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About the New Pentecost Forum
 The
New Pentecost Forum is not a movement or
organisation but a partnership and meeting place of many church
and faith-based community groups and individuals involved
in welfare, development, peace, justice and the ecology.
The Forum is an affirmation of faith-based participation
in political life as well as diversity and inclusiveness within
the church. This ecumenical event is on Pentecost Sunday,
itself a symbol of diversity – different tongues speaking
and a place in which the disciples became aware of their evangelising
mission. It is part of the wider vision to create an enduring
space for diverse groups to support one another so that all
might participate more actively in the political life.
Initiating partners or sponsors include the Australian Catholic
Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ACMICA), Australian
Catholic University (ACU), Cardijn Lay Community (CLC), Edmund
Rice Centre, Pax Christi (NSW, QLD, NZ), Franciscan Justice
and Peace Office, Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia,
Young Christian Workers (YCW - VIC, NSW), Young Christian
Students (YCS - NSW), Young People for Development (YPD),
Online Catholics, The Mercy Foundation and Trade Winds.
For the 2005 Forum, featuring Chico Whitaker, there is also
wider involvement from the Sydney Social Forum and Melbourne
Social Forum. A feature of the developing New Pentecost partnership
is the active involvement of young people and groups in the
planning and organising processes.
You are invited to join this project and share our vision.
How the Forum works
At a usual conference, the focus is on the lectures with
workshops pre-planned around a set agenda. The New Pentecost
Forum turns this format on its head. There are 3 organised
lectures but the real focus of the day will occur in
between these lectures when participants are encouraged to
network, to debate, to strategise and plan action among themselves.
These sessions will be self-organised by you, the
participants. The Forum merely provides the opportunity to
meet and the space to gather in the spirit of participation,
diversity and cooperation. We call this the 'free space' method
of organisation.
About the 2005 speakers
 Francisco
'Chico' Whitaker, the keynote speaker, is a Brazilian
thinker and activist and a pioneer in new ways of organising
diverse groups interested in creating a just world. He has
worked with Bishop Helder Camara and Paulo Freire and is a
member of the Executive Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops'
Justice and Peace Commission. He is a key founder of the World
Social Forum, a strategy for bringing together diverse groups
from around the world. His commitment and ideas have been
a key inspiration for this year's Forum.
Click here for a detailed bio of
Chico, interview and downloads
Phil Glendenning is the director of the
Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education, a
Christian Brothers social justice education and advocacy centre.
He is also National President of Australians for Native Title
and Reconciliation (ANTaR), a coalition of 260,000 Australians
and 120 national organisations in support of indigenous peoples’
rights, and Secretary of Australians for Just Refugee Programs
and the A Just Australia national campaign.
Rev. Dr. Dorothy McRae-McMahon was the minister
of the Pitt Street Uniting Church in central Sydney and former
National Director for Mission of the Uniting Church until
her retirement in 1997. From 1993-1998, she was Moderator
of the World Council of Churches Assembly Worship Committee
– the first woman to hold that position. She is the
author of several books on prayers and liturgy.
Fr Michael Whelan SM PhD has served as Principal
of the Catholic Theological Union (Sydney) and as President
of the Sydney College of Divinity. He is a founding member
of Catalyst for Renewal and continues as Executive Director
of that group and editor of its journal The Mix. Michael is
currently the Director of the Aquinas Academy in Sydney where
he gives courses in spirituality.
Julie Morgan (facilitator) is the Promoter
of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation for the Franciscan
Friars in Australia. In this diverse role Julie works closely
with Franciscans International in Geneva on a range of regional
human rights advocacy issues. She conducts human rights education
and peacebuilding training for the Franciscans and for Caritas
Internationalis. Julie holds degrees in teaching, counselling,
theology, and philosophy.
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