KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Justice Michael Kirby (Principal Keynote Speaker)

Michael Donald Kirby was appointed to the High Court of Australia in February 1996. At the time of his appointment he was President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, having been appointed to that office in September 1984. He was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1967. He was appointed a Deputy President of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission in 1975. He served as first Chairperson of the Australian Law Reform Commission from 1975 to 1984. In 1983 he became a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, serving on that Court until 1984.

Michael Kirby has held numerous national and international positions including on the Board of CSIRO, as President of the Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands, as UN Special Representative in Cambodia and as President of the International Commission of Jurists. In 1991 he was appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia,

His Excellency Seyyed Mohammad Khatami (President of Iran 1997-2005)

A message from His Excellency Seyyed Mohammad Khatami will be read at the Conference.

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal was officially invested as Crown Prince to the Hashemite Throne of Jordan, in April 1965. He has been awarded numerous awards, medals and honorary degrees from universities in the UK, US, Russia, Turkey, Japan and elsewhere. In Jordan, HRH established: the Royal Scientific Society, the Arab Thought Forum, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies.

In July 2003, Prince Hassan founded the International Cultures Foundation. In July 2003, he launched Partners in Humanity, which aims to improve understanding, build positive relationships and promote dialogue between the Muslim and western worlds. The Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue (FIIRD) was established, with Prince Hassan as Co-founder and Board Member.

Prince Hassan chairs and is a member of a number of international committees and organisations, including:

- President of the Club of Rome (1999 – present);

- Chairman of the Independent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues;

- Chairman of the Board for the Center for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the University of Oklahoma International Programs Center;

- Co-president of the International Tolerance Foundation for Humanities and Social Studies, St. Petersburg (since 2006);

- International Patron of Rights and Humanity;

- Commissioner of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC);

- Member of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Washington, D.C. (since 2002);

- Member of the Trilateral Commission;

- Member of the International Advisory Board of Forum 2000;

- Member of the International Board of the Council on Foreign Relations;

- Member of the Committee of Notables of the Institut Català de la Mediterrània (since 2001).

In June 2003, following the U.N. General Assembly resolution 56/266, HRH was elected as one of five regional experts in the Independent Eminent Experts group, appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to implement the Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that took place in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.

Prince Hassan is the author of seven books:

- A Study on Jerusalem (1979) (English);

- Palestinian Self-Determination (1981) (English, Arabic);

- Search for Peace (1984) (English, Arabic);

- Christianity in the Arab World (1994) (English, Arabic, French, Greek, Spanish, Russian, German, Swedish);

- Essere Musulmano – Co-authored with Alain Elkann – (2001) (Italian, French, Spanish) To Be A Muslim (English – released 2003);

- Continuity, Innovation and Change: Selected Essays (2001);

- In Memory of Faisal I: The Iraqi Question (2003) (Arabic).

Prof. Dr. Muddathir Abdel-Rahim (International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization, International Islamic University of Malaysia)

Muddathir Abdel-Rahim obtained a B.A. (Gen.) in Economics, History and Arabic from the University of London (1955); B.A. (Hons.) First Class in Politics, Nottingham University, U.K. (1958); and Ph.D. in Economic and Social Studies (Government), Manchester University (1964).

Muddathir was formerly Vice-Chancellor of Omdurman Islamic University, UNESCO Senior Expert in Social Sciences and Ambassador to the Nordic countries. He is a political scientist with special interest in Islamic political thought and institutions, international relations, human rights, minorities and inter-civilizational dialogue. He has taught in a number of universities in the Arab World, Africa, Europe, and the United States including Khartoum, Kano, Rabat Manchester University in the UK and Temple University in the U.S.

His published works include Imperialism and Nationalism in The Sudan : A Study in Constitutional and Political Development 1899–1956 (Oxford, 1969); Human Rights in Theory and Practice ( Beirut , 1968); Islam in the Sudan (Cairo, 1987); Islam in Africa (Damascus, 2001) and The Human Rights Tradition in Islam, Praeger, (Westpoint, U.S. and London, 2005). A member of the Jordanian Royal Academy of Islamic Civilization Studies since 1984, Professor Muddathir was a consultant at the Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) from 1995 to 1997. Since 1997 he has been Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies at ISTAC where he has recently (April 2007) been designated a Very Distinguished Academic Fellow.

Most Revd Dr Peter Carnley (Retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia).

