Companions In Dialogue is a newly formed interfaith association which was launched on Thursday May 28th, 2009 by Peter Kirkwood, past producer of ABC religious program Compass.
Companions In Dialogue (CID) is an association of men and women from different religious and cultural traditions committed to principles of respect and compassion seeking to support one another in individual and common activities that promote interreligious dialogue and understanding. CID's objectives are
- To provide a forum for interreligious dialogue among its members.
- To devise ways of promoting interreligious dialogue as a group by creative programs and by every suitable form of advocacy.
The launch was followed by a panel of Christian and Muslim speakers engaging with and responding to the document A Common Word Between Us and You. Speakers included Imam Afroz Ali, Fr Patrick McInerney, Jeena Joyan and Donna Jacobs Sife.
Issued on October 2007, and endorsed by 138 Muslim scholars & leaders, A Common Word Between Us and You is an open letter and call to Christian leaders everywhere. It is a historical and unprecedented document that has further paved the way in developing deeper and more enriching relationships between people of faith, particularly Christians and Muslims. The document affirms that love of God and love of neighbour are the most fundamental common ground between Islam and Christianity, and the best basis for future dialogue and understanding.
The conference on A Common Word was a fitting event for the launch of Companions In Dialogue. As Imam Afroz aptly summed it up in his paper "Companions in Dialogue is an association of women and men of different religions and cultural traditions committed to principles of respect and compassion as echoed in A Common Word Between Us and You. The introduction of this document to the wider Australian society through this conference and various other activities of Companions in Dialogue is an important and further step towards advocacy for a common voice for inter-religious harmony in Australia."