Building on the success of the Inaugural Tour in October 2016, the Community Safety Team again organised a tour of local places of worship within the District 8 area with the theme being, Many Faiths, One People.
This tour was an opportunity to visit places of worship of local faith communities and included;
- Shri Shiva Vishnu Hindu Temple in Carrum Downs
- Albanian Islamic Mosque in Dandenong South
- St Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church in Keysborough
- Sikh Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Keysborough
- Bright Moon Buddhist Temple in Springvale
Those that attended on the tour included staff and volunteers from CFA, MFB, SES, VICPOL, AFP (Australian Federal Police) and Dandenong Neighbour Hood House who we have been working very closely with over the past year and a half.
This was a perfect opportunity to see the diversity within the District 8 area, focusing on the religious and faith dimensions of multiculturalism.
It was an opportunity to be welcomed by a community leader of each faith and learn from them something of their belief, practices and community here in Australia.
The day started off with quick briefing by Operations Manager, Mark Kennedy who reflected on his experiences from the previous Interfaith Tour in 2016 prior to boarding the bus for a day of education and enjoyment.
Highlights from the day included;
- Learning about customs and rituals and having the chance to be part of one.
- Learning about the history of the Mosque and the variety of people who attend to worship.
- Indulging in Turkish delight during morning tea.
- Seeing magnificent religious artwork and murals including an incredible dome and ceiling.
- Partaking in a fabulous tasty lunch with no limits on the number of serves that you could have.
- Being able to view 3 giant golden Buddha’s as well as smelling an assortment of incense odours.
Comments throughout the day from those that attended on the tour were very positive. Last year there were 23 attendees on the tour and this year 35.
Author: Steven Corrigan