URI ONE BILLION YOUTH FOR PEACE

 

URI ONE BILLION YOUTH FOR PEACE

 U.R.I One Billion Youth for peace is  a global initiative started by the United Religions Initiative (URI)'s Global Youth Movement (GYM) Cooperation Circle. It aims to bring together one billion young people worldwide to raise their voices against global threats, like nuclear weapons, and advocate for causes such as climate justice and human rights. The movement fosters a culture of peace through interfaith cooperation and personal action, inspired by URI's mission.

It was a coincidence that on 24th day of August, 2019, during the URI Youth Assembly at Karickam International Public school, a humble beginning of a process started; the process of a beautiful transformation. It has immense implications in saving humanity from the verge of total annihilation. By now we have received encouraging note to take the campaign to reach as many educational institutions as possible.

We did not create this world; we inherited this beautiful formation, which is a blessing beyond description. It is a pity that the human beings could not fully realise the purpose of the cosmic order; we were competing to forge a hell out of a heaven. We have to reverse this erroneous process and straighten our paths to progress. If we don’t do it now, it will be too late to lament; we may not get a moment to repent, when the rockets fly and fill the space with fire.With immense faith in the young ones, we rise up to regain sanity. We will have one billion voices together, appealing to the conscience of the world and the masters on the driving seat on the fragments of the given earth. We aspire to leave a glorious globe for our children and grand- children to thrive. Let us be peace ambassadors all over the world, saying no to war and terror. We will not rest until we win. This victory will not be for a fortunate few, but for all the ones who are fortunate to be born on this planet, our planet.

Cosmic Community Centre Cooperation Circle (CC), a URI member group in South India, celebrated the first anniversary of “One Billion Youth for Peace.”The movement, “One Billion Youth for Peace,” is a collaborative interfaith campaign. Cosmic Community Centre CC states that they “foster empathy, invite understanding, and advance common action between people of diverse faiths through the shared efforts.”

After working in collaboration with various groups for many years, Cosmic Community Centre CC became aware that there was a demand to further integrate “young peace lovers” in interfaith dialogue. Following this realization came the fruition of the “One Billion Youth For Peace” campaign. This initiative was launched during the URI Annual Youth Assembly on August 24, 2019, which was held at Karickam International Public School in Kottarakkara, India. There were around 200 young people from a variety of educational institutes at this event.

Cosmic Community Centre CC works in collaboration with volunteers to bring the “One Billion Youth For Peace” campaign to schools, colleges, other educational institutions, youth clubs, etc.Following the “One Billion Youth for Peace” launch, The First International Students’ Summit of Religions on Climate Justice was organized by URI, South India Region in partnership with John Paul II Centre for Interreligious Dialogue based in Rome. The Summit was hosted by several schools and took place in Kerala, India from January 9-12, 2020. Miss Kehkashan Bause, Founder President of Green Hope Foundation and recipient of International Children’s Peace Prize, was among the youth leaders who spoke at the Summit.Our goal is to enrol one billion youth as peace ambassadors in a course of ten years . We will help them take the following pledge:

Cosmic Community Centre is a reputed NGO serving since 2000 as a catalyst of peace. It is registered under the Society’s Act, vide Reg. No. Q 632/04. It is governed by an executive body having 13 members from a wide a range of varied skills and service experience in the fields of education, humanity, arts, public & private services, etc.

It is functioning as one of URI Cooperation Circles and the regional hub of URI. The CCC seeks to build a community where peace and harmony prevails. Its primary motive is to end religiously motivated violence and to work for the healing of the earth and all living beings.

The Cosmic Community Centre, has become like a mother organization for several other groups that are drawn to the same ideals. Major activities include promotion of Interfaith Students’ Movements in schools and colleges, peace building programs, celebrations of UN Interfaith Harmony Week and UN International Day of Peace, Holy Books Conferences at regular intervals, publication of Books, Publication of the journal Interfaith Link , disaster management and community preparedness for disaster risk reduction, response and so on. We encourage a lot of activities for the protection of the environment also. International Peace Research Institute (IPRI) is an important wing of our organization.

The Cosmic Community Centres’ aims and objectives are:-

·        To serve as a national, non-governmental organization in India, in order to proclaim all humanity as children of one God, to promote dialogue, peace, communal Harmony and social and spiritual well being of all people irrespective of their religion, caste, colour or creed.To conduct and assist studies on various religions and burning social and global issues like poverty, hunger, nuclear proliferation, justice and world peace.To establish a Community Centre for the above said purposes and to undertake different training programs.To establish contact with or affiliate with other organizations national and international with similar objects and to aid, assist, guide, organize and co-ordinate all such activities.To bring the notice of the public, the activities of the society and further to start a Study Centre of International repute and to publish monographs, periodicals, journals, reviews, papers and other literature either free of cost or no profit-no loss basis in furtherance of the objects of the society.To accept, hold or administer any gifts, donations or contributions in kind or money and whether upon trust or not, to undertake and execute project which may be deemedTo facilitate study exchange programs in co-operation with other related organizations.

In an era of unprecedented global interconnection, cultural diversity is one of humanity’s greatest assets. Yet, realizing its full potential requires a new kind of leadership—one that places dialogue, empathy, and intercultural understanding at the heart of collective action. As societies grow more interconnected and complex, intercultural leadership has become an essential strategy for building cohesive communities, addressing shared challenges, and fostering sustainable peace.

Navigating today’s global landscape—shaped by mobility, technological transformation, and accelerating change—calls for leaders who can bridge divides, cultivate inclusive solutions, and inspire cooperation across cultures. Traditional leadership paradigms are no longer sufficient; the future demands leaders who can turn diversity into strength and dialogue into action.The students and staff of Kips  hereby l work tirelessly and always for lasting peace in the whole world.

 

Prof. John Kurakar