Dale Hess Calendar - Dates for your diaries

Thursday 18 February – Thursday 3 March: Transition Film Festival. The Transitions Film Festival is visionary program dedicated to spotlighting the complex challenges, cutting-edge ideas, creative innovations and mega-trends that are redefining what it means to be human. We present positive, solutions-focused films and showcase cutting-edge ideas from around the world, along with the creative, academic, governmental, community and business leaders who are creating change locally. http://www.transitionsfilmfestival.com/melbourne-program-2016/

Thursday 18 February, 6.30 pm – 8 pm: Market Forces Campaign Launch. Market Forces believes that the banks, superannuation funds and governments that have custody of our money should use it to protect not damage our environment. We're planning to make this year massive. Massive campaigns, resulting in massive change. We have climate change commitments from banks that need to be turned into concrete action that moves finance out of fossil fuels. We want to turn divestment from coal, oil and gas from a steady stream to an unstoppable torrent. And of course, we have new dirty coal proposals here in Australia and overseas that need to be stopped in their tracks.  Venue: Treasury Room, Imperial Hotel, 2 Bourke St, Melbourne (corner Spring Street). Food provided, drinks at bar prices. Free entry but bookings are essential as places are limited. RSVP here. Market Forces is proud to be an affiliate project of Friends of the Earth Australia and a member of the BankTrack international network, connecting us with passionate campaigners, environmental issue experts and advocates of environmentally sustainable behaviour from the finance sector.  

Get the details and RSVP for our Melbourne campaign launch here. 

Saturday 20 February, 5.02 pm – 7 pm: Peace, Faith and Solving Conflict. Invited speakers: Prof. Gary Bouma, UNESCO and Rev.Victor Kazanjian, Global Director United Religions Initiative. Venue: Cultural Infusion Centre, 49 Vere Street, Collingwood College Theatre (entrance from Campbell Street). Sponsored by Cultural Infusion and United Religions Initiative. Free event. Refreshments provided. 

Bookings:https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/culture-talk-tickets-21240877035

Wednesday, 24 February, 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm: Syrian Conflict Information Evening. The Amnesty International Bayside Team are hosting an information evening on the current Syrian crisis. Presenting an impartial account of the current internal armed conflict in Syria, as well as information about the settlement process for refugees and asylum seekers. From 7.30 pm we will have three speakers, discussing the current Syrian crisis, intake of refugees and settlement services for refugees and asylum seekers here in Australia. Tim Redfern from Amnesty International Bayside, Alanna Attard from AMES and Panos Massouris from AMES will be speaking. Venue: The Sandy Beach Centre - 2 Sims Street Sandringham. Register here.

Saturday 5 March, 9 am – 11.30 am: Oases Breakfast Conversation: Listening to Indigenous Voices. Dr Robert Hoskin will share insights from his listening to his Kimberley friends relevant to relating with land and community. Together we will explore how listening means a change of heart, if not our change in approach to life and relationships, and discuss how  knowledge of the past might save us from endless repetition in the future. $30/$20 Concession. Main Hall, Habitat Centre for Spirituality, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn. To book:http://www.oases.edu.au/breakfast/

Monday 11 April; Sunday and Monday, 24 April and 25 April; Sunday 1 May: Ecological Literacy. Ecological literacy was initially used byDavid W. Orr and physicist Fritjof Capra in the 1990s, to understand the Earth as a living system whose well-being was dependent on our thinking in terms of the interdependence of all living systems. In his Web of Life Capra writes of the emergence of a new paradigm challenging the old mechanistic and linear view of the universe and challenging notions of continuous growth and development and with it consumerism and commodification as the “normal”. Ecological literacy is about using this interdependent view of the world to help address the complex dilemmas around the destructive impact that humans have had on the world bringing us to what is often called the Anthropocene… And together we'll draw on the experiences and wisdom of all participants, and the 'natural world' around us. Cost $800. Further details: info@oases.edu.au.

