Living the change : faithful choices for a flourishing world : GreenFaith-ARRCC-Cultural Infusion-URI-Religions for Peace Australia

From Nivy Balachandran of United Religions Initiative (URI) - how one interfaith organisation operates on the ground

Nivy Balachandran
Good morning, URI Family, Two weeks ago I completed an exchange with Sari Heidenreich - the Regional Co-ordinator for URI's North America Region. I flew from Melbourne to Philadelphia, where we began a 9-day road trip visiting URI CCs and like-minded interfaith organizations across the northeast US! Ours was a listening tour where we met with grassroots peacebuilders, large national interfaith centres and organisations, went to the United Nations, and so much more. As the  Balachandran is the Regional Coordinator for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific - I have come away from this experience full of ideas and inspiration as to how best to serve you as my co-operation circles, and as URI partners. Sari and I learned so much from the Cooperation Circles and organizations we visited and from each other!  We invite you to take this journey with us by watching the video below and or reading our photo essay from the trip. These are being hosted on the URI North America website, so while you're there do take a moment to take a look at it. Please go here to see more pix and read more of Nivy's wonderful road trip. The work of URI is extensive and varied. If you are interested in learning more about any of these groups or the programs they run, I'd love to answer questions or make connections!  Thank you all for your interest and support and I look forward to being in touch with you all soon. Kind wishes Nivy

Nivy Balachandran

Regional Coordinator, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands 

Phone: +61 433 238 406

Skype: nivy.bala

www.uri.org 

UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION : INTERFAITH PEACEBUILDING

Interfaith Peacebuilding

This age of globalization needs enlightened leaders in each faith who can examine their sacred writings and traditions and identify the aspects that can benefit all humanity as well as those that preserve each religion's identity. UPF calls on people of faith to honor the Divine indwelling in a way that encourages understanding, respect, and cooperation among people of all faiths for the well-being of our communities and peace in the world.

• Resources for organizing interfaith programs
• UPF's Statement on Interreligious Dialogue
• PowerPoint presentation on Interfaith Peacebuilding
• Proposal for establishing an interreligious council at the United Nations
• Landmark address by UPF Founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon on "The Responsibility of Religious Leaders in Building a Culture of Peace"
• UPF's interfaith journal Dialogue & Alliance

UPF has an Office for Interfaith Understanding & Cooperation among Religions in Jerusalem, c/o Dr. Nurit Hirshfeld.

INTERFAITH ORGANIZATIONS

• KAICIID Dialogue Center
• Parliament of the World's Religions
• United Religions Initiative: Cooperation Circles
• US Institute of Peace: Religion and Peacemaking Program
• World Conference of Religions for Peace
• World Congress of Faiths

CULTURAL INFUSION and UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE IN AUSTRALIA CO-OPERATE IN PRESENTING AN AFTERNOON TO CONSIDER PEACE, FAITH AND SOLVING CONFLICT

Peace, Faith and Solving Conflict: Cultural Infusion

From February 20, 2016 17:03 until February 20, 2017 20:00

• 
  
   At Cultural Infusion Centre, Collingwood College Theatre 
• (entrance from Campbell street), 49 Vere St. Collingwood, VIC 3066 AU

Cultural Infusion in conjunction with United Religions Initiative invites you to:

Peace, Faith and Solving Conflict

Date: Saturday 20 February 2016  Time: 5:02pm

Location: Cultural Infusion Centre, Collingwood College Theatre (entrance from Campbell street), 49 Vere St. Collingwood, VIC 3066 AU

Cultural Infusion’s Culture Talks are free events that present great speakers and new ideas on the broad topic of Australia’s cultural life. Each Culture Talk features prominent speakers discussing their field of expertise, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Sometimes funny, sometimes controversial, and always thought-provoking, the Culture Talk series aims to explore the importance of culture and its effect on the world.

