CRCS&ICRS invite you all to come in Wednesday Forum. Dr. Simon Rae, a visiting lecturer at CRCS, will be a speaker of Wednesday Forum. He will present his paper under the title �Beyond Toleration � Managing Religion in Civil Society � reflections on challenges in New Zealand and Indonesia�. Wednesday forum will be held on:

Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Time: 12.30 pm � 2.30 pm
Venue: Room 306, Third floor, UGM Graduate School Jln. Teknika Utara Pogung Yogyakarta

Simon Rae first came to Indonesia with his wife and family in 1972. Now officially �retired'. Simon does contract teaching for Otago University and is involved in a number of international programmes � the Asia Bible Commentary series (buku tafsiran), the History of Chrstianity in Indonesia project and he has recently translated Professor Karel Steenbrink's De Jezusverzen in de Koran (2006) for publication in India.

As usual, the Wednesday Forum is free of charge. Please come and enjoy lunch and discussion

Below is short description of the paper

Topic: �Beyond Toleration � Managing Religion in Civil Society � reflections on challenges in New Zealand and Indonesia�.

In today�s world many people call for a wider toleration of ethnic, political and religious differences. While toleration is always better than conflict and tension, this paper will argue that we can go one step further, and learn from each other and to enjoy each other�s friendship. We can be companions on our journey through life, neighbours and supporters in times of difficulty and challenge.

The paper will look at the role of government and religion in New Zealand and in Indonesia, two very different societies, and will look to the recent and more distant past for examples of religious communities living side by side � if not in perfect harmony at least in a friendship that was more than toleration.