Dialogue Australasian Network

The Dialogue Australasian Network (DAN) is a Trans-Tasman collective of over 300 organizations and schools affecting over 200,000 Australasian secondary school students. Membership includes some of the oldest and most influential schools such as Melbourne Grammar School, in Auckland, New Zealand, Sydney and Hale School in Perth Western Australia. DAN is an incorporated association managed by an Executive Officer who is appointed by a Board. The DAN Board is made up of Headmasters and Headmistresses from schools across the denominational spectrum. DAN has had a remarkable influence on the shape of Religious Education programs in Australasian Independent and Catholic schools considering its short history. DAN promotes academic rigor in Religious and Values Education and uses a five strand approach.
The five strands are:
* The Biblical and Christian Tradition
* World Religions
* Theoretical and Applied Ethics
* Philosophy of Religion
* Affective Strand (Teaching Stillness and Silence)
This approach was introduced to Australasian schools in 1997 by Dr Peter Vardy, then Vice Principal of Heythrop College at the University of London. and reflects an educational model used throughout the United Kingdom.
Origins
Dialogue Australia
In 1997 Dr Beverley Zimmerman was invited by Dr Vardy to edit a new journal to be titled Dialogue Australia. The purpose of the journal mirrored its UK name sake, to improve the quality of Religious and Values Education. The journal grew in popularity, particularly among Australasian Independent Schools. These schools sought a more academic approach to Religious Education as different from a catechetical approach which seeks to inculcate a faith tradition in school age students. Each year (1997 - 2012) Dr Vardy visited each Australian state and various New Zealand centers to conduct teacher training seminars and student seminars. These seminars introduced teachers and students to a rigorous academic approach to the 5 Strands.

