2014 sgh report
DESCRIPTION
Event ReportTRANSCRIPT
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SOLSTICE GLOBAL HEALING event
CATANI GARDENS, ST KILDA
21st December 2014
Wurrung with deep respect, and for their Elders both past and present.
We give thanks for the continuing relationship of the Yalukit Wilam Clan to this land.
attending the presentations as the programme unfolded or passed through the marque and the
immediate area where some received Christmas parcels or had photos taken with event participants.
three years, celebrated the very positive outcome of the occasion.
The Solstice Global Healing Event is a gathering for people mainly from within St Kilda and the
wider City of Port Phillip community. They are community coming from different religions and
faiths, ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic and political backgrounds to share and celebrate
their diversity with the community. The event is interfaith as it aims to add to and enhance
ons, at both the
individual and broader level with the aim of deriving a common ground in belief through a 1 Presentations by representatives of different faiths
and community groups, as well as in discussions in and around the marque during the event,
enabled interfaith dialogue to occur.
This year the theme was Healing the Family and was chosen because of the enormous pressure that
families are constantly facing. Families have to deal with economic, social, political and cultural
issues that interweave with their religious and faith beliefs and practices. They are in need of
healing. In addition, the deaths of children and family members in Cairns and in Peshawar in the
week leading up to the event demonstrated the real need of healing for the whole human family as
well.
The Workshop On the 29th of November art therapist and
PHAAA member Lisa Fam facilitated a
workshop for our community. Little by little,
non-artists became artists and produced a
Mandala for the Solstice Global Healing event.
The reason for creating a Mandala was because
a Mandala is a symbol of wholeness, integration
and harmony. It is a tool for personal and
spiritual development and can restore inner and
outer health. Working with mandalas is a loving
way to open our hearts to creativity, intuition
and love.2
Participants in the workshop created an artwork
for Healing the Family. They included people
1 http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/print_multifaith_network.htm Accessed on 7 January 2015.
2 Quoted from the Facebook Page of Flavia Zara, Harmony Arts Crafts
http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/print_multifaith_network.htmhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008350751319 -
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European participants. Together they added diverse colour and perspectives to the finished artwork.
Prayer flags It is believed that Prayer Flags originated in India and spread
to Nepal and Tibet. Traditionally, they are used to promote
peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Contrary to a
common misconception, a Prayer Flag does not carry
prayers to gods but carries the thoughts of good will and
compassion of their creator to wherever the wind blows and
to whoever and whatever the wind encounters. Prayer Flags
are considered, therefore, to bring blessings or benefit to all.
As wind passes over the surface of the Flags the air is
purified and sanctified by the prayers. Because the symbols
and prayers on the Flags are sacred, they should be treated
with respect.
This year the Prayer Flags were composed by young
Aboriginal artists from Galiamble Men's Recovery Centre,
with Mark Hammersley and Vivian Parry, and people who
gather for the end of year Christmas lunch at the Winja
tre. PHAAA provided the
materials used for the Flags. The event was also blessed by a
collection of Prayer Flags created by Nala Mai paARenT &
smARTspace artists based in Sydney and Melbourne, that
arrived with their prayers of peace and compassion.
The day of the event Setting Up...
The morning of 21 December began early as men who
erected the main marque arrived before 8:30am and
Mia Jeffries was at Catani Gardens to meet them. They
also brought with them the stage and the chairs. Peter
Millar arrived with two tents and barbecues. One tent
was to be used for preparing and cooking food and the
other for the administration, registration and
information sharing. Matthew Fagan arrived later in the
morning with the sound system and Steve Yarr with
cables and apparel to connect the power safely from the
Rotunda. Some of the presenters arrived to be sound
tested and to be familiarised with the set up. A steady
number of volunteers arrived throughout the morning to help with the work.
This photo shows the marque with the stage, chairs, sound system and the camera that would record
the event. The banner of the Sun, the Solstice symbol, was naturally the backdrop to the stage. And,
as you can see, Catani Gardens provided an ideal setting for the occasion.
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There were 100 chairs in the marque,
just outside it and under some of the
surrounding trees. These chairs were
well utilised throughout the afternoon.
So also was the grass area beyond the
chairs and under close trees, where
people sat or lay in the sun or in the
shade. It truly was a relaxed and
informal setting and this influenced the
flow of the presentations and the
presenters during the event.
The tent where food was prepared and
sold, including vegetarian falafels, was
to the right of the stage. Both vegetarian
and non-vegetarian food was provided with cold drinks to quench the thirst as the heat of the day
took hold. The tent used for administration was to the left of the stage. This was where presenters
came to register before giving their presentations. It was also where volunteers checked in before
going off to their different tasks.
A three hour programme was planned for the event
with a range of presenters from different faiths,
beliefs and community groups participating. An
ambitious schedule had been devised in the hope that
all those who were going to speak could be fitted in
within the timeframe. The programme also included
the unveiling of a Mandala, a visit by Father
Christmas, and the Releasing of Doves as a symbol
of peace and unity. In the event, however, the
programme had to be changed in several places to
accommodate late arrivals, people speaking longer
than their allotted times and to enable Channel 7
News to interview people and to film the Releasing of the Doves.
Mia Jeffries, the President of PHAAA, was the Master of Ceremony and kept the programme on
course. Flexibility was the key factor of the day and Mia did an excellent job doing this. She
graciously negotiated with the presenters and the volunteers on what they would be doing and
when.
