Attached are Certificate of Appreciation from the Hawaii Senate, and testimonies from a senator and a bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji mission, regarding their participation in the All Believers Network's symposium "Moving from Exclusion to Inclusion in My Religion" and in the reading of the interfaith poem, "In which language does God speak?" I could not attach these with our entries. Thanks .

We’re very happy to submit this our application for you consideration for the the 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week prize in our work to promote interfaith harmony and religious understanding here in Canberra, Australia. The Canberra Interfaith Forum (CIF) is a small interfaith group located in Canberra, Australia and comprised of the regular faith members including (Indigenous Australians) and in no particular order: Indigenous (Australian), Pagan, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Christian, Hinduism, Sikh, Quaker, Baha'i, Sathya Sai, Sukyo Mahikari and Brahma Kumaris. Over the years Canberra Interfaith Forum (CIF) has presented many workshops and events and we have included in our application the forum booklet for a 2012 event in addition to the supporting material for this our February 10th 2013 event. This 2013 application contains the following supporting documents: The program for the our February 10th 2013 interfaith event. Supporting letters of testimony and recommendations (various). The welcome speech from the Indigenous (Aboriginal) representative Rod Little. This cover letter and various photographs of this event (Feb 10th 2013) and other events CIF has organised and facilitated. The A4 event poster A recording of the radio interview broadcast the day before our event with Mr Dean Sahu Khan (our Chair) being interviewed by an ABC radio local radio host. Our 2013 event in conjunction with the National Multicultural Festival was held on Sunday 10th February 2013 here in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. From 10am through to 12pm we were able to present to a series of short demonstrations of various faith practices each running approximately 5-10 minutes ranging in diversity from Tongan Christian choir to a demonstration of Zen practice (please see the Feb 10th event program for a full outline). During the one hour lunch we were entertained with spiritual music from acoustic guitarist and singer Peter Clark after which we arrived at the main presentation of the day (from 1.00 pm to about 4.00 pm) which was the forum where faith members representing various faith groups were able to An Interfaith Symposium on the theme ‘How can my spiritual tradition contribute to community partnership for the future’ after this which questions were taken from the floor. There was lively discussion and debate which we feel has added to interfaith understanding and much improved cooperation. For this 2013 event, we were also able to arrange with Anna Eskelund, Chair of the Danish interfaith group ‘Tro i Harmoni , Faith in Harmony’ to celebrate UN World Interfaith Harmony Week and the Global chain of light ceremony held on February 3rd 2013. Unfortunately due to weather we were unable to light candles (Canberra is prone to bushfires at this time of year) but negotiated with Anna to instead have a ‘Peace Pole’ which was facilitated on the day by Mr. Terry Quinn of CIF. Though our event was held a short time after the official 'week' of World Interfaith Harmony Week' we would ask for your discretion in allowing us this application as we have endeavoured to include The official UN week and a specific World Interfaith Harmony Week event in our program. In support of our application we’d also like to add Canberra Interfaith Forum has with the Palliative Care Society (ACT) and the wonderful work of Dr. Vernon Bailey established an interfaith garden (Environment Meditation & Healing Garden) that is an ongoing project and source of work with youth groups and interfaith members of the community. The garden is dedicated to the representative faith members and is an ongoing source of focus and further inspiration. The CIF holds meetings typically every month with more meetings being held in the lead up to events such as our Feb 10th 2013 event. Photographs (mainly from CIF member Terry Quinn) were taken at the event throughout the day some of which can be seen below as well as an audio interview recorded on ABC radio the day before the February 10th event. With gratitude and blessings from Canberra, Mr. David Jenkins Correspondence Secretary Canberra Interfaith Forum Canberra, ACT, Australia. +61 2 6101 1348 --