Monday 25 April – Friday 29 April: Living the Peace Testimony with Greg Rolles. Explore the connections between war, militarism, climate change, colonisation of Indigenous peoples, racism – and your own urges to help bring peace. Silver Wattle Quaker Centre, 1063 Lake Road, Bungendore, NSW. Telephone:02 6238 0588

Friday 10 June – Monday 13 June: Indigenous Spirituality and Culture with Karen Kime. Journey into Aboriginal ways of teaching country, kinship and cross-cultural issues in work and community. The workshop will also include examples of other indigenous people. Silver Wattle Quaker Centre, 1063 Lake Road, Bungendore, NSW. Telephone:02 6238 0588

Monday 11 July; Sunday and Monday, 31 July and 1 August; Saturday 10 September: Recreating our Organisations. We live in a world of organisations, educational, familial, work…each with its own culture and processes and each creating its own set of experiences for those who interact with it. Whilst we cannot escape from the reality of organizations in our lives, we can learn to better understand, work with and change (for the better) the organizations in which we play a part…In this unit then our central question addresses the possibilities of recreating or re-imagining the way we organise that would create more soulful, meaningful, value based,  collaborative and generative organisations that are relevant for 21st century sustainable and socially just organisations. Cost $800. Further details: info@oases.edu.au.

Will Steffen on the Anthropocene : the impact of humanity on the planet

Excellent presentation by Prof Will Steffen on the Anthropocene. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/about/events/150428-IGBP.html
Posted by Faith Ecology Network on Monday, 11 January 2016

Protection of the Planet - UN Climate Summit, #Paris - Religions for Peace delivers petitions as part of the Faiths for Earth Campaign

Religions for Peace Delivers Petitions for the Protection of the Planet (Paris, France, 28 November 2015) On the eve of the UN Climate Summit in Paris, Religions for Peace (RfP) joined approximately 400 religious leaders, COP 21 delegates and climate campaigners from across the globe in delivering the petitions collected through the RfP Faiths for Earth Campaign. (L-R) Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town the Rt. Rev. Thabo Makgoba, Mr. Mithika Mwenda, Ms. Lotifa Begum, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, and Rev. Kyoichi Sugino 1,780,528 million people joined a collection of faith-based petitions urging political leader to take decisive action to curb global warming and help poor countries to adapt to climate changes. (L-R) Ms. Deepika Singh, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Mr. Nicolas Hulot, and Ms. Lotifa Begum The petition was presented to UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Ms. Christiana Figueres and Special Envoy of the French President for the Protection of the Planet, Mr. Nicolas Hulot on Friday, November 28 at the 'Faith in Climate Justice' event. The event was organized by four international faith-based networks working together for a common cause:RfP, ACT Now for Climate Justice, Our Voices, and the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Several key individuals spoke at the event: from the Philippines, former COP negotiator Mr. Yeb Sano; from Brazil, Cardinal Claudio Hummes; from South Africa, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town the Rt. Rev. Thabo Makgoba; from the US, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino of RfP International; from Kenya, Mr. Mithika Mwenda, Coordinator of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance; and from Bangladesh, Ms. Lotifa Begum of Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dr. Din Syamsuddin Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, RfP International said: "Meeting the challenge of climate change will help transform us into who we are called to be: one human family living in community with the earth and the Divine." "Climate change is an ethical crisis that needs each and every one of us to take urgent moral action," said Dr. Din Syamsuddin, Chair, Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilisation (CDDC) and Co-President of RfP at an official side event on the first day of COP 21. He then outlined the concrete actions taken by the RfP Faiths for Earth Campaign, particularly the one that he is leading in Indonesia, Siaga Bhuni (Earth Alert) that is educating people on climate change issues, promoting eco-friendly houses of worship and a clean, pollution free environment. Participants of the RfP Global Religious Youth Leaders' Summit More than 50 youth leaders representing diverse religious traditions from 35 countries also joined the delivery event. Prior to joining, these RfP youth leaders held a three-day summit on the theme: Welcoming the Other: Multi-religious Youth Respond to the Challenges of Violent Religious Extremism, Refugee Crisis and Climate Change. Joining the youth leaders were representatives of the United Nations and intergovernmental institutions, and experts and practitioners from civil society organizations. The Summit participants condemned the violence committed in the name of religion and rejected any attempt to fuel distrust and cycles of discrimination and violence to polarize and divide our communities. The youth leaders committed to further strengthen their effort to advance Peace. A two-year action plan was developed and a strong multi-religious statement was issued defining their future actions and their firm commitment to ensure its implementation. ### RELIGIONS FOR PEACE--the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.  777 United Nations Plaza I New York, NY 10017 USA I Tel: 212 687-2163 I Fax: 212 983-0098 www.rfp.org  STAY CONNECTED

