Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue

“We listen and speak with respect to deepen mutual understanding and trust.” - URI Principle 5
SunDABT CC inviting interfaith dialogue

URI Cooperation Circles must include members of at least three different religions or traditions. By engaging in respectful conversations, members learn, share and build bridges of understanding.

Examples of our work in this Action Area:

  • Sun Devils Are Better Together (SunDABT), a university student group and URI Cooperation Circle, creates safe spaces for people to ask respectful questions about other religions by holding signs that read, "Meet a Muslim," "Meet a Jew," etc.

  • The URI global community celebrates UN World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) in the first week of February each year, with grassroots interfaith events in many communities.

  • Campinas CC in Brazil hosted an interfaith gathering and invited representatives of multiple religious and faith beliefs to talk about life and death from the perspectives of their own traditions.
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Stories

Posting #3 from the UK

Europe
Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue

Wednesday, 10 February 2011 was the center of my trip – a day hosted by the URI UK, bringing together members, current and potential partners, and representatives of URI Europe and the global URI to receive an extended briefing on URI UK’s innovative work as it renews itself with seven new trustees, average age 34.

A vision of peace in a time of turmoil

North America
Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue
Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation

Last week URI helped celebrate the first ever United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, an initiative by Jordan’s King Abdullah II to promote peace among people of different faith traditions. Coming against the backdrop of a spike in violence against Christians in Iraq and Egypt late last year; the killing of a progressive Pakistani governor in January over the nation’s blasphemy laws; and rising Islamophobia across Europe and the United States, why should we expect such a week—or even the interfaith movement—to make much difference?