The United Religions Initiative (URI) is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world. URI’s purpose is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings. We implement our mission through local and global initiatives that build the capacity of our more than 685 member groups and organizations, called Cooperation Circles, in 85 countries to engage in community action and create lasting change. Cooperation Circles are made up of members from at least three different religions, spiritual expressions or indigenous traditions and range in size from a minimum of 7 people to tens of thousands.
Where active violence is occurring, URI Cooperation Circles intervene by bringing together combatants into dialogue – using conflict transformation and peacebuilding strategies to stop the violence, build relationships and create the conditions for developing lasting peace.
Where the legacy of violence and war have left deep scars on communities, URI Cooperation Circles are creating coalitions of people from different cultural, ethnic and religious groups who are working together to restore relationships and rebuild communities and countries.
Where the structural violence of poverty and deteriorating social and environmental conditions are disrupting life, URI Cooperation Circles work to address issues such as economic development, education, environmental sustainability, human rights, women’s empowerment, and youth leadership.
URI envisions a world at peace, sustained by engaged and interconnected communities committed to respect for diversity, nonviolent resolution of conflict and social, political, economic and environmental justice.
