Chantelle Ogilvie received Affinity Youth Community Award for showing outstanding leadership in the area interfaith dialogue

The 5th Affinity Intercultural Foundation Friendship and Dialogue Dinner was held on 7 September 2008. The evening was an occasion to celebrate the bonds of friendship that had been forged and strengthened over the past 12 months through interfaith dialogue.

At the dinner, the recipients of the 2008 Australian Affinity Awards were announced.
The winner of the Youth Community Award was Chantelle Ogilvie, Research & Project Officer with the Justice & Peace Office in the Archdiocese of Sydney. Chantelle was a participant in the inaugural Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship and is known to many in the Diocese of Parramatta through her work with YCW and YCS.

Published in the November 2008 edition of Catholic Outlook, Diocese of Parramatta

Chantelle Ogilvie received Affinity’s Youth Community Award for showing outstanding leadership in the area of interfaith dialogue

The 5th Affinity Intercultural Foundation Friendship and Dialogue Dinner was held on 7 September 2008. The evening was an occasion to celebrate the bonds of friendship that had been forged and strengthened over the past 12 months through interfaith dialogue.

At the dinner, the recipients of the 2008 Australian Affinity Awards were announced.

The winner of the Youth Community Award was Chantelle Ogilvie, Research & Project Officer with the Justice & Peace Office in the Archdiocese of Sydney.

Chantelle was a participant in the inaugural Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship and is known to many in the Diocese of Parramatta through her work with YCW and YCS.

The Youth Community Award acknowledges and applauds outstanding leadership displayed by its young recipient in serving their community and its people.

The recipients of the other awards were:
Interfaith Dialogue – Bishop Issam Darwish, Melkite Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand;
Academic – Prof Clive Pearson, Principal, Uniting Theological College;
Public Service – Paul Lynch MP, State Member for Liverpool and Minister for Local Government, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health);
Media – Matt Campbell, Director Television and Online Content, SBS TV;
Education – Helen Clarke, Head of Religious Studies and Social Justice at Knox Grammar School;
Muslim Community – Aziza Abdel Halim, President, Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia; and
Youth Community – Dirga Adnan, Founder and Vice President of ALIVE Indonesian Youth Group.

Keynote speaker at the dinner was Laurie Ferguson MP, Federal Member for Reid and Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services.

Mr Ferguson addressed the issue of Australian multiculturalism in the 21st Century, stating that we should be proud of the country we live in and the variety of cultures that surround us.

He said this truly hit him after attending a delegate meeting overseas and seeing the different and colourful cultures that Australia produced for the world to see.

Affinity’s Executive Officer, Mehmet Ozalp, gave the annual Affinity address in which he thanked the foundation’s friends who had shown their support through the years.

“When we took a step to you, you took 10 to us, and if we were to walk to you, you would I am sure, come to us running.”

Organisers said the event brought out familiar and new faces and demonstrated the importance of dialogue.

One guest spoke of her experience as “being enlightened by the culture of dialogue”. She also said that she could not believe how many people had given up their Sunday evening to be there.

“It is very touching, especially when you switch on your TV and you are bombarded by the negative images of violence, hatred and intolerance. And then to come here and share this wonderful food and experience with people who are Muslims and non-Muslims, it really puts things into perspective and makes you realise that there really are some great people in this world who are trying to make a difference.”

For more information about interfaith dialogue in the Diocese of Parramatta please contact Lorraine Murphy, Chairperson of the Commission for Ecumenism & Interfaith Dialogue, tel (02) 9871 7293, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Booklet speaks to interfaith dialogue
A new publication designed to encourage and inform Catholics about interfaith dialogue has been published by Bishop Kevin Manning. The booklet entitled, Christian-Muslim Relations: Guidelines for Catholics in the Diocese of Parramatta, is co-authored by Vivienne Keely CHF and Herman Roborgh SJ. Copies can be purchased for $5.00 + P&H: tel (02) 9683 6277.