World Faith Chapters in six countries- India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda- each organized an event in which interfaith youth engaged in dialogue through service, uniting to tackle a local community issue. In total, 400 volunteers completed over 1,000 hours of service in these six countries. In India, volunteers distributed election ID cards to over 7,000 homeless citizens in Delhi, many of whom are now able to vote for the first time. In Indonesia, Muslims, Christians, and Hindus from the Interfaith Women School had roundtable discussions about how religion could help the peace-building process in post-conflict areas. Participants were mostly women expressing their reflections as victims as well as survivors of the conflict in Poso. A follow-up ‘Peace Dance’ occurred on Feb. 14th in downtown Poso, where over 100 people danced for 1 hour with a 500-meter dance. Done in conjunction with One Billion Rising, the dance was the first anti-violence campaign by women and children to occur in Poso’s public spaces. In Pakistan, we held two events: a panel discussion on ‘The Scope of Interfaith Dialogue in Pakistan’, with 76 participants, and the Diversity Tour to Worship Places, in which 23 young people of mixed faiths visited Muslim mosques, Hindu mandirs, Sikh temples and Christian churches, learning about each others’ beliefs and practices while exploring local diversity and inclusiveness. In Kenya, we participated in an interfaith peace camp organized by the Seventh Day adventist church in Naivasha, an area prone to violence during the electioneering period. We met with many Christian residents there, including the Ambassadors of Christ Choir from Rwanda, who came to share their experiences from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. In Nigeria, our chapter organized a meeting between Christians and Muslims in the town of Kurudu, giving space for community leaders to discuss their perspectives on peace and being the first such event to include women in the discussion. 87 people gathered to have interfaith dialogue for peace, 25 of whom were local religious Chiefs. In Uganda, volunteers organized donation drives for local schools, gathering scholastic supplies, and elderly outreach programs, donating food and clothes while increasing community awareness regarding their care.

World Faith Chapters in six countries- India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda- each organized an event in which interfaith youth engaged in dialogue through service, uniting to tackle a local community issue. In total, 400 volunteers completed over 1,000 hours of service in these six countries. In India, volunteers distributed election ID cards to over 7,000 homeless citizens in Delhi, many of whom are now able to vote for the first time. In Indonesia, Muslims, Christians, and Hindus from the Interfaith Women School had roundtable discussions about how religion could help the peace-building process in post-conflict areas. Participants were mostly women expressing their reflections as victims as well as survivors of the conflict in Poso. A follow-up ‘Peace Dance’ occurred on Feb. 14th in downtown Poso, where over 100 people danced for 1 hour with a 500-meter dance. Done in conjunction with One Billion Rising, the dance was the first anti-violence campaign by women and children to occur in Poso’s public spaces. In Pakistan, we held two events: a panel discussion on ‘The Scope of Interfaith Dialogue in Pakistan’, with 76 participants, and the Diversity Tour to Worship Places, in which 23 young people of mixed faiths visited Muslim mosques, Hindu mandirs, Sikh temples and Christian churches, learning about each others’ beliefs and practices while exploring local diversity and inclusiveness. In Kenya, we participated in an interfaith peace camp organized by the Seventh Day adventist church in Naivasha, an area prone to violence during the electioneering period. We met with many Christian residents there, including the Ambassadors of Christ Choir from Rwanda, who came to share their experiences from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. In Nigeria, our chapter organized a meeting between Christians and Muslims in the town of Kurudu, giving space for community leaders to discuss their perspectives on peace and being the first such event to include women in the discussion. 87 people gathered to have interfaith dialogue for peace, 25 of whom were local religious Chiefs. In Uganda, volunteers organized donation drives for local schools, gathering scholastic supplies, and elderly outreach programs, donating food and clothes while increasing community awareness regarding their care.

Inspired by this successful example, the initiative now launched aims at reaching out to SYRIAN YOUTHS whose lives are being destroyed by the war and their studies disrupted. It aims at establishing an International Youth Exchange Program open to SYRIAN students ages 17-21 that offers them a fully-funded academic year abroad. The program may include a vocational element. This Program is called WIHWI 4 SY – World Interfaith Harmony Week Initiative for Syrian Youth. It gets inspiration from the World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration and is to be launched on the occasion of its 2013 edition.

Harmony Interfaith organized an informal talk on the issue on 03rd February 2013. The theme was ‘Commonality in Religion’. People from all walks of life and faith leaders actively participated in the discussion.