Pacific Islands harmony can be an example for the world

Pacific Islands Forum members and leaders were invited to communicate truth without aggression at an Ecumenical Prayer Service to accompany the forum in Cairns last week.

Guest preacher Reverend Professor James Haire invited the 400 people attending the Service in St Monica’s Cathedral to participate in consensus decision-making  and to advance, at all opportunities, the eight goals of the Millennial Declaration (MDG) of the United Nations.

Dr Haire is Professor of Theology at Charles Sturt University, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, and Director of the Public and Contextual Theology Strategic Research Centre

He is also a Past President of the National Council of Churches in Australia and the Uniting Church in Australia.

Sponsored by UnitingWorld and the Pacific Communities Council Far North Queensland, the Prayer Service was supported by the Uniting, Catholic and other Cairns churches together with Centacare’s Migrant Settlement Services.

The Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi attended the service which included music provided by the Cairns Samoan Community.

Professor Haire said the remarkable multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, multi-religious society that has developed in the Pacific region can be an example of harmony which can have a vast impact internationally.

You can read the full text of Professor Haire’s sermon here.