#Ballarat marches for climate - 28 November 2015

See more pics at The Courier
Ballarat marchers calls on Australian leaders to act on climate change

By Alex Hamer

Nov. 28, 2015, 6:30 p.m.

People's push: Isobel Monie and Menna McAlpin at the BREAZE and Ballarat Climate Action Group Climate March on Saturday. The two women spoke on behalf of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. PICTURE: Luka Kauzlaric

Ballarat joined major cities all over the world by hosting a climate rally on the weekend. 

The Saturday-afternoon march from outside Town Hall to Camp Street brought over 150 people together to show their support for action on climate change. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will travel to France on Sunday before the COP21 conference. 

The crowd was optimistic about change at the summit. 

Organiser Ian Rossiter, the president of BREAZE, said people were certainly hoping for a stronger approach to curbing emissions from the world leaders who will attend. 

“There was a groundswell of optimism (at the march),” he said. 

“People are thinking the climate talks might lead to unilateral, international moves to curb emissions.” 

About a third of the crowd indicated they had travelled to Melbourne for Friday’s rally, which drew 60,000 people to the CBD. 

Irene Salmont, who came from Daylesford for the rally, said she was there because it was such a crucial fight. 

“It’s one of the most important issues, ever, really,” she said. 

Renée Ludekens agreed, saying Paris was a chance for countries to come together to do something. 

“We need confirmed lower emissions agreements,” she said. 

The last big climate change summit, in Copenhagen, ended without any major agreement, and the message coming from speakers on Saturday, including Buninyong MP Geoff Howard, was that limiting the damage from climate change was all an agreement could hope for. 

Deputy Mayor and Greens councillor Belinda Coates said the effects of a harsher climate were already being felt in Ballarat. 

“We’ve had the hottest in spring in 107 years...and the second driest ever,” she said. 

Cr Coates said it was also possible to make change on a city level, where she said much of the fight against climate change was happening. 

The crowd had assembled behind the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Camp Street for the speeches, and those applauding the strident calls for change ranged from the very young to the more experienced members of society. 

Mr Rossiter said extreme weather events had started to hit the big end of town, which is why he was confident Paris would see a binding agreement. 

Mr Turnbull has already pushed his climate change credentials before the summit, putting forward a declaration on the issue at the Commonwealth heads of government. 

“Ahead of COP21 it is a powerful signal to other countries of the world to show a similar level of ambition and commitment to working together for a strong result in Paris,” he said.

March and Rally in #Ballarat at 2pm this afternoon

This afternoon at 2pm there will be a Climate March & Rally in Ballarat.  

We will gather at the statue of Queen Vic 

at the corner of Sturt and Armstrong Streets in the centre of town.  

We will then walk down to nearby Camp Street 

to rally to listen to speakers.

In case you doubt power of ordinary people to make and create news 

and to influence the direction of our social consideration, 

Advocacy is cross-posting with permission 

the following post from The Network.

Picture from The Age

The Angels of the Forest

courtesy of WHAM (Western Highway Alternative Mindsets)

I am so-o-o excited.  

I have got up this morning and opened The Age 

hoping to see a good report of yesterday's Climate march and rally.

And what did I see - a picture of the WHAM angels front and centre.

The gals from the bush are back in town!!!!

Congratulations to Helen Lewers and The Angels of the Forest - 

you are beautiful and you have done an excellent job.

