The grassroots members of URI have many voices, and we listen to each other.

The conversations on our list serve over the past several weeks, in the context of the most recent violence in the Middle East, have been understandably lively.  Many concerns, fears and hurts were expressed, and not always with subtlety. Many of our members live in the Middle East, and are Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Wonderfully, during the course of this outpouring of human anguish, suffering and blame, a parallel conversation arose from the shared felt need to DO something, to have our voices be heard, as URI members.  A simple yet profound statement calling for an end to the violence on all sides was created collaboratively.  Within a few days, 90 URI members and groups signed the statement. They presented it to the URI Global Council Trustees, who endorsed this statement.

Sally Mahé, URI staff member, observed, “I am honored that the URI community in a small but sincerely caring and connected way participated in developing and signing a statement in support of a ceasefire and worked together across different perspectives within our own community to find common ground.”

We learned the importance of remaining in the conversation, especially when it is difficult and filled with conflict.  

This is the point of transformation for us, the moment potential enemies choose to  ‘hang in there’ together long enough to find an authentic common ground—in the creation of this statement a real step has been taken.  Some observations from our members who created the statement:
 
o “Building peace is very hard work, and each positive step taken is indeed a miracle.”

o “May the ceasefire hold in the Middle East and allow people to breathe safely again and begin again to build for a lasting peace.”

o “This effort has proven to be one exciting small step toward the emergence of a viable global community made up of people from different places, from different religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds, different economic sectors and ideologies who are learning to speak together in one voice and to take action around core values for common good.”

o “I wanted to demonstrate—in whatever way that I could, that being FOR something is not only powerful but empowering. Truly, instead of looking for what we WEREN’T doing at URI, I wanted to help shift the focus to what we (URI members who desperately want to stay connected at a deep heart level) WERE ABLE to do—when we choose a different lens. I was incredibly heartened that signatures were offered by both Muslim Palestinian and Jewish Israeli voices. For me, that meant a lot. A whole lot. There is just too much in the world to criticize, if I choose to do so. I’d rather build hope.”

o “I think our statement calls for prayers for the ceasefire to hold and to hold those suffering in our prayers.  It has a current, positive focus.”