Don Frew, CoG National Interfaith Representative
The United Religions Initiative (www.uri.org) is the world’s largest
grassroots interfaith organization, with over 850 local groups (called Cooperation
Circles or “CCs”) in over 100 countries, involving several million people. CoG members have been involved from the
earliest days of the URI; I have served on all of the URI’s elected Global
Councils (i.e. Board of Trustees) since its founding in 2000.
The URI is administered through seven
“geographic” Regions – Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean
(LA&C), the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), North America (NA), South East Asia & the Pacific (SEAPac) – as well as
an eighth, the “Multiregion” (www.urimulti.org). The Multiregion was created for all those CCs
whose members are in more than one Region or whose purpose is inherently
trans-Regional (e.g. the Environment, Women, Youth, etc.).
I coordinate a Multiregion CC – the Spirituality & the
Earth CC – which was a founding CC of the URI.
Our purpose is: “To foster and facilitate communication and cooperation
between all those who feel a spiritual connection with the Earth.” We have members from many indigenous, tribal,
Pagan, nature-based, and Earth-centered spiritualities, including many current
and former CoG-members: Gus diZerega, Rowan Fairgrove, myself, Greg Harder,
Anna Korn, Katya M., Diana Paxson, Catherine S., Rachael Watcher, and the late
Deborah Ann Light. I have served as a
Trustee for the Multiregion and Rachael has served as its Regional Coordinator. (BTW, more URI Trustees have been members of
the S&ECC than of any other CC in the URI.)
I am also one of the coordinators for the Earth Wisdom MCC
(aka en Espanol: MCC Multiregional “Sabiduría de nuestra Madre Tierra”). An MCC – or MultiCooperation Circle – is a
group of three or more CCs that come together around a common purpose. I have long been a proponent of CC’s being
members of the Region in which they are located and members of one or more MCCs
in the Multiregion that help them connect with others with shared
interests. The Earth Wisdom MCC was
founded in 2011 “to foster and facilitate communication and cooperation between
all those who live a life of ceremony in honor of Mother Earth.” This wording was carefully chosen to focus on
shared indigenous spirituality, rather than on being indigenous people. There are many groups for indigenous people,
but in those groups Christianity often ends up swamping local indigenous
spiritual traditions, as the vast majority of indigenous people today are
Christian. Earth Wisdom member CCs are:
Asia
Rainbow CC (West Bengal, India)
Women’s Welfare and Rehabilitation
Center CC (East Medinipur, India)
LA&C
Amaru CC (Ayacucho, Peru)
Movimiento Ecuménico Interreligioso
de Pueblos Indígenas CC (LaPaz,
Bolivia)
Qewña CC (Jujuy, Argentina)
Multiregion
Spirituality
& the Earth CC (Argentina,
Brazil, Canada, India,
Japan, Mexico, Russia,
the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela)
The current Regional Coordinator (RC) of the Multiregion is
Frederica Helmiere. On the occasion of
the Multiregion reaching 50 member CCs, she organized a Zoom online conference
today called “50 CCs in 50 Minutes”, in which each CC would have one minute to
describe itself to the rest of the Multiregion.
I was asked to present on the Earth Wisdom MCC and the role of MCCs in
the Multiregion and the URI as a whole.
As usual, timing for a conference call with people all around the world
is dicey; for me in Berkeley
CA it was at 7:00am. We didn’t get 50 CCs, but we did get 35, with
messages sent in from another six. A
full list of the Multiregion CCs and what they do can be found at the
Multiregion website – https://urimulti.org/cooperation-circles
– but I’d like to highlight a few from the conference call (Some of the
following info is taken from the CCs’ web pages.)...
Paul Chaffee (USA) spoke about The Interfaith Observer CC. If you don’t already know about it, The
Interfaith Observer (TIO) has become the leading online journal on the
interfaith movement. You can read,
comment, and/or subscribe at www.theinterfaithobserver.org. I serve on TIO’s Board.
Bosco Ng (Hong Kong, China) told us about the Wedo Global
CC, which was created to enhance cultural understanding of ethnic
minorities in Hong Kong among the Chinese majority population, to reduce
negative perceptions and racial discrimination. It provides training
opportunities inside and outside Hong Kong for
under-represented ethnic minorities.
