Sydney's Bridges of Faith

A young team has produced The Sydney Statement, an evidence-based interfaith charter designed to build bridges between believers of different religions.

Over two years, around 200 young people met to propose and approve steps that would allow people of all faiths in Sydney, and the world, to flourish as part of a resilient and harmonious society. Supported by research from Western’s Challenging Racism Project, the deliberations, organised by Youth PoWR (Parliament of the World’s Religions), resulted in the drafting of The Sydney Statement, officially launched on 9 February 2021. 

“I envision that The Sydney Statement will become a living document that presents core values, principles and commitments that challenge and question its readers, regardless of the context or times, to make a better society for all,” says Ryan Epondulan, youth coordinator of The Sydney Statement Executive Committee.

Western researchers analysed 21 interfaith declarations issued since 1990 from across the globe to provide guidelines for the drafting of The Sydney Statement. “Most of the declarations were developed by single-faith groups and written by faith leaders or executive committees,” says sociologist, Rachel Sharples. There was little evidence of their impact or of best-practice examples that were effective in directing pro-social action. In comparison, The Sydney Statement was drafted using lessons gained from Western researchers’ study of previous interfaith documents and their efficacy.

Sharples says, the pro-social action component of The Sydney Statement complements the team’s work on bystander anti-racism, which looks at how people can make informed decisions about standing up against racism and discrimination. 

The Sydney Statement stands out from previous interfaith declarations because youth were in the driving seat, adds Epondulan. He believes it has already had an impact. “At each consultation, young people were surprised by how much they had learned about other religious traditions,” he says. “I think the process of discussion, collaboration and review for this new interfaith charter will make them more confident to engage in dialogue.”

Importantly, The Sydney Statement provides suggestions about how its commitments, related to human rights, social justice issues, and caring for the environment, can be implemented. These include ideas like identifying elements in one’s own religion that are relevant to engaging with others, suggestions of interfaith events to get involved in, and resources about community organisations and activities.

The statement has so far been endorsed by nearly 200 people, including 25 leaders of seven faith groups and organisations. Other endorsers include 17 individuals from interfaith and educational organisations, and from government, including members of parliament. 

“Wisdom. Compassion. Diligence. These are the qualities of our humanity that are powerfully represented by The Sydney Statement. My endorsement is a sign of support for the wonderful opportunities presented by our multi-religious world,” says Sophie Vo, Buddhist representative on the Youth PoWR Committee.

Youth PoWR designated the 19th of March, the date the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened, ‘Bridge Day’, a day for building interfaith bridges to promote a cohesive multicultural society.