| The United Religions
Initiative (URI) is a growing global community
of individuals, organizations, and associations
working to build cultures of peace and justice
for the benefit of the entire Earth Community.
Care for the Earth is central to URI’s vision
and values, which are clearly expressed in its
Charter, the foundation and guide for all URI activities.
Among other stated commitments to diversity, inclusivity,
and nonviolence are the following: “We unite
to heal and protect the earth” (Preamble); “The
purpose of [URI] . . . to create cultures of
peace, justice, and healing for the Earth and all
living beings” (Purpose); and “We act
from sound ecological practices to protect and
preserve the Earth for both present and future
generations” (Principles). Members from different
traditions and locations around the world are continuously
creating the URI through their shared vision, partnerships,
and projects. Although its global coordinating
office is located in San Francisco, URI is a decentralized,
non-hierarchical, and inclusive organization with
regional staffing in seven geographic areas (Africa,
Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean,
the Middle East, North America, and the Pacific).
Self-organizing Cooperation Circles, which operate
locally and are connected globally, form the core
of URI. To qualify as a Cooperation Circle, a group
must have at least seven members from at least
three different religious, spiritual, or indigenous
traditions. Through locally initiated actions,
people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds
draw upon their resourcefulness, creativity, and
religious values to deepen their understanding
of other faiths and contribute to positive change
in their communities. Circles take on cooperative
projects of various kinds, some of which focus
specifically on environmental concerns. In India,
for example, Cooperation Circle initiatives include:
tree planting, water and waste management, environmental
programs for youth, and the restoration of cremation
grounds. Circles in the United States, such as
Spiritual Alliance for the Earth (SAFE) in the
San Francisco Bay Area and Faith in Place in Chicago,
also focus on environmental issues. In addition
to the Cooperation Circles, which form the heart
of the Initiative, URI is supported by its Affiliates:
individuals and organizations that share its values
and participate in some of its global projects.
At present, there are more than 200 Cooperation
Circles with more than 15,000 members in fourty-seven
different countries.
Together, they represent over eighty-eight religious,
spiritual, and indigenous traditions and consist
of women, men, elders, youth, and people from
different cultures and nations who share a common
vision
and commitment to the URI Charter. |
| Inter-religious: Christianity |
| International |
| 1993–Present |
| The origins of the United
Religions Initiative (URI) date back to an inter-religious
service commemorating the fiftieth anniversary
of the United Nations (UN) in San Francisco held
in 1995. When
first asked to host the event in 1993, Bishop William
Swing of the Episcopal Diocese of California decided
to launch a worldwide initiative to build an enduring
global organization dedicated to creating cultures
of peace and justice for the entire Earth Community.
URI held the first of five Global Summits in 1996,
the last of which was the URI Charter Signing in
2000. In addition to its global summits, URI has
sponsored numerous regional summits and gatherings
around the world. Since its founding, over a million
people have participated in URI events. The Initiative
has organized inter-religious projects in more
than sixty countries and generated a global, inter-religious,
community
of Cooperation Circles and Affiliates. |
| “The purpose of
the United Religions Initiative is to promote enduring,
daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously
motivated violence and to create cultures of peace,
justice, and healing for the Earth and all living
beings.” |
The Chaordic Alliance
Council for the Parliament of the World’s
Religions
Habitat for Humanity
International
Interfaith Organization
Social Innovations in
Global Management
United Nations
World Peace
Prayer Society |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
The United Religions
Initiative
P.O. Box 29242
San Francisco, CA 94129
Ph: 415.561.2300
Fax: 415.561.2313
Email: office@uri.org |
