A Multifaith Garden Proposal

IFFACT Faith groups follow Climate Change Summit with a focus on care for our environment. The fact that our environment is the result of billions of years of evolution only makes it more precious. By gratefully aligning ourselves with Nature we achieve an understanding of the universal processes that produce our environment and develop Wonder for the the world in which we live.

Email Vernon Bailey to be involved

Lennox Garden near BarBQ

Proposed Multifaith Site A

Objective The aims of establishing a Multifaith Environment Garden are:

i) to symbolize the commitment of our constituent faith groups to appreciate, respect and care for our environment and to follow sustainable lifestyles

ii) to provide a place where people of any faith may come and meditate on environmental issues, and possibly have public meetings on the subject.

IFFACT meetings have considered environmental issues over the years and each of our faith groups agree on a deep commitment to the environment and to sustainable living.

Recently IFFACT agreed to approach the ACT Government on the possiblity of providing IFFACT access to a small piece of public land to establish a Multifaith Environment Garden.

Link to Light Festival in Canberra Nara Park 2007

Site B King's Park looking S to Carillion

Criteria proposed to the ACT Government for selection of a site

i) Suggested size: between 25 x 25 metres and 100 x 100 metres.

ii) Accessibility to the public by bus service.

iii) In a central area of Canberra – just on the north side or just on the south side, so as to be readily accessible by people without a car from either side of the city.

Site C Grevillia Park W of King's Bridge

iv) An area not surrounded by too much traffic, noise or tall buildings

v) Water supply available on or near the site

vi) Preferably currently not already planted with trees, but rather, grassland or waste land

vii) Suitable to have a modest-sized gazebo installed on portion of it, to facilitate meditation and meetings (0-12 people)

viii) May be part of another ‘development’ such as a peace park, botanical reserve or other public project whose objectives would be in harmony with those of the Environment Garden.

The MultiFaith Garden could include a Peace Pole as a minor feature in the landscape. This could form a focus for developing a network of Peace Pole gardens in private lands throughout Canberra and the ACT.

The ACT Government has suggested three sites: Eddison Park (Site D) in Woden; Black Mountain Peninsula; and Grevillia Park (Site C) West of King's Avenue Bridge. This third proposal (Site C) is already a lmost a Zerescapic Garden with Australian Natives in abundance. Black Mountain peninsula is not serviced by Public transport. Whichever site is chosen as the final site the sinplicity of including a Peace Pole would provide a focus for extending a network of such garden Peace Poles throughout Canberra.

Site D Eddison Park Woden

A Bolder in a 30m diameter Circle of NSEW stones

Site A in Lennox Garden is not avaialble as the area near the Albert Hall is being redeveloped. Kings Park has a lovely site about 150m west of the Police memorial. It is close to transport and has toilets and a BarBQ nearby. A single large boulder could form the focus of a design in this area but again its availability is yet to be determined.

Although Lennox PArk is not available, the inclusion of a simple Peace Pole in the Nara Park area would demonstrate solidarity with the Citizens of Nara who donated so generously to the original concept of a Peace Park. In time this could become the axis of similar Peace Pole Gardens throughout Canberra.

Link to World Peace Pole web site.

IFF ACT is supported by members of Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian Denominations, Muslim, Sikh, Baha'i, Sathya Sai, Brahma Kumaris, & Sukyo Mahikari communities.