World peace: Canterbury Interfaith Society prays for world peace
- led by Dame Susan Devoy, NZ Race Relations Commissioner
Organised by the Canterbury Interfaith Society (CIS), the annual prayers for world peace were held at the Peace Bell, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, recently, with around 100 people attending including the Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy. Notably, working with several groups, NZ Human Rights Commission had released a Statement on Religious Diversity in 2007, which encompasses international human rights treaties and NZ Bill of Rights Act. This was what led to the formation of CIS.
Surinder Tandon, who is also the President of Christchurch Multicultural Council, and has been representing the Hindu faith at CIS since its inception in 2008, noted, “New Zealand is country of diverse faiths, ethnicities and cultures. At CIS, we work together to promote greater understanding and harmony among diverse religious as well as ethnic communities, so that all our people enjoy the freedom to practise their faiths and cultures. It's a voluntary non-profit association of people representing diverse religious communities in Christchurch and the wider Canterbury Region. Today is our annual event celebrating and praying for world peace.”
Members of the Canterbury Interfaith Society with NZ's Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy
Susan Devoy at the World Peace Bell in Christchurch's Botanical Gardens
- This story and pictures are contributed by Dr Surinder Tandon, who is the representative of Hindu faith in the Canterbury Interfaith Society.
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