This week a literal youth movement will ride into the 2009 Parliament of Religions… on two wheels! Pedalling for Peace, “a powerful statement of hope and positivity” according to their website are at this moment biking the 1050 km journey from Sydney to Melbourne, stopping for school and interfaith events along the way. Their trek is being filmed as part of a documentary and has also been covered by the Northern District Times.

To read the full article, click here.

Welcome desks will be provided at the Melbourne airport to assist participants with any issues upon arrival and to answer any questions.  Feel free to check in there with any requests or to obtain information for your stay in Australia.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is proud to announce that the San Jose has been selected as the Inaugural City for the Partner City Network.  San Jose joins the ranks of legacy Partner Cities Chicago, Cape Town, Barcelona, Monterrey, and Melbourne who have each hosted or will host the Parliament of Religions.

To learn more about the Partner Cities Network, click here.

The Council is happy to announce that we have created a Flickr account to make our archived photographic records available to the public.  You may recognize many of these images from our website.  The archive includes sets from all of the Parliaments of Religions (including 1893), as well as Pre-Parliament Events and several archives on Melbourne.  The view the photo archive, click here!

Don’t let additional lodging costs keep you from attending the Parliament!  Shockingly low lodging rates are available in Melbourne.  Urban Central is now offering dorm beds with shared facilities for A$27.00 per night, dorm beds with ensuite for A$35.00.

The Building Bridges initiative will host a Pre-Parliament Event titled “Building Bridges through Interfaith Dialogue in Schools” this upcoming Monday, October 12th.  At the event, students involved with the Building Bridges program will share the experience of interfaith engagement through story, song and art.  Rap artist Jason Shulman will also perform.  For more information, click here.

Anand Krishna has published an opinion piece in the Jakarta Post, which is Indonesia’s largest English-language newspaper.  The argument jumps right into the dilemmas posed by religious radicalism and terrorism and calls on the Melbourne Parliament of Religions to encourage real progress and interreligious harmony. To read Krishna’s thought-provoking essay, click here.

With over 8000 participants from over 80 nations, you may wonder if any of your neighbors are attending the Melbourne Parliament. Fortunately, our Facebook Group offers a convenient Discussion Board where you can step in and introduce yourself.  Whether you’re from Canada or Cambodia or anywhere in between, feel free to speak up and make plans with other registrants from around the world.  The discussion can range from Pre-Parliament events to opportunities in Melbourne and beyond. To join the conversation, click here.

Want to help bring about 2009′s largest interreligious gathering? Your help is needed to make it possible.

For opportunities to volunteer with the Council based in Chicago, click here. To help on the ground in Melbourne, click here. Special events are also planned for Chicago and Melbourne.

To make a tax-deductible charitable gift to the Parliament of Religions, click here.

The centenary of the original Parliament of Religions was celebrated by a second Parliament in Chicago in 1993.  Since then, a Parliament has been held every five years in a major international city: Cape Town, South Africa in 1999; Barcelona, Spain in 2004 and Melbourne, Australia in 2009.  In addition, an Encounter of World Religions was held in Monterrey, Mexico in 2007. To find out more about these past Parliament events, click here.

To learn about the publications and reports that were composed for and at these events, click here.