Dr Carnley is the Chairman of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Panel of Reference for the Anglican Communion. He was the Archbishop of Perth from 1981 to 2005. He has been a strong advocate of the ordination of women.

In 2003 he a united front of all Australian Anglican bishops except Peter Jensen of Sydney in opposing the Australian Government's involvement in the invasion of Iraq.

Since the 1980s he has also served as co-chair of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission seeking greater union and even full communion between the Catholic and Anglican Churches.

Rabbi Melissa Weintraub (Co-Founder, Co-Director, Encounter)

Rabbi Melissa Weintraub is the co-founder and North American Director of Encounter, an educational organization dedicated to providing Jewish Diaspora leaders from across the religious and political spectrum with exposure to Palestinian life. Melissa was ordained as a Conservative Rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2006, and currently represents the Seminary as a Rabbinic Fellow in Conservative communities throughout the country. Melissa has served as Director of Education and Outreach at Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, as a prison  chaplain in Indiana and is a veteran of Jewish-Muslim and Israeli-Palestinian  people-to-people initiatives.

Her recent publications include: "Warriors, Prophets, Peacemakers, and Disciples:  A Call to Action in the Face of Religious-Inspired Violence," (in Righteous Indignation: A Jewish Call for Justice) and "Torture and Torah: Human Dignity and Self-Defense in Jewish Law" (forthcoming in Torture Is a Moral Issue: Christians, Jews, Muslims, and People of Conscience Speak Out). Recipient of a grant from the Samuel Ruben Foundation, Melissa is currently working on a book exploring Jewish religious responses to terror.

As North American director of Encounter, a pioneering peace-building organization she founded in Israel three years ago, Melissa has helped shepherd Encounter from an idea around a dinner table in Fall 2004 into one of the most effective peace-building programs in Israel and North America. In 2007, Encounter was named to the "Slingshot 50" as one of 50 American Jewish organizations that stand out for "innovation, impact, leadership, and effectiveness." 
 

Reverend Professor James Haire - KSJ, MA (Oxon), Grad DipMiss (Leiden), PhD (Birmingham), HonDD (Belfast), Hon DUniv (GU)

Professor James Haire is Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C), Professor of Theology of Charles Sturt University (CSU), and Director of the Public and Contextual Theology Strategic Research Centre (PACT), all based in Canberra.  He took up his appointment in Canberra in October 2003. Before coming to Canberra, from 1987 to 2003 he was Professor and Head of the School of Theology at Griffith University in Brisbane, Professor of New Testament Studies and Principal at Trinity College, Brisbane, and Dean and President of the Brisbane College of Theology.

Dr Chandra Muzaffar

Chandra Muzaffar is one of Asia’s leading intellectuals. He currently holds the Noordin Sopiee Chair in Global Studies at the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, Universiti Sains Malysia. He is also the President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and is associated with many other international NGOs concerned with social justice and civilisational dialogue.

Chandra Muzaffar has authored a number of books and articles on religion, human rights, Malaysian politics and international relations. Dr. Chandra was the first director and professor at the Center for Civilisational Dialogue at University Malaya from 1997-1999.

Recent publications include: Rights, Religion and Reform - Enhancing Human Dignity through Spiritual and Moral Transformation; Subverting Greed - Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy; Muslims, Dialogue, Terror; and Global Ethic or Global Hegemony?

Associate Professor Chaiwat Satha-Anand

Chaiwat SATHA‑ANAND, born 1955 in Bangkok, teaches "Violence and Nonviolence in Politics" and "Political Philosophy" at Thammasat University in Thailand. His research interests include religions and nonviolence, forgiveness in politics and nonviolent security policies. He has published some 20 books both in Thailand and abroad. Some of his academic writings were translated and published in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, German and Italian.

His most recent books published in Thai include: Abhai-Withi (The Way of Forgiveness), Friends/enemies and the politics of forgiveness (2000), Living Weapons: A Critique of Violence from Critical Peace Research Perspective (2003). His recent books in other languages include: Islam E Nonviolenza [in Italian, 1997); The Frontiers of Nonviolence [in English] (as co‑editor, 2002); Agama Dan Budaya Perdamaian [in Bahasa Indonesia] (Religion and Peace Culture, 2001). His most recent articles include: "Understanding the Success of Terrorism, "Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (April 2002), "Forgiveness as a Nonviolent Security Policy," Social Alternatives (Autumn 2002), "Forgiveness in Southeast Asia: Political Necessities and Sacred Justifications," Pacifica Review (October 2002).

