Colloquium

The Muslim-Christian Colloquium explores practical educational policy options for the promotion of interfaith cooperation in the new global climate.

The tragic events of 11 September 2001 and the continuing challenges involving interfaith relations in places such as Asia, Africa and the Middle East remind us of the urgent and on-going need to re-examine interfaith relations as a basis for informing action by governments and communities in the current global environment.

In recent years there have been a number of gatherings throughout the world that have addressed the issue of interfaith relations. The international conference on Christians and Muslims in the Commonwealth: A Dynamic Role for the Future, held in June 2000 at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor in the United Kingdom, made a significant contribution to intellectual discourse and the broadening of international networks in this area, and resulted in an important publication.

The University of Melbourne has been encouraged by the sponsors of the Cumberland Lodge Conference - the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Foundation of St Catharine's, The Altajir World of Islam Trust and the Commonwealth Foundation - to host a follow-up colloquium in Australia.

From 11-13 February 2004, nearly seventy leading community, religious and academic experts from Australia, the Asia Pacific region and the Commonwealth of Nations gathered at Trinity College on the campus of the University of Melbourne to discuss the evolving nature of Muslim-Christian relations in the new climate of international terrorism and formulate a series of educational policy options for promoting interfaith harmony.

2004 Colloquium Opening Public Lecture
2004 Colloquium Participants

Asialink, The University of Melbourne

Colloquium