Young people dialogue
Four young people - Sadiq and Mahsheed Ansari, a brother and sister Muslim; Judith Levitan, an orthodox Jew and Chantelle Ogilvie, a Catholic - each experienced and passionate about interreligious dialogue, spoke honestly and enthusiastically about their faith journey and their involvement with inter-faith dialogue.
Sadiq and Mahsheed
(right and centre, respectively) were born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Sadiq is in his final year of psychology at Macquarie University and is a youth director for Affinity. Mahsheed, with an arts/law degree, has a practicing certificate in law and is completing her Masters in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Sydney University.
Judith (second from left) has degrees in social work and law from the University of New South Wales. She works as a solicitor and community legal education coordinator at Women's Legal Services NSW, a community legal centre servicing the women of NSW. She is also a foundation member of the newly formed Jewish Alliance Against Family Violence. Aged 33, married and with three children, she described herself initially as a modern, Orthodox Jewish woman. By the end of the presentation, she was describing herself as a modern, Orthodox Jewish feminist.
Chantelle (left) was born in in Australia to Filipino and Australian parents. She has a Bachelor of Arts (media and communications) from the University of Sydney and worked for five years in youth ministry with the Young Christian Student and Young Christian Worler movements. In 2006 she was a recipient of the inaugural Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship. She is now studying a Masters of Arts (theology) and working in social justice ministry.
Each young person gave a brief presentation. A discussion facilitated by Trish Madigan OP (second from right) became so "organic" that the young people virtually took over and a very natural and engrossing question-answer conversation ensured.
Earlier, they had participated in a multi-faith prayer time to begin the assembly day.
Each read a passage from his/her faith's sacred text in that text's language and then in English, where appropriate. Each reading was followed by a short silence. The fourth reading was followed by reflective music for a length of time.
The prayer-time was simple and profound.
Both the prayer and the dialogue were excellent models for the assembly participants to experience.
Father Wayne Stanhope OCarm, Melbourne, echoed the response of many of the assembly participants, when he said: "Our hearts were moved in wonder, respect and reverence of the mystery of God active and alive in their youthful openness and passion.
"Our young speakers were real signs of hope and a contradiction to our society, which can readily exploit and condemn the energy of a younger generation.
"Inter-faith dialogue was encouraged in each of us. There was a collective recognition that the blessings contained in such an opportunity were demonstrated before us in these fine young speakers.
"It was a 'graced' time where the authority of religious experience could not be questioned; a very moving experience."
left: Waiting for the session to begin, on the morning of the second day of the Assembly
below left: Sadiq speaks with David Tomlims
below middle: Patty Fawkner SGS (centre) introduces Mahsheed to CRA President Clare Condon SGS
below right: Chantelle and Judith speak with Assembly participants
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