Welcoming people The Smoking ceremony Dean Stewart began the Solstice Global
Healing gathering. He welcomed everyone on
behalf of the Yalukit Wilam Clan of the
Boon Wurrung to their land and their place,
and guided all those who had gathered
through the smoke ceremony that purified
and sanctified the space where the event was
being held and all those attending it. The
spirit of the land and the spiritual wellbeing
of all those who gathered was enhanced by
this ceremony. The prayers and thoughts of
life, healing and wholeness that the Solstice
encapsulates were present, confirming that
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this ceremony was the correct way to begin the
occasion.
Councillor Serge Thomann, local City
Councillor and chair of the City of Port Phillip
Multifaith Network, welcomed people to the
event on behalf of the City of Port Phillip that
was the major sponsor of the celebration. We
are grateful that Cr Thomann was able to stay
for most of the whole event. He provided useful
help and advice throughout the event. It was
good to see a Councillor enjoying himself!
Unveiling the Mandala
Fr Bob Maguire addressed the gathering and spoke
of the baptism of a baby that he had just taken. He hoped that the positiveness and hope that he had
just experienced would be experienced in this event as well. Following his presentation, Fr Bob and
Bakta Dasa, from the Hare Krishna Temple, unveiled the Mandala. Fr Bob was interviewed and
appeared later that evening on Channel 7 Network.
The Programme Unfolds - Musical Performers
Matthew Fagan on the guitar and Hal Tropp
playing the didjeridoo provided a gentle and
calming flow of sound as people gathered in the
marque for the event to begin. They set the
atmosphere of peace that pervaded the rest of the
gathering.
Part of the entertainment was provided by a group
of singers and musicians from Harmony Workshop
Arts and Crafts, who sang some Australian folk
songs. Their participation in the event gave
recognition to the thousands of Australian
songwriters, singers and musicians who have
entertained and brought joy to people across the country and internationally. The words of their
songs reflecting the diversity of the cultures, languages and beliefs that exist in Australia.
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Later in the afternoon Jasbir Singh, from the Victoria Sikh Community, brought a prayer and reading from
Sikh sacred writings to the sound of beautiful a
traditional wind instrument played by his daughter,
Amrit Kaur.
Lavinia Edmunds delighted the crowd when she
Ingram and made famous by Linda Ronstadt. The
Lyrics were very apt for the occasion.
Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight
Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing
on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky
Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true.
The last group to perform musical items was
from the Christ Church St Kilda Anglican Parish
on Acland Street. Some of the parishioners and
clergy sang waiata (songs) and Te Inoi a te Ariki
Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Guest Speakers
Throughout the afternoon there were speakers, singers, and
entertainers who shared their understanding and
appreciation of the opportunity for the community to gather
to celebrate the change of seasons and value of life and
living. Moshim Mohammed, from the Muslim community,
who was accompanied by his two children. quoted from the
t terrorist
attacks carried out by self-proclaimed Muslims and,
specifically, to the hostage siege in Sydney in December
2014, Moshim said that they are not caused by religion but
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the political hijacking of religious groups. The event organisers considered that it was courageous
of Moshim to speak at the event and to bring his wife and family with him. But their presence and
participation exemplified what the event is all about: A celebration of peace, harmony and justice in
a world where there is too much violence, disharmony and injustice.
Other faith speakers brought a similar message, among them was Rabbi Dovid Tsop, who presented
his perspective on being part of the community in Port Phillip and wider Melbourne and the Jewish
presence and participation in the life and wellbeing of the city.
The community groups reinforced the need for family and
relationships. This was poignantly expressed by Les
especially a child who collected all the wrapping paper as she
wanted to preserve the feeling of getting a present, probably
her very first.
Louis Delaney, speaking on behalf of the Ngwala Willambong
Co-op (Galiamble Men's Recovery Centre), is an amazing
young Aboriginal man whose creativity in art was presented in
some of the prayer flags and the Mandala. He read a
composition he had written that talked of his life experiences
and the positive change that his life had undergone in recent
years. The Solstice Global Healing Event is a celebration of
such transitions in life.
Special events
In addition to the programme mentioned
above, there were three highlights that
occurred that exemplify the meaning of global
healing that we celebrate at this time of year.
We had a visit by Father Christmas or Santa
Claus who distributed presents to
participants, children, young people and the
not-so-young people. Here we see him giving
gifts to the children of Moshim Mohammed,
the Muslim speaker, who were a little wary of receiving
a parcel from a strange looking man with his white
beard and hair and dressed in red.
The Sun Goddess graced the event with her presence felt
from her great height, standing high above everyone.
Wearing her crown of authority, bearing her staff of
power, carrying the produce of the harvest, and dressed
in her regale gown, the Sun Goddess announced good
tidings to all she encountered.
http://www.darebin.org/Directory/Agency.aspx?Mkey=241&S3Key=284http://www.darebin.org/Directory/Agency.aspx?Mkey=241&S3Key=284 -
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The Solstice Global Healing Day could not have passed without making a statement in honour of
the bearers of peace and goodwill. In this troubled world where war, violence, and destruction seem
to be endemic, and the exploitation and pollution of the environment occurs daily, the release of
white doves reminded us that there can be hope and that humanity can rise above the abuse,
oppression and inhumane acts perpetrated against one another.
The Solstice Global Healing afternoon was indeed an event of celebration that was done through
music and entertainment, through serious messages and addresses were given. There certainly was a
joie de vie where new friendships were made and old ones affirmed, where people enjoyed the
companionship of people they knew and also with strangers. The diversity of peoples was evident
not only in the ethnicities and cultures present but also in the religious faiths, philosophies and
ideologies that were expressed by those who participated. The event demonstrated that there is
something valuable and precious that people have in common and should be celebrated, and this is
their humanity.
This report above that was written by Fr Turi Hollis, Vicar at Christ Church St Kilda Anglican
Parish
some of the food supplies to the event, was Santa Claus and also performed in the Maori Choir on
the day.