Pictured: Multifaith Action Society (Surrey, BC, Canada)
Please give a warm welcome to the latest groups to join the global URI network. Learn more about these groups, called Cooperation Circles (CCs), here.
We are now 1013 Cooperation Circles Working in 108 Countries!
Moroccan Sahara Association for Tolerance and Co-Existence (Boujdour, Morocco)
Moroccan Sahara Association for Tolerance and Co-Existence was created after an incident of racism against immigrants in the area, which affected mostly Christians and Pagans. Wishing to build peace, a group of friends decided to establish a civil association to defend interfaith coexistence and inclusion of all people regardless of their religion or race. The Moroccan Sahara Association for Tolerance and Co-existence is stopping violence and racism through a positive approach to diversity and the promotion of peace, tolerance and harmony. Members conduct awareness campaigns and promote religious coexistence and peace culture among school students. They also organize conferences, seminars, and workshops about the benefits of a religiously and culturally diverse society.
Multifaith Action Society (Surrey, BC, Canada)
The Multifaith Action Society (also known as MAS) promotes interreligious understanding. Members believe that building interfaith bridges is essential for communities and contributes to a more resilient world. MAS has undertaken a wide variety of community-based projects and initiatives over the course of its forty-three year history. From the outset, the Society has sought ways to bring together the many faith groups which characterize Vancouver and to sponsor socially-responsible and relevant initiatives relating to the common good. For example, some of MAS’s earliest board members co-founded the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which presently provides assistance to 28,000 people suffering from food insecurity each week.
Council of Religions in Mozambique (Matola, Maputo, Mozambique)
The Council of Religions in Mozambique is formed by members of more than five religious faiths. They are involved in the process of maintaining peace and national reconciliation, promoting equity and gender equality in women's and girls' rights, and promoting a culture of ongoing interreligious dialogue where tolerance and peace prevail. Among their highlights is the creation a platform for Women, Peace and Security and a platform for dialogue and reconciliation with regard to humanized reintegration.
Interfaith Council of Alameda County (Oakland, CA, United States of America)
The Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) is focused on promoting mutual respect, understanding and engagement among people of diverse faith traditions in the County through shared action. Members have been part of a movement in Oakland doing Environmental Social Justice work. It is a large Council that gathers the 14 cities that comprise Oakland. The San Francisco Bay Area has become too expensive for lower-income or even middle-income people to afford the rents, let alone buy a house. Housing is a problem in the area, so Interfaith Council of Alameda County has developed projects to address the situation. One example is their Safe Car Park Program for students and unemployed persons who are forced to live out of their cars.