For those of you who weren't in and around 

the Art Gallery of Ballarat late last Saturday afternoon, 

the angels were present at a demo that WHAM turned on 

to greet Local Government delegates to a big shebang at the AGB.  

WHAM stands for Western Highway Alternative Mindsets.  It has been protesting for a very long time at the environmental destruction caused by VicRoads as the duplication of the Western Highway between Beaufort and Ararat forges ahead.  You can follow the efforts of WHAM on Facebook. 

Word is from Helen that there could be some progress being made on the issue.  If this turns out to be the case, it has been a long and arduous task which has seemed mighty impossible at times as politicians have proved to be a brick wall, not all the locals have understood etc.  So many ancient River Red Gums have been destroyed.

  

I may live in Ballarat - some way from the duplication - but I have been on the fringes for quite a while thanks to my friend of the long ago in Townsville and North Queensland Conservation Council days, Iona Mackenzie.  The MacKenzie family have been landholders in the area for a very long time - and Iona's sister, Marianne, is one of the beautiful angels.  She is the centre angel of the three pictured above. Their 90+year old mother is pictured on the WHAM site tied to a RRG with Helen!!!

So be loud and proud 

and congratulations to 

WHAM, Helen Lewers, the Mackenzies 

and 

The Angels of the Forest. 

We need #Paris to come out right

A weak deal would be dangerous because it would achieve little but instil complacency, argues this week's leader
Posted by New Scientist on Thursday, 26 November 2015

Statement on Climate Change from Faith Communities Council of Victoria : Ballarat Climate March - 28 November at 2pm, cnr Sturt and Armstrong Streets

Statement on Climate Change:

Faith Communities Council of Victoria

(Please pass on to your respective networks)

The Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) has issued the following statement on the eve of world leaders meeting in Paris for the United Nations climate summit (Nov 30-Dec 11), and the People’s Climate March scheduled in Melbourne @ 5.30pm Friday 27 November at the State Library:

From The Editor of  Advocacy
Please note there is a march and rally in Ballarat on Saturday 28 November. Please go here for more information.

As representatives of many religious traditions and different faiths, we stand together in our moral obligation to care for sacred Earth, the most vulnerable people and all human life as a gift entrusted to our common care as we are confronted by the growing impacts of climate change in all corners of the world.

More extreme weather events disrupt food production and water security, exacerbate hunger, cause economic insecurity and forced displacement. We share a common concern for nature and for global social justice, and are deeply concerned that climate change is a threat to precious human life, and to the survival of humanity unless strong and urgent action is taken to address the causes.

We acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is human induced, and that the failure to address its root causes will result in impacts escalating in intensity and frequency, especially amongst the world's poor and vulnerable who are already bearing the burden disproportionately.

We want world leaders to listen and act decisively for a just transition to clean energy. Australia has the technological and economic capacity to deliver this life-preserving transformation, and it is an opportunity to play our part in addressing the common environmental challenge humanity faces.

Across Victoria's faith communities, we share the call for Australia's and the world's leaders meeting in Paris in December for the United Nations climate summit to act with courage and compassion to address the fundamental drivers of climate change, to care for sacred Earth, and to protect the most vulnerable.

Faith Communities Council of Victoria is comprised of the following peak bodies: Baha'i Community of Victoria, Brahma Kumaris Australia, Buddhist Council of Victoria, Hindu Community Council of Victoria, Islamic Council of Victoria, Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria and Victorian Council of Churches.

BREAZE invites you to join a People's Climate March in either Melbourne or #Ballarat - details below

Join a People’s Climate March

In Melbourne Friday 27th Nov:

Meet at the Ballarat station to catch the 3.20pm train to Melbourne, and participate in the march from the State Library;

In Ballarat Saturday, 28th Nov:

Meet at the front of the Ballarat Town Hall at 2pm for a march to Alfred Deakin Place, where we'll gather and listen to speeches.

Breaze has invited Ballarat’s Federal, State and Council elected representatives, together with other civic leaders to address the crowd at the conclusion of the walk on what they would ask the delegates at the Paris Climate Talks to negotiate on behalf of the Ballarat community.

