Forming Connections Across Europe with a Moscow Visit

9 July 2019
Forming Connections Across Europe with a Moscow Visit - Lejla

At the beginning of July, URI Europe Cooperation Circle Liaison Officer Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo visited Moscow, where she had several meetings with URI Cooperation Circle members and persons who are interested in URI Europe work. Cooperation Circles (CCs) are what URI calls its member groups.

Forming Connections Across Europe with a Moscow Visit - Lejla

Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo with Guzel Strelkova and Liudmila Khokhlova

First, Lejla visited Religions for Humanity CC in Moscow, where she met Guzel Strelkova and Liudmila Khokhlova - the founders and leaders of this CC. Religions for Humanity CC became part of URI Europe in 2002 and, since then, they have been organizing interfaith and intercultural activities in Moscow and around Russia, involving a lot of people, especially youth and students. 

Their purpose is to spread religious education, because they believe that if more people know about each other, there will be less animosity between people.

This was a very nice and productive meeting. They discussed CC plans and activities this year, including the URI Europe Assembly and future collaboration.

Forming Connections Across Europe with a Moscow Visit - Lejla

Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo with Gwiddon Harveston and Eva Kensina

Afterward, Lejla had a meeting with Gwiddon Harveston and Eva Kensina, who are representatives of Pagan Federation International in Moscow. They are also doing a lot of interfaith and intercultural work across Europe. During this meeting, they expressed their interest to join the URI Europe family and they are ready to support URI activities in Russia and in Europe. 

We want to congratulate Religions for Humanity CC on all their amazing work and to express our gratitude for their hospitality. Also, we are looking forward to our future collaboration and to welcoming a new CC in the URI global network family.

- Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo,

URI Europe CC Liaison Officer