The five strands form the framework for articles in the Dialogue Australia journal and for the professional development sessions run in each capital city and some regional centers. Later in 2001 the name of the journal changed to Dialogue Australasia in order to include New Zealand schools which were subscribing to the journal in increasing numbers. In 2003 due to ill health Dr Zimmerman handed over the role of Editor of the journal to Matthew Wills and later to Deborah Stevens who acted as editor until 2008. Initially Dialogue Australasia was based in Newcastle but from 2001 the organization was run increasingly out of South Australia.
Dialogue Australasian Network
In 1997 Dr Vardy was invited to speak at an AHISA (Association of Heads in Independent Schools in Australia) conference about the 5 Strand Approach to Religious and Values Education. Following on from this there was a clear indication from many Australian Headmasters from influential schools that they wanted to see a change in the quality of Religious Education in Australian Schools. Various Headmasters and others interested in this vision agreed to meet in 2001 at St Ignatius College in Sydney. Mr Paul Sheahan, then Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School, Mr John Inverarity, then Headmaster Hale School (Perth), Fr Chris Gleeson then Headmaster (Sydney) Dr Peter Vardy Vice Principal Heythrop College London, Mr Matthew Wills then Head of Religious & Values Education at Westminster School Adelaide, Mrs Deborah Stevens, Head of Religious Studies, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Christchurch NZ and Sr Beverley Zimmerman (Newcastle Catholic Education Office) met to discuss future directions. These people agreed to work towards a national conference to be held at Canberra Girls' Grammar School in the following year. It was also agreed to float the idea of a national network at the conference. During the time leading up to the conference a logo was developed by students at and a more extensive website was developed by Mr Wills.
Over 220 delegates met at the "Becoming Fully Human" Conference in October 2002 to hear from speakers and participate in workshops on the 5 Strands. Delegates met during the conference and agreed to return to their schools and discuss the possibility of joining their school up as a member of the Dialogue Australasian Network. Fr Chris Gleeson was elected at that conference as the Chairman of the DAN Board. During 2002 Mr John Redden was seconded from Geelong Grammar School to travel throughout Australia spending time in each state working with schools to construct curriculum.
The Early Years - 2003 - 2007
In 2003 a national conference was held at Melbourne Grammar School and titled Becoming Fully Human - Another Step Forward. Almost 300 delegates attended the conference and heard from inspiring speakers and attended a variety of workshops on topics related to the five strand approach. Speakers included Dr Peter Vardy, Dr Jeremy Hall and Chris Gleeson. At this stage there were almost 200 member schools and organizations of DAN. Members received copies of the journal, regular newsletters, access to online resources and discount on Professional Development opportunities. DAN was also conducting Senior Students Ethics Seminars in many Australian States where Dr Vardy would speak to large groups of students about issues in theoretical and applied ethics. These seminars were attended by up to 3000 students. Some schools subscribed to the journal but were not members of DAN. Due to ill health Chris Gleeson had to step down from his role as Chairman of the DAN Board and Paul Sheahan agreed to step into this role. In 2003 Mr Matthew Wills conducted workshops in each Australian state and in New Zealand on Teaching World Religions. During 2003 Dr Vardy conducted Professional Development Seminars in each Australian State and in New Zealand on Teaching Ethics in Schools.
An Executive Officer was first appointed in 2004. The Board met early in that year at Melbourne Grammar School and agreed to appoint Mr Matthew Wills to the position of Executive Officer. Subsequent to this a National Executive was also established consisting of 6-7 people each representing an Australian state or New Zealand and who would conduct Professional Development sessions and represent the interests of their State in the affairs of DAN. The inaugural DAN Executive consisted of Tony Brennan (Tasmania), Trevor Cichero (Queensland), Jamie Large, (South Australia) Deborah Stevens (New Zealand), Dominic Hodnett (Western Australia), Sarah Morris (Western Australia), Michael Schell (New South Wales), Peter Vardy (UK), Felicity McCutcheon (Australian Capital Territory) and Phil Chapel (Australian Capital Territory). In 2004 a national conference was held at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. At this stage there were 220 members of the DAN network and many schools just subscribing to the journal. In 2004 the Executive Officer conducted seminars on "Teaching Stillness and Silence" in each Australian State and in New Zealand. In 2004 the Spirited Art Competition was initiated by the Executive Officer whereby schools were invited to enter Art Work under four categories for which there was a monetary prize. In 2004 Dr Vardy and Julie Arliss conducted seminars in each Australian State and in New Zealand on Teaching about Good and Evil in Australasian Schools.
In 2005 a national conference was held at Newington College in Sydney. Speakers included Dr Peter Vardy, Professor Brian Hill and ABC's Rachel Kohn. In 2005 Dr Vardy conducted seminars in each Australian State and in New Zealand on Teaching Philosophy and Religion through Art. In March 2006 Dr Felicity McCutcheon conducted seminars titled Resilience and Reality in each Australian state and in NZ. During this year various new initiatives were instigated including Farmington Institute Fellowships for Australian teachers to travel to the UK and participate in fully subsidized professional development at Oxford.
A fifth national conference was held in 2006 at King's College Auckland. The title of the conference was Beyond the Curriculum: Developing the Whole Person. Speakers included Professor Rosalind Hursthouse, Professor David Whitehead and Dr Eric Ryan. During 2006 Professional Development Seminars were conducted by Kathryn Wills in NSW, Vic and SA on teaching the 5 Strands in the Primary Years. Dr Vardy conducted seminars for teachers on the Nature of God in each capital city. Students ethics seminars were also conducted in each state with 1300 students attending the Adelaide Seminar. In 2006 several new courses were established to in- service teachers in how to apply rigour in Religious Education. Charles Sturt University introduced a Certificate in Philosophy and Religion and Flinders University introduced a new MA in Religion and Ethics.
In 2007 the sixth national conference was held at Lourdes Hill College in Brisbane. The title of the conference was "The Crisis of Meaning, Challenges facing Science & Religion in the 21st Century". Speakers included Dr Felicity McCutcheon who spoke about Ways to Approach the Concept of Creation. Other Speakers were Dr Eamonn Conway and Dr Mark Worthing. DAN membership at this stage had reached 450 institutions and individuals and many others that were simply subscribing to the journal.
The Later Years - 2007 - Now
In 2007 the Executive Officer Mr Matthew Wills was appointed to the position of Head of Philosophy, Values and Religion at Hale School in Perth. Due to his appointment to this position and subsequent move from South Australia the DAN office also moved to Western Australia in that year. Following the national conference in Brisbane he stood down from this position and this resulted in a period of hiatus with no-one at the helm. In 2008 Belinda Hill was appointed as the second Executive officer for the Dialogue Australasian Network. Paul Sheahan resigned as Chairman of the DAN Board in the same year as he retired from his position as Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School. Mr Roy Kelley was appointed to the position of Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar's in 2009 and accepted the role of Chairman of the DAN Board in the same year. Dr Vardy had earlier established a separate organization titled "Wombat Education". This business increasingly managed all of Dr Vardy's speaking engagements and book sales. While Dr Vardy continued as a member of the Board and Executive of DAN most of the administrative side of his engagements was conducted completely by Wombat Education.
Since then Dialogue Australasia Network has become a registered company governed by the DAN Board and guided by a new constitution. The Network currently consists of 300 members including Independent, Catholic and Government schools and Educational Bodies in Australia and New Zealand. The affairs of the network are conducted by the Executive Officer with the support of the Executive.
Conferences are now held bi-annually. In 2009 a conference was held at Old Parliament House, Canberra in 2009, titled “Teaching the Abrahamic Religions: Christianity in Dialogue with Judaism & Islam”. This conference included speakers such as the Honourable Ursula Stephens, Professor Andrew Wright from King’s College, University of London and Professor Abdullah Saeed, Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne. In 2011 a conference was held at Newington College titled Engaging Sceptical Minds with Ultimate Questions. Keynote speakers included Gary Gach, Dr Felicity McCutcheon and Dr Jeremy Hall.
The 2013 DAN Conference was held in Adelaide SA.
Current DAN Board members are : Roy Kelley (Board Chair) - Headmaster Melbourne Grammar, VIC, Stephen Webber - Headmaster, Guildford Grammar School, WA, Bradley Fenner - Headmaster King’s College, NZ and Rev. Nikolai Blaskow - Chair of Dialogue Australasia Journal (Ex officio).
The current DAN Executive members are: Phil Chappell - Canberra Grammar School, ACT, Jeremy Hall - Newington College, NSW, Belinda Hill - Executive Officer, WA, Eleanor O’Donnell - Melbourne Grammar School, VIC, Terry McDevitt - Westminster School, SA,

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