Foxy,
<<The Leadership Training Program for young Muslims
of which you speak is part of MANY programs
on offer at the Centre for Dialogue at La Trobe
University.>>
All universities have MANY programmes.
The mere existence of other programmes does not justify any individual programme.
Where are the fully government funded Leadership Training Programmes for Young Buddhists, Young Hindus, Young Exclusive Brethren, Young Catholics, etc?
I still can't seem to find them at the site you linked to.
<<You give the impression that only
Muslims are being catered for. Not the case.>>
You give the impression that young people of other faiths are being catered for.
Can you give a direct link to the sites so that young Buddhists, Jehovahs Witnesses, Mormons, Sikhs etc, can apply for these programmes?
I personally can't see why a supposedly secular government is giving Young Leadership Programmes where eligibility is based on adherence to a particular faith and, if it is, why are similar programmes not available in equal measure to young people of all religions?
I find your comment that
<<It had the full support of the previous Prime Minister -
John Howard.>>
particularly amusing.
The Pacific Solution also had John Howard's full support, so I'm assuming that justifies it in your eyes too?

Word to the wise, KMB.

When you're at the bottom of a hole, stop digging.

Accept the fact that you have been caught wearing your whack-a-mozzie T-shirt, and lie low for a while.

You know it makes sense.

Dear KMB,

The website I
gave quite clearly states what its
functions are, and gives
a list of projects that have been established
to date. However, for any further additional
information you may
contact them on (03) 9479-2140. They'll be able
to answer whatever you wish to know.

If you found my mentioning the fact that the former
Australian Prime Minister John Howard supported this initiative,
"amusing,"
then you'll really find it hilarious, that he wasn't the only
one who did. "Distinguished scholars, international research
centres, religious leaders and twenty five foreign
governments" did also.

This is not about a single entity receiving preferential
treatment - "several promising research and educational projects have
emerged since the Centre's opening." However as I said -
give them a ring to learn more.

Foxy,
You say that <<This is not about a single entity receiving preferential treatment>>
There are no Leadership Training Programs for people of any faith other than Young Muslims.
Isn't this preferential treatment?
You quote that <<"several promising research and educational projects have emerged since the Centre's opening.">>
Just because an institution has produced "several promising research and educational projects" does this absolve it of observing basic equity considerations?
Furthermore, the mere fact that La Trobe University's New Centre for Dialogue has illustrious support does not validate its exclusion of young non-Muslim people from equivalent leadership programs.
I am betting that if the Centre for Dialogue was running a fully government funded Leadership Training Program for Young Exclusive Brethren, and no-one else, you would view the situation entirely differently.

Should We Train Leaders...Based on Their Religious Belief?..raises an interesting juxtposition,should leaders be trained according to their beliefs,or acording to our expectations of what we expect from a leader..based on our higher expectation based on our own more benevolant humanistic beliefs.

the current system of chosing those who lead us isnt working.. we have political hack's.. who know the political;systems..getting the control over party selection, funding, exicution as well as the process from birth to grave...based on a selective bonus availment system.

john howhard made sure politically organised[reprisentative resistance is impossable..[he arranged for the hemp/[help end marijuana prohibition]party ..amoung others..to be sent back to the wilderness via systemised political process,..ended the ability of elected people to form parties,and many other political machinations..[to the nett affect of stifiling voices of discent]

but the thing is the process dosnt train nothing but ever increasding mediocracy..[if anything its a learning of how to sellout and give favour for favour]..where the contacts made by being in govt ensure an ongoing perpetualised[centralised]elite's cartel

making[seeking]only their own comfort and advantages[and ridiculously a life long pension and over generous superanuation sceme that makes sure the cream for loyal party service has ongoing affects laughingly called public service

the only religion held by our politicoes is a feigned religious form of christian/judeic perversity,..paid in full by lip service, and betrayal of the public weal..[were govt truelly xtian it would reveal a love of neighbour..[not love oppression and perpetual war on neighbour and citisenry alike]

[the current training system has failed the vast majority of us]..the party loyalty is hardly worthy..yet remains a fondly and religiously held self-selective belief system..devised by demons creating demon-autoc-rat-tic-/auto-cracy..auto-[crazy]

Dear KMB,

Again, you're simply focusing on only one thing.
You looking at one program that is currently
running - and you're assuming that this is being
done to the exclusion of other faiths. It isn't.
As I said in my previous post - the Centre has only
been running since late 2006. It was set up to
specialise in the theory and practice of dialogue
across ALL religious, cultural, political and
economic dimensions both nationally and internationally.
That is its purpose.

It has on its Board of Advisors - representatives from
the Buddhist Council of Australia, Pax Christi Victoria,
Australian Catholic University, Uniting Church of Australia,
Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Victorian Council of
Churches just to name a few. The Bishop of the Anglican
Diocese of Melbourne's Northern Region - Right Reverand Phillip
Huggins is on the Board of Management.

Surely this to you must indicate that this a Centre
that covers all faiths, and not just the one program
that is currently running and on which you've chosen to focus.
No one is being excluded - except by you.
The aim of the Centre is
about inclusion - not exclusion - as the management and
organisation of the Centre clearly indicates.

Again, as I said in my previous post - give them a ring -
ask about other programs - satisfy yourself. The reason
the Centre was set up was to promote greater understanding
and tolerance between different societies, cultures, and
faiths. But then if you'd really read the initial website
that I gave you'd realize and understand that.