United Religions Initiative

The United Religions Initiative (URI) began in 1995 "out of an interfaith service held in San Francisco to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. This vision was to create an initiative whereby people of diverse faiths could work daily for peace." The first URI Global Summit was held in 1996 and has hosted four since. The organization held its Charter Signing in 2000. "Since its beginning, more than a million people in more than sixty countries have participated in URI activities --people coming together in new and profound ways."

Global Council
"The URI Global Council is the decision-making body of the URI. In July 2002, a new Global Council was chosen. Twenty-nine people from around the world were elected in URI's first democratic global elections. Others were selected to offer certain expertise or to represent other voices."

Trustees
 * Rev. William E. Swing, Founding Trustee and Council President
 * Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs, USA, Executive Trustee
 * Sabapathy Alagiah, Mozambique
 * Mr. Mussie Hailu, Ethiopia
 * Ms.Despina Namwembe, Uganda
 * Fr. James Channan, Pakistan
 * Ven. Dr. Jinwol Lee, Korea
 * Dr. Mohinder Singh, India
 * Dr. Raschid Bockemuehl, Germany
 * Shaikh Bashir Dultz, Germany
 * Ms. Heidi Rautionmaa, Finland
 * Mr. Raul Angel Mamani, Argentina
 * Rev. Elias de Andrade Pinto, Brazil
 * Dr. Susi Reich, Argentina
 * Jonathan Rose, Mexico
 * Mr. Shlomo Alon, Israel
 * Ms. Atefah Sadeghi, Middle East
 * Ms. Hanan Salem Shahatit, Jordan
 * Ms. Perri Kathryn McCary, USA
 * Ms. Kathy Sandoval, USA
 * Rev. Heng Sure, USA
 * Sr. Sandra Clemente, Philippines
 * Dr. Amir Farid Isahak,Malaysia
 * Dr. Ratnam Alagiah, Australia
 * Rabbi Doug Kahn, USA
 * Rev. Deborah Moldow, USA
 * Mrs. Elana Rozenman, Israel
 * Ms. Yoland Trevino, USA

Former
 * Mrs. Joyce Ng'oma, Malawi
 * Mrs. Annie Imbens-Fransen, Netherlands
 * Mr. Deepak Naik, United Kingdom
 * Ms. Karimah Stauch, Germany
 * Gerardo Gonzalez Cortes, Chile
 * Ms. Rosalia Gutierrez, Argentina
 * Fr. Dr. George Khoury, Israel
 * Dr. Mohamed Mosaad,Egypt
 * Yehuda Stolov, Israel
 * Elder Donald H. Frew, USA - Council Assistant Secretary
 * Rev. Kay Lindahl, USA
 * Rev. George Armstrong, New Zealand
 * Ms. Shakuntala Moojani-Vaswani, Philippines
 * Bonifacio Amado M. Quirog, Jr., Philippines
 * Rev. Jack W. Lundin, USA
 * Ms. Munirah Shahidi, Tajikistan - Council Assistant Treasurer

Transition Advisory Committee


 * Iftekhar Hai, USA
 * Ms. Rita Semel, USA - Council Chair
 * Robert Walter, USA - Council Treasurer

At-Large Trustees


 * Dr. Kathleen Bemis, USA
 * Sam Chan, USA
 * Ms. Carol Edgar, USA
 * Hamed Ehsani, Kenya - Council Vice Chair
 * Dame Dr. Mehr Master-Moos, India
 * Ms. Heidi Rautionmaa, Finland
 * Dexter Tight, USA
 * Agus Indra Udayana, Indonesia

Presidents Council
Accessed June 2013:


 * William E. Swing, John Weiser (chair), Lord Amir Bhatia, William K. Bowes, Jr., George P. Shultz, Dame Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, Wade M. Aubry, Biff Barnard, Jonathan Burgstone, Julia Davidson, Bob Freelen, William P. Fuller, Margaret G. Gill, Rupert H. Johnson, Jr., Jill H. Kramer, Bob Lurie, Robert A. Oden, Jr., Sabahat Rafiq, Mike Smerklo, Roselyne C. Swig, Chandler (Chan) Tagliabue, Kat Taylor

Partnerships

 * United Nations
 * Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions
 * Habitat for Humanity International
 * Interfaith Youth Core
 * North America Interfaith Association
 * National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign
 * National Days of Interfaith Youth Service
 * Network of International Interfaith Organization
 * Social Innovations in Global Management
 * Chaordic Alliance
 * United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
 * Viva Rio
 * World Peace Prayer Society
 * Network for Grateful Living

Contact
The United Religions Initiative P.O. Box 29242 San Francisco, CA 94129 Phone: +1.415.561.2300 Fax: +1.415.561.2313 Email: office AT uri.org Web: http://www.uri.org

Related SourceWatch articles

 * globalization
 * Interfaith Alliance
 * Interfaith Center of New York
 * Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas
 * Robert Muller
 * Temple of Understanding
 * Timeline to global governance
 * William W. Rankin, former Vice President (1998-2000)
 * Sidney L. Shipton
 * Lifebridge Foundation - grantee
 * Monica Willard
 * Diana Whitney - founding advisor