FABC News
We take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and New Year.
We look forward to more dialogue and working together with the government and the different faith groups in harmony.
May all be well and happy!
By Samantha Turnbull (ABC North Coast) | Dec 2016:
New South Wales public schools are struggling to keep up with demand for Buddhism scripture teachers.
Buddhist Council of New South Wales chairman Brian White said there were more than 3,000 public school students across the state studying Buddhism, and the number was growing rapidly.
"It's driven by a few things — general raising of awareness in meditation right across society and how beneficial that can be, and the realisation that even six and seven-year-olds can meditate for a few minutes and benefit from that," Mr White said.
Audio: High demand for Buddhism scripture classes (ABC News)
The Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC)’s Statement on the proposed change to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA)
The FABC does not support any change to Section18C of the RDA.
The FABC supports right speech which is part of the teachings of the Buddha.
The FABC is of the view that there should be a balance between freedom of expression and the freedom to be protected from speech which offends, insults, humiliates or intimidates someone because of his or her race.
No freedom is absolute and the freedom of expression should not override the freedom to be protected from racially offensive behaviour.
The FABC is of the view that the section18C in its current form read together with section 18D provides the right balance.
Section 18C makes it unlawful to do an act which is reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to ‘offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate' someone because of his or her race.
Section18D protects any fair comment or reporting on a matter of public interest, and any sentiment expressed ‘in the course of any statement, publication, discussion or debate made or held for any genuine academic, artistic or scientific purpose’.