In addition to serving as the Director of Peace Information Center, Foundation for Democracy and Development Studies, some of his other positions include: Vice‑President of the Foundation for Children's Development, and Vice‑President of the Strategic Nonviolence Commission, National Security Council. He was Vice‑Rector for Academic Affairs of Thammasat University and President of the Social Science Association of Thailand.

Dr Makruf Jamhari - Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Islam and Society at the National Islam University (PPIM-UIN, Jakarta).

Having received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the Australian National University, Dr Jamhari is a reputed researcher on Islamic studies with a focus on the installation of democracy in Islamic society and Muslim's compatibility with civil society.

Among his current interests and concerns is the aggravated poverty in rural areas as an underlying root cause for the upsurge of religious fundamentalism. Dr Jamhari facilitates the interdisciplinary research activities of PPIM-UIN Jakarta, which are designed to enhance mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. He grapples with injustice against Muslim communities due to misperceptions, and explores the contemporary significance of Islam through the linkage with Western value systems.

His publications include "Islamic Contemporary Movement: The Rise of Islamic Radicalism" (Logos, 2004).

Professor Amin Saikal, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (The Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University.

Professor Saikal is a specialist in the politics, history, political economy and international relations of the Middle East and Central Asia. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University, Cambridge University and the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), as well as a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow in International Relations (1983-1988). In April 2006, he was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to the international community and to education, and as an author and adviser. He is also a member of many national and international academic organisations, and the author of numerous works on the Middle East, Central Asia, and Russia. His major works include Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival (I.B. Tauris, 2006); Islam and the West: Conflict or Co-operation? (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003); The Rise and Fall of the Shah (Princeton University Press, 1980); (co-author) Regime Change in Afghanistan: Foreign Intervention and the Politics of Legitimacy (Westview Press, 1991); (co-editor) Islamic Perspectives on the New Millennium, Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2004; (co-editor) Democratization in the Middle East: Experiences, Struggles, Challenges (New York: United Nations University Press, 2003); (co-editor) The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan (Cambridge University Press, 1989); (co-editor) Russia: In Search of its Future (Cambridge University Press, 1995). Professor Saikal has also published many articles in international journals, as well as numerous feature articles in major international newspapers, including the International Herald Tribune. He is also a frequent commentator on radio and television.

Sr Gholamali Khoshroo, Former Deputy Foreign Minister for legal and International Affairs, Iran (2002-2005)

Khoshroo is assistant of President Khatami on "Alliance of civilizations" and Dialogue among Civilizations". He has served as the Dean of the School for International Relations(1983-89); Ambassador to the United Nations (1989-95); Deputy Foreign Minister for Research and Education, Ambassador to Australia (1999-2002), Member of OIC Commission of Eminent Persons on "Enlightened Moderation". As a sociologist he studied at Tehran University and New School for Social Research, New York, U.S.A. He has published several articles and books on political and social affairs. In recent years, he has worked extensively  on the development of contemporary political Islam and its implication for western societies. In 2005 he asked for early retirement from from the Foreign Ministry  and is currently serving as the senior editor of the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Islam, to be published in English.

Dr Kamran Mofid

Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative and Co- founder/Editor, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Good, holds dual British and Canadian nationality, was born in Tehran, Iran in 1952, received his BA and MA in economics from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, in 1980 and 1982 respectively. In 1986 he was awarded his doctorate in economics from the University of Birmingham, UK. In 2001 he received a Certificate in Education in Pastoral Studies at Plater College, Oxford.

In 2002 he founded an annual international conference on An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good. The Inaugural Conference took place in Oxford and in 2003 it was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 2004 conference was held in Dubai. The 2005 conference was held in Nairobi and Kericho, Kenya. The 2006 Conference was held at Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the 2007 Conference was held at Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Dr. Mofid is currently carrying out research on the relationship between economics, spirituality, ethics, cultures, faiths and globalisation. These are highlighted in his co-authored recently published book, Promoting the Common Good: Bringing Economics and Theology Together: A Theologian and an Economist in Dialogue, Rev. Marcus Braybrooke and Kamran Mofid, Foreword by Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford (Shepheard-Walwyn, London, June 2005). Kamran lives in Coventry with his wife Annie and their two sons, Kevin and Paul.

Web sites:

http://www.globalisationforthecommongood.info/