“I have invited Ballarat’s politicians, church leaders and the Committee for Ballarat to address our gathering. I would like to show that addressing runaway climate change is a concern not just from environmentalists, but is now posing major risks to our economy, is potentially the greatest threat to our existing social systems and has the capacity to cause unprecedented numbers of refugees due to the projected impacts on food and water.” said Ian Rossiter President of BREAZE.

“As a grandparent I am motivated to provide residents with empowerment to take on this historic challenge. It is the consumer choices and behaviours that we make now that will determine how much warmer the earth will be for our children and grandchildren.”

“I am urging the people of Ballarat to show our local, state, national and international leaders that we care about the future we are creating by attending one of the People’s Climate Marches. The Melbourne People’s Climate March takes place on Friday 27^th November at 5.30pm and we hope that many Ballarat residents will catch the 3.20pm train to attend. As this is difficult for many with work and study commitments, we have arranged the Ballarat Peoples Climate March on the Saturday afternoon.”

What: As part of a worldwide series of marches over the period 27 to 29 November residents are invited to show their support for an international accord for commitment for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the UN Paris Climate Talks (to be held the following week).

When: Saturday November 28^th from 2pm to 3pm.

Where: Marchers are asked to assemble in Sturt Street Gardens (Queen Victoria Square) opposite Ballarat Town Hall, Corner of Sturt and Armstrong Streets. The assembly will walk as a group at 2.20pm to Alfred Deakin Place in Camp Street (approx. 500 metres) to hear addresses.

Who: The event is being organised by BREAZE and Ballarat Climate Action Group 2015 and is non-politically aligned. 
The United Nations are conducting the Paris Climate Change Conference from 30 November until 11 December with the intent of reviewing and strengthening commitment from all members to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Time is running out if we as global citizens are going to slow down and limit the impacts of climate change and ensure a safe climate for our children and grandchildren.

Citizens around the world (on the weekend of 27 to 29 November) are attending People’s Climate Marches in major cities to show concern, commitment and support for increased action to avoid the impending humanitarian, environmental and economic crisis that our current rate of emissions will cause in coming decades.

Our politicians and delegates need to see visible support for signing up to international accords to increase renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare our communities for the impacts of global warming that we are locked into as a result of emissions over the last century.

Breaze has invited Ballarat’s Federal, State and Council elected representatives, together with other civic leaders to address the crowd at the conclusion of the walk on what they would ask the delegates at the Paris Climate Talks to negotiate on behalf of the Ballarat community.

“I have invited Ballarat’s politicians, church leaders and the Committee for Ballarat to address our gathering. I would like to show that addressing runaway climate change is a concern not just from environmentalists, but is now posing major risks to our economy, is potentially the greatest threat to our existing social systems and has the capacity to cause unprecedented numbers of refugees due to the projected impacts on food and water.” said Ian Rossiter President of BREAZE.

“As a grandparent I am motivated to provide residents with empowerment to take on this historic challenge. It is the consumer choices and behaviours that we make now that will determine how much warmer the earth will be for our children and grandchildren.”

“I am urging the people of Ballarat to show our local, state, national and international leaders that we care about the future we are creating by attending one of the People’s Climate Marches. The Melbourne People’s Climate March takes place on Friday 27^th November at 5.30pm and we hope that many Ballarat residents will catch the 3.20pm train to attend. As this is difficult for many with work and study commitments, we have arranged the Ballarat Peoples Climate March on the Saturday afternoon.”

The UN Paris Climate Change Conference will be exploring international accords that may limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, recognising that the earth has already warmed by 1 degree and we are experiencing unprecedented frequencies of measuring new records of extreme weather conditions.

Since formation in 2006, BREAZE and other groups have worked collaboratively with all levels of government to provide information to our community on how to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through focussing on energy efficiency in homes, sustainable transport options, promoting in season regional foods, conserving water, recycling and re-using materials and the uptake of renewable energy.