What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.
– Mahatma Gandhi
Greetings, URI Cooperation Circles and Friends!!
Over the last 12 months, we have seen in our local communities and the global stage, the ways that Gandhi’s words hold true. We know that when we are failing to care for the needs of one another, that we are also neglecting the health of our forests.
Throughout 2024, URI Cooperation Circles have been modeling care and creativity while embracing interfaith cooperation and looking for the best ways to care for our land, water, trees and all creatures.
This is how we are growing our collective garden – this the way to build peace and make our communities as resilient as possible! In this month’s announcements about Earth-related and climate action activities across URI, you will find:
- URI Youth in Bogota - Restoration activities & photos to inspire you!
- Now in Arabic! - the Guidebook to help faith groups restore Earth, is available in a new language! Link below.
- Let’s Restore some MORE – resources and ideas about what we’ve learned this year and what’s to come.
Is there an Earth restoration or climate action update you would like to share? Please send me an email: [email protected]
Praises for Earth and Gratitude for our ongoing efforts to care for Creation.
Latin American and Caribbean Youth Training launch Earth Restoration projects while in Bogota
Since July, a group of 16 young people representing 11 countries across the Latin America & Caribbean region have been participating in an interfaith peacebuilding training.
The training has included community projects that emphasized peacebuilding through art, interfaith cooperation and Earth restoration. During the first week of December, participants were invited to meet in-person, in Bogota, Colombia to share their final presentations.
Nearly half of the participants developed projects focused on interfaith cooperation by restoring a degraded ecosystem in the local community! Thank you, LA&C Youth! And during their retreat this month, the group planted four trees at the center where they met.
English, Spanish, French…ARABIC!
It takes everyone working together, with the intention of peace, justice and healing to protect one another, our water and our land so that all species might thrive – this is the message shared in the guidebook created by URI and the Center for Earth Ethics . The guidebook has been created to encourage faith groups and local communities to host conversations about local Earth restoration work. It is available in Francés, Español, English, and now ARABIC. Please find the language HERE (scroll down and “click”), that would best support you and your CC in your local efforts to restore people and restore Earth.
2024 turns 2025: Let’s Restore Some More!
- The Gathering for Earth series allowed Cooperation Circles (CCs) from Mexico to Uganda (and other countries too!) to share their local efforts to create more resilient communities with agroforestry practices and using local currency.
- Intergenerational Gatherings focused on regenerative economies, legally-protecting healthy futures, reducing violence with community agreements to restore ecosystems, and rituals that invite healthy, whole and healing relationships with all species, including land, water and the air we breathe. These gatherings featured leadership from teenagers to elders – another strong measurement of a resilient community!
- 8 Teams from around the world participated in a 4-month Learning-in-Action series, “Peacebuilding through Earth Restoration.” Several of these groups are pursuing more involved local projects and grant-funding in 2025.
- And so many of YOU – individual members and CCs – remained dedicated to the Earth and People restoration goals you have in the places you call home. You can see a few more of these stories HERE
What’s to Come?
The monthly Gathering for Earth series will resume in February and will include tools and invitations to restore Earth together. Many sessions will be presented by URI Indigenous members, members of the Faith for Earth Youth Council and CCs who are finding and embracing ways to create cultures of Peace, Justice and Healing for humans and for all beings!
URI Connect the new App will be another way for the URI network to exchange and strengthen our shared plans for regenerating land, food and our local economies
New Collaborative Action Hubs will allow CCs to find others who are focusing on particular aspects of Earth restoration, peacebuilding and regenerating the local economy. Hubs will be a space to workshop ideas and provide support for project implementation.
More multi-month learning opportunities, regional and cross-regional meetings to expand on the theme of Earth restoration and cross-regional opportunities to expand our collective efforts across the URI network.