for action in 2011 focusing primarily on three areas, namely: Including Religion in the New National Curriculum; Shifting from Special Religious Education (SRE) to General Religious and Ethics Education (GREE) (including time for SRE); and Religions and Ethics Resource Development.  

REENA is still in a preliminary phase of development. If you would like to become a member of REENA or for further information please contact: anna.halafoff@monash.edu or catherine.byrne@students.mq.edu.au