Friday, April 22, 2011

Observe Mother earth Day & World Malaria Day


OBSERVE MOTHER EARTH DAY & WORLD MALARIA DAY

All CCs observe Mother Earth Day on April 22 by doing something to improve our personal environment today--use less energy, clean a closet, recycle more, write to an elected official about energy policy, take a walk in appreciation of nature. I also encourage you to pray for Mother Earth and be grateful for all that she supplies to life. World Malaria Day on April 25 is another opportunity to pray for our brothers and sisters who have to work to avoid getting malaria or work to get healthy after contracting it. Even though malaria is preventable and curable, it makes people sick, poor and hungry.

Mother Earth Day is April 22, as passed by the UN General Assembly in 2009. the United States began celebrating Earth Day on this date in 1970.

“Sixty years after adopting the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights], Mother Earth is now, finally, having her rights recognized,” said President Morales, immediately following the Assembly’s unanimous adoption of a resolution designating 22 April each year as International Mother Earth Day (A/63/L.69).

World Malaria Day is April 25. World Malaria Day is more than just a date on the calendar — it's a call to action to end this preventable disease. I have included two websites for information and ideas for action.

May Peace Prevail on Earth,

Monica

Monica Willard
United Religions Initiative
United Nations NGO Representative
www.uri.org

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

URI INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Important Notice

URI INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, KERALA

We are happy to announce the inauguration of URI International Peace Research Institute (IPRI) here in Kerala in conjunction with the Fourth International Holy Books Conference (Intertextuality Series), scheduled to be held at Karickam from 27- to 29 August, 2011. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan has kindly consented to inaugurate the Conference and Sri Prasanna Venkatachariar Chaturvedi Swamiji (Chairman, Ramanuja Mission India Trust) will kindly inaugurate the URI Peace Research Institute. We expect Rev. Canon Dr. Charles Gibbs, URI International Executive Director to inaugurate the IPRI endowment Fund by receiving the first contributions of one lakh rupees each from Sri. Chaturvedi Swamiji and Dr. Abraham Karickam. Our goal is to raise one crore rupees by accepting generous donations of one lakh each from 100 people.

Dignitaries from different parts of the world will attend. They will include Dr. Ruwan Palapathwala (RMIT, Melbourne), Ven. Dr. Jinwol Lee (Korea), Ian Fry (Australia), Shanthi Hettiarachchi (UK), Galina Ermolina (Siberia), Prof. Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam (Dhaka University), Dr. Andrew Wicking (Australia), Dr. Sujathatha Wijetilleke (Sri Lanka), Kesava Swami (Argentina), Ifthekar Hai (U.S.A), Swami Vasudeva Rao (Vedanta Institute, Calcutta), Justice P.K. Shamsuddin (WFIRC), Fr. Albert Nambiarparampil (WFIRC), Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph (Former Director, ECC, Bangalore), Chittaranjan Polson (ECC, Bangalore), Fr. M. D. Thomas (CBCI, New Delhi), Kunjumone George (U.S.A) and so on. We beseech your wholehearted prayers, blessings and support. Drops make an ocean. Humble initiatives can become great movements. Now is the time to save humanity and our world from further strife and destruction. Let us light a candle and the veil of darkness will vanish. Kindly try to bless us with your esteemed presence on the occasion of this inauguration. Looking forward to your guidance,

Dr. Abraham Karickam

Executive Secretary, URI Asia Region

Mob : 0091-9446593013,0091-471-2454087

Email: karickam@gmail.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

JUST LIGHT A CANDLE


Dear Friends


I just light a candle for Japan Victims.
Join us to pray for those who have lost their lives and hope for the best for those who have survived.
It is time to light a candle and Pray...

Prof. John Kurakar

URI 10TH ANNIVERSARY


URI 10th Anniversary and UN IDP Celebration in Barcelona

On September 24-27, 2010, the URI Europe board met in Barcelona
(Catalonia/Spain), graciously hosted by Elisabeth and the UNESCOCAT/AUDIR
CC. It was a very successful meeting, including:

- board meetings with strategic planning, planning for URI Europe Assembly
in Istanbul end of October,
- a lunch meeting with the Catalonian network of interfaith organisations,
coordinated by UNESCOCAT/AUDIR,
- the URI 10th Anniversary and UN IDP (International Day of Peace)
celebration by UNESCOCAT and URI Europe.

The URI 10th Anniversary and UN IDP celebration took place at a public
library in the centre of Barcelona with a beautiful view onto a tropic
garden scenery. Approx. 150 people participated with people standing, as
there was not space anymore. (And this, even though it was a special holiday
weekend....).

An interfaith choir sang wonderful songs from different faiths traditions.

Various people made short speeches:
- Felix Marti, Founder and Former President of UNESCOCAT, who had signed the
URI Charter in Pittsburgh 2010,
- Nathalie Reverdin, President of AUDIR, who had participated in a Latin
American URI Assembly,
- Karimah Stauch, Kiran Bali, Martin Gurvich and Sheikh Bashir for URI
Europe.

Francesc Torradeflot led through the programme. He had first participated in
URI at the URI Europe Assembly in Budapest, Hungary, 2000.

URI Europe awarded UNESCOCAT/AUDIR a certificate of recognition for their
excellent work for peace, justice and healing.

We are deeply grateful to ELISABETH LHEURE and UNESCOCAT/AUDIR, whose
hospitality was just fantastic!!!


Warm greetings
Karimah

Prof. John Kurakar

REVEREND CHARLES P. GIBBS


Reverend Charles P. Gibbs

Reverend Charles P. Gibbs has been Executive Director of URI (United Religions Initiative) since its inception 14 years ago. URI is a global network of 500 grassroots organizations, called Cooperation Circles, dedicated to peace and justice through interfaith and cross-cultural cooperation. Its nearly half a million members are overcoming distrust and hostility every day for the good of their communities -- mediating religiously motivated conflict; building schools, orphanages and health clinics; campaigning for citizenship rights and more in 78 countries. They touch the lives of an estimated 2.5 million people.

Reverend Gibbs has overseen the growth of the organization from 83 member organizations in 2000 to more than 500 today, and helped create its award-winning Traveling Peace Academy. During this time, he has worked with religious, spiritual and other leaders around the world, and has written extensively about interfaith peace and cooperation as a key foundational element for tackling poverty, disease, environmental degradation and other critical issues that cross religious, cultural and geographic lines. He and colleague Sally Mahé co-authored a book, Birth of a Global Community, about the creation of URI. He brings to his leadership role an abiding belief in the sacredness of all beings, a belief that underpins his commitment to the inclusive, grassroots approach that has made URI and its work so successful.

Before coming to URI, Rev. Gibbs served for six years as Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in San Francisco. For six years previous to that, he served as the Executive Director of the San Rafael Canal Ministry, an interfaith ministry of service and outreach, primarily among immigrants and refugees, in Marin County, California. Rev. Gibbs taught writing at the University of Minnesota and worked in the theater prior to his ordainment.

Prof. John Kurakar