New URI
CCs! - February 2014(2)
Maria Crespo 
Six new Cooperation Circles joined our community in February.
Addressing different economic, environmental, political and social challenges,
they will be strengthened by URI's dynamic movement to promote enduring
interfaith cooperation to end religiously motivated violence. We hope that
these new CCs will help spread cultures of peace, justice and healing for the
Earth and all living beings. They belong to four different URI Regions: Asia,
Middle East & North Africa, Multi-Region and North America. Find a brief
description of their work and the link to their page in our website below:
ASIA
Powdikkonam CC Trivandrum -
India, South Zone
Located in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala, this new CC
hopes to become a dynamic presence in Trivandrum where the majority of the
population is Hindu. There is immense possibility for community building in
this area and Powdikkonam hopes to contribute to the transformation of society.
Recent activity highlights include a World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration
that was co-hosted with other community organizations.
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH
AFRICA
Ur for Interfaith Dialogue &
Peacemaking - Iraq
In order to build bridges
of understanding and love among people of diverse faiths in Iraq, CC members
have visited many sacred places of different faith traditions, built strong
relationships with diverse faith leaders of Iraq, and utilized social media to
promote understanding of religious diversity. Ur's most memorable moment was
organizing a meeting for Sunna and Shia' religious leaders in Baghdad, where
participants delivered touching speeches about the importance of respecting one
another.
Andalus Institute for
Tolerance and Anti-violence Studies - Tunisia
With the hopes of spreading a culture of tolerance in Tunisia,
members arranged a meeting for 30 bloggers from across Tunisia to come up with
a Charter/Code of Ethics to ensure that they will not spread rumors or fake
news and will not promote violence. They also ran a campaign to spread
awareness about the HIV (AIDS) disease; they organized a rap music party for
120 youth, and spread AIDS awareness. They organized capacity building for
newly established non-profit organizations, teaching them how to blog and
publish their work on social media. This group's most memorable moment was
spending time with talented but impoverished youth, helping them create art. CC
members' future plans include creating more films about youth in neglected
areas in order to have their voices heard across the country. They also hope to
establish a radio show to unite youth.
MULTI-REGION
Awakening Humanity To
Oneness With All Nature (AHOWAN)
Ahowan strengthens people, groups, and organizations by engaging
them in their interdependence, on each other, on our companion animals, on
domestic and wild animals, on plants, the environment and nature as Oneness.
Through interactive experiences (Nature Oneness Wisdom), Ahowan provides a
natural paradigm for people, groups, and organizations to reveal a collective
heart connection with Nature. These interactive experiences provide the
necessary natural materials to allow each participant to construct a personal
bridge of consciousness of an inseparable Oneness with all Creation. It is through collective heart connection
with Nature and consciousness of inseparable Oneness that we all may fully
engage in Peacefully Encompassing All Creations Energies "PEACE".
AHOWAN has provided Paradigm Shifting experiences to thousands of people with
groups in all 50 states and in India over the last three years.
Members have been travelling around the world helping people
deepen their relationship with nature. They have an email list of roughly
15,000 people with about 400 of them heavily involved in the work. They belong
to different religions and traditions. They are Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, New
Thought, Wiccan Native American and others.
NORTH AMERICA
Charlotte Red Bench Garden
- USA
CC members gather the community annually to observe individual and
collective efforts to bridge understanding, uplift social issues, and encourage
continued sharing between faiths, races and cultures.On June 10 2010, the
Garden of Forgiveness was established, sanctioned by the City of Charlotte,
North Carolina, in Freedom Park. The following year, they gathered community
members and witnessed reconciliation between citizens who were involved in the
first desegregation of Harding High School in 1957.The community was then
invited to visit the garden for meditation and leave messages on forgiveness
from which a visual art presentation was created. After that the community was
invited to a flute meditation circle and was joined by the Baha'i community
Oneness Day. They plan to continue working in meditation to increase the
awareness of love, forgiveness and compassion as a means to empower, motivate
and facilitate positive change in personal and collective community life.
Silicon Valley
Interreligious Council (SiVIC) – USA
With the purpose of
promoting a more just and compassionate society in Silicon Valley, this
CC has been sponsoring an ongoing inter-religious leader's forum, developing
and sponsoring inter-religious community events alone and with partner
congregations, organizations and groups. They also assisted San Jose and Santa
Clara County in being recognized as member of the partner cities of the
Parliament of the World's Religions and travelling to Melbourne to present
their work. They promoted an inaugural community dialogue on the role of
Interfaith Harmony in building a better community (included local political
leaders, the San Jose Police Chief, and religious in the community, a Religious
Leaders Summit held in conjunction with Carry the Vision Community Non Violence
Conference. They also held several events as part of "Silicon Valley
Reads" program that was focused in learning about Islam, "Our
Religious Neighbor Next Door" photographic documentation project,
showcasing the diverse religious communities of the area, and the
"Healthy, Just and Sustainable food" project with local
congregations, encouraging healthier eating. They participated in community
memorials and gatherings to remember 9/11, the victims of the tsunami in Japan,
and the victims of the school shooting in Connecticut, providing interfaith
speakers for local schools and groups. They co-sponsored the Silicon Valley
Interfaith Teen Project with the Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice by
sponsoring an Inter-religious Prayer Gathering held at the Sacred Heart Comm
unity Services to acquaint people with the community services
offered and to celebrate diversity.
If you wish to extend your warm wishes to this these new groups,
please click on the name of the CC above in order to visit its URI CC web-page,
where you will find all of the information necessary to contact them directly
and welcome them to our URI community!
May Peace Prevail on Earth!
With much appreciation,
Maria Crespo
