Welcome to: 
   
   Engaging Buddhism in Australia Conference 2004 
 

 MEDIA RELEASE

Buddha on the Street: Engaging Buddhism in Australia Conference

'Engaging Buddhism in Australia' is the first national Buddhist conference to
 show how Australia's fastest growing religion* is working to solve contemporary
 social problems in Australia. 

The conference - at Victoria University, St Albans campus, from 20-22 February
2004 - brings together Australian Buddhists to demonstrate how they engage
with Australian society in a diverse range of social programs including: 

. Rehabilitation of prisoners.
. Palliative care for hospital patients and support for their families.
. Teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy to secondary school students.
. Environmental restoration of urban landscapes.
. Internet information and education services.
. Developing educational curriculum for 8000 Buddhist Victorian primary 
  schoolchildren.

The chair of the conference organising committee (representing several Buddhist
organisations and Victoria University), Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan, says Buddhism
engages with the real issues of people's lives.

Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan -  abbot of the Quang Minh Temple at  Braybrook 
serving over 10,000 followers - says his community is involved in projects such
as cleaning up the Maribyrnong River, rehabilitating drug addicted youth,  providing
free vegetarian meals to low income families and transforming a former rubbish dump
into a wildlife habitat. 

*(According to the ABS 2001 Census, Buddhists form the fastest growing religious
community in Australia -  with nearly 358,000 people -  and Buddhism is now the
second largest religion after Christianity. There are 111,690 followers of Buddhism in
Victoria with the two biggest concentrations being in Greater Dandenong where there
are 16,678 Buddhists (15 percent or 1 in 7 of residents) and Brimbank with 14,905 
Buddhists (10 percent or 1 in 10 of residents.)

Media and conference contact details
. Engaging Buddhism stories - media coordinator Gerald Frape (03) 9388 8355 
  mob: 0403 99 3717 gfrape@austarmetro.com.au
. Further details about the Engaging Buddhism in Australia Conference can be
  obtained by contacting the conference Secretariat above. 
. Conference coordination: Vincent Cavuoto (03) 9300 2722 Mob: 0413 597 821
. Registration details call Jo 0402 472 253. 
. Full details of the program and background information on speakers can be
  obtained from the Engaging Buddhism Conference website. 

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