Guest Speakers:

• Rev. Victor Kazanjian (Global Director United Religions Initiative): Rev. Victor H. Kazanijian, Jr. is the Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative (URI). His work at Wellesley College in the United States is widely recognised as the catalyst in the movement to include religion and spirituality as core issues in higher education. With decades of experience in community organising around the world, Victor specialises in interfaith dialogue, conflict transformation and peace building, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Harvard University.
• Prof. Gary Bouma (UNESCO): Professor Bouma holds the UNESCO Chair in Intercultural and Inter-religious Relations – Asia Pacific, and is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Monash University. He works to promote communication and respect between religious communities. His research in the sociology of religion examines religious diversity in multicultural societies as a content for religion and public policy.

 Refreshments provided.

Cultural Infusion is a social enterprise that works with schools, youth, and the arts to promote cultural harmony for a more cohesive and richer society. Cultural Infusion believes that culture is an enabler and driver of sustainability and quality education, an eradicator of poverty and a key to social cohesion and inclusion.

Cultural Infusion achieves its goals through the delivery of a range of sustainable arts and engagement programs including a range of innovative digital interactive media targeted to schools, youth and communities. Cultural Infusion has delivered a range of creative services, products and ongoing programs to Azerbaijan, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt, India, US, South Africa, China, Pakistan, the UK, the Philippines, Portugal and throughout Australia. Cultural Infusion has been a winner of more than 15 international awards including the United Nations Alliance of Civilization Intercultural Innovation Award (UNAoC) and developed the winning slogan “Diversified We Grow” for the UNAoC “Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusiveness” campaign. Cultural Infusion has produced intercultural experiences at major events for organisations such as the United Nations, Commonwealth Games and the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the United Religions Initiative (URI) is the world’s largest grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network comprised of over 700 member organisations operating in 92 countries. URI brings people of different faiths and cultures together to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing. URI members work to transcend religious and cultural differences to create inclusive, on the ground solutions to critical issues facing their communities and in Australia work to foster cross-cultural understanding through the arts, education, and interfaith dialogue.

You. Are. I. - from United Religions Initiative (URI)

June 9, 2014 Dear Friend, This is the very first of what we hope to be many newsletters showcasing the dedicated, inspirational, and enlightening work of our URI community. Are we bringing you news you love? We welcome your feedback! SPOTLIGHT URI Great Lakes and Young Leaders honoured for Sewa Day   Vikas Pota, founder ofSewa Day, recently visited URI Great Lakes' office in Kampala, Uganda to present the Sewa Pioneers Award for a series of coordinated voluntary service events.  "Sewa" or "Seva" is the Sanskrit word for "selfless service." URI's Great Lakes region led URI's participation of Sewa Day with more than 100 URI Young Leaders in seven different cities...  Read More "Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."   ~Maya Angelou More News from Our Partners   + "Remembering Quran Burning Day as a Win for Religion"--an uplifting perspective from The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions' blog. + The Tony Blair Faith Foundation responds to the UK government, whose guide for schoolteachers at spotting pupils at risk of radicalization was revised recently. + "This is a portrait of my mother's soul. The soul is there, the simple majesty." --The Euphrates Institute reflects on the wisdom of Khalil Gibran. SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS, DONATE TO URI A message from Victor Kazanjian URI Executive Director  Dear Friends, During the last week of June, members of URI's Global Council and Global Staff will gather in San Francisco to begin the work of co-creating the second chapter of the United Religions Initiative.  Read more OUR COMMUNITIES ONLINE               Cooperation Circle News   + Meet some of our newest CCs:EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East of Amman and De la Unidad, la Reconciliación y Sanación of Buenos Aires. + Global Youth Ambassadors CC's Lejla Hasandedic attended "Living Together is the Future," a conference for Christian and Muslim youth in Sarajevo 100 years after WWI. + Women's Interfaith Network and the women of URI call for peace and prayers in Africa amid escalating violence.   + Protecting and Restoring the Sacred CC along with URI's Global Indigenous Initiative (GII)held an event at the United Nations to protect sacred spaces.  + URI Africa and The Golden Rule held a youth sports event in Kibera, Kenya in honor of the Golden Rule. + Our newest Global Council Trustees have been selected, see our election results! Read more on "The Latest" Regional Spotlight  Click here to read URI Europe's monthly proverb: