Antwerp, BELGIUM - URI Global Staff members met in Antwerp for three days of shared work and re-connection prior to the Global Council meeting, preparing to step over the threshold into the dynamic next stage of URI’s growth. The privilege of working together, face-to-face, was fully appreciated by each Regional Coordinator and Global Support Staff member. Key outcomes were renewing and strengthening the network of our global team, working together to develop strong regional leadership and strategizing effective global communications.

URI Global Staff, with Yolnd Trevino and Mary swing

Our work was framed by and infused with the peacebuilding methodology being developed by the URI Moral Imagination pilot peacebuilding program. 

The opening day Sacred Ceremony honored the memory of T.D. Singh, beloved URI leader from India, who invited URI to have our next Global Assembly enjoying the hospitality of the ISKON Society in Mayapur, India in 2008.

Sacred opening - T.D.Singh memorial

During the three days staff members met around the theme of “A Threshold Moment for URI.” During this time, we developed a stronger sense of what URI must develop to make the dream of growing URI on a global scale a reality.

Staff members explored some key questions including: What must URI keep? What is working? What must URI improve? What is needed? The process was accomplished through the use of a visual chart titled the ‘Threshold Wheel.”

Sr. Mary Goretti-Uganda, Margi Ness-North America, and and Monica Willard, UN rep.

After solo and small group work identifying answers to these questions, we prioritized them by each placing three dots on our top choices and the whole group studied the information.

The spiritual base of URI and deep personal relationships developed throughout the network were noted as the strongest elements of the organization.

“In his book The Moral Imagination, Dr. John Paul Lederach identifies sustaining trustworthy relationships and focusing on spiritual values as essential qualities for sustaining peace in situations of protracted violence” said Sally Mahé, URI Director of Organizational Development. “We are working with Dr. Lederach in our pilot peacebuilding program, and have incorporated the principles of Moral Imagination into the program design for our Global Staff work together these three days.”

Moral Imagination-inspired processes included walking and journaling together to start our days, sharing songs from different cultures, using the Samoan Circle process for listening and supporting each other.

Morning Page - Sally Mahe,J oyce Ng'oma,Mamoun Khreisat

“We worked hard to envision how URI’s regional structure would develop over the next five years – imaging the communications needs, the staffing structure, the rhythm of national, regional and global assemblies, the projects and connections with policy makers that would carry URI farther down the road toward making our Purpose vitally alive all over the world,” said URI Executive Director, Charles Gibbs.

Overall, the three day staff meeting ended with an inspired sense of growth and development for the future of URI on both the global and regional levels.

“We finished our work tired, but also energized by inspiring work with a remarkable team of diverse and dedicated individuals,” Charles reflected.