Innovative delivery mechanisms: Australian aid partnership with churches in Papua New Guinea

The Australian Aid programme is currently valued at AUD5 billion. The majority of this aid flows to the Asia Pacific region with Papua New Guinea and Indonesia being the largest recipients. In addition to traditional delivery mechanisms-bilateral and multilateral-the Australian Government has piloted a small partnership activity with Churches in Papua New Guinea. This paper will consider this model and the benefit it brings. Possible extension of this partnership model to non-Christian religious faiths in other countries, such as Islamic nationwide organisations in Indonesia, is also discussed.

Humaniversity: remembering the moral soul of education

The higher institutions nowadays faced extreme competition from others institutions, in which they also need to cope with the demand and the expectation of the people surrounding them. Some of the value that is used to be held in the higher institutions seems to be forgotten just for the sake of profit or even for self advancement. This book will discuss “the Humaniversity”, a concept that highlights the humanity, knowledge and balance in the higher institutions. Through the concept of “Humaniversity”, readers will be exposed to the correlation between “Humaniversity” and theory, spiritual philosophy and historical discourse. This will introduce readers to the Islamic concepts of Adab, which will be briefly discussed in the book.

Religiosity, citizenship and belonging: the everyday experiences of young Australian Muslims

 Since 11 September 2001 Muslim Diasporas have emerged as objects of anxiety in Western societies. Underlying this (in)security-driven problematisation is the question of whether Muslims living in the West have the capacity to become fully active citizens while maintaining their religious beliefs, rituals and practices. This apprehension has prompted reactionary government programmes, particularly targeting young Muslims. Such responses fail to recognise the societal capacities that practising Muslims possess, including those informed by the ethical precepts of Islamic faith. This paper argues that it is timely to explore expressions of Islamic religiosity as they are grounded in everyday multicultural environments. The paper draws on survey data and interviews conducted with Muslims living in Melbourne, Australia. We take into consideration key variables of age and generation to highlight how young, practising Muslims enact citizenship through Islamic rituals and faith-based practices and traditions. The paper will draw from key findings to argue that these performances provide a foundation for exploring ways of ‘living’ together in a manner that privileges ethics central to Islamic faith traditions.