Omar Hatem (Alexandria,
Egypt)
explained RadioTram CC. It
promotes free expression, human rights, gender equality and tolerance through
radio in Egypt. The channel was founded and fully funded by
young people. They present ideas,
talent, projects and activities that emerged among youth following the 2011 Arab
Spring. Learn more at www.radiotram.com
Shoshanna Abrams and Josh Thomas (USA) told us about the Kids4Peace
CC, dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in Jerusalem and other divided societies around
the world by bringing kids together from divided communities in summer camps
and other youth programs. With a
membership of 1,150 worldwide (500 Jerusalem
youth, 350 Jerusalem parents, 150 USA youth, 150
educators & volunteers), K4P brings together Jews, Christians
(Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox), Muslims (Sunni and Shi’a), Unitarians,
Druze, Bedouin, and families with multiple religious practices. This is a
good example of how CCs can vary in size and scope from a handful of people
meeting to talk once a month to much larger programs with global reach.
Suchith Abeyewickreme (a Multiregion Trustee from Sri
Lanka), Vincent (Malaysia), Sharon Vaswani (the Philipines), and Matthew Youde (Wales),
talked about various global youth oriented programs, including the URI
Global Youth CC and the Global Youth Ambassador CC. The URI engages youth all over the world in
interfaith programming focused on developing peace and understanding. Suchith told us where to find info about the
Talking Back to Hate campaign of the Global Youth CC: http://www.uri.org/files/resource_files/TalkingBackToHate%20_FinalReport.pdf
I was particularly excited to hear about two relatively new
Multiregion CCs: The RISE CC (Revivers of Indigenous Spirituality and
Ecosystems – www.risecircle.org/)
and the SE Indigenous Interfaith Council CC. Nonty Sedibe (South African Sangoma living in
Spain) told us about the former, which aims to support fellow indigenous
and Pagan spiritual leaders in reviving and empowering earth-based wisdom
traditions to survive to serve future generations. Tom Blue Wolf (USA) told us about the SE
Council and their efforts to preserve and share traditional ceremonies. Wow!
Two groups with which I must connect!
(There is a good bio of Tom at http://www.uri.org/action_areas/indigenous_voices/circle_of_wisdom_keepers)
Audri Scott Williams (USA, and one of the Trustees for
the Multiregion) talked about the Global Indigenous Network CC and their
project to create a seed-bank of plants used in indigenous ceremonies around
the world.
Shruti (India)
explained the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance CC (GIWA). This is a HUGE effort connected with the
United Nations to focus on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (hence WaSH). GIWA and the URI are combining networks to
maximize our impact in parts of the world that need us most. You can read about work in India at www.gangaaction.org/
Claire Marie Pearman (Cairo, Egypt) told us about the CARAVAN CC,
focused on peace-building between the religions and cultures of the Middle East and the West through the arts. They are a UN NGO and have art shows
traveling around the world.
Hooma Multani (Costa Rica)
of the La Villa de Arcilla CC (or “House of Clay”) is building a
sustainable eco-village in Costa
Rica to host international interfaith events
Despina Namwembe (Uganda) brought us up to speed on WIN-URI,
the Women’s Interfaith Network of the URI.
While not a formal MCC, it functions in much the same way. Its members are all members of other CCs
doing work around women’s issues.
Monica Willard & Deborah Moldow (USA) coordinate the
URI’s efforts at the United Nations through the URI at the UN CC. The URI is an EcoSoc NGO (in UN-speak). Their work is especially focused around the
International Day of Peace (21 September), the UN Sustainable Development Goals,
World Interfaith Harmony Week (1st week in February), the Commission on the
Status of Women (in March), and the Indigenous Forum (in May).
Karen Watson (USA) brought us up to date on the relatively
new LGBTQ CC. Finally! The presence of LGBTQ+ people has been the “third
rail” of interfaith for decades. It’s
great to see a group dedicated to creating safe space for LGBTQ folks involved
in the URI.
(Note: Sometimes a Multiregion CC
doesn’t have its information on the Multiregion website yet, in which case it
should be at the URI general site at http://www.uri.org/cooperation_circles/explore_cooperation_circles)
That was just 15 of the 41 groups
we heard from! There is a LOT going on in URI’s Multiregion, and that’s just one of
eight Regions! To learn more, check us
out at www.urimulti.org
and www.uri.org.
Blessed Be,
Don
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