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.”

Statement of Support for Ceasefire in the Middle East, from URI members and URI Global Trustees. (including the first 90 signatories:)

"As members of URI (United Religions Initiative), a global community committed to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, ending religiously-motivated violence, and creating cultures of peace, justice, and healing the Earth for all living beings, we express deep and urgent concern at the present escalation of violence and human suffering in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza.
 
We call upon all parties to refrain from violence and to avoid further harm to the civilian populations.

Above all, we urgently call upon all sides to immediately enter a cease fire and enter into negotiations with the elected representatives of all communities.
 
We also suggest that it is essential to include the voice and participation of women in this process as spelled out by UN Security Council Resolution #1325*.

To continue the present conflict is against the teachings of the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions and we ask that all parties look to the best practices of building peace in their own respective traditions as guidelines for achieving the peace, security, justice, reconciliation, and healing that we would like to see for the Israeli, Lebanese and Palestinian peoples."
 
 * "Security Council resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted during the Namibian Presidency of the Security Council on 31 October 2000. It is a watershed political framework that makes women – and a gender perspective – relevant to negotiating peace agreements, planning refugee camps and peacekeeping operations and reconstructing war-torn societies."

Signatories 
Elana Rozenman, Jerusalem, ISRAEL
Margie Coles, Seattle, WA USA
Matthew Youde, UNITED KINGDOM
Tom Mahon, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Laurel Bergman, Redwood City, CA, USA
Paul Chaffee, San Francisco, CA, USA
Bruce Schuman, Santa Barbara CA, USA
Kay Lindahl, Long Beach, CA USA
Dr. Steve Fitzgerald, Glendale, CA, USA
Sande Hart, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca USA
Karen Mueller, North Salt Lake, Utah USA
H. Byron Ballard, Asheville, NC USA
Mary Page Sims, Hendersonville, NC, USA
Fr. James Channan OP, Multan, PAKISTAN
Monica Willard, Bethlehem, PA USA
Neal Gronlund, Seattle, WA, USA
Margaret Jayne Jones, San Mateo, CA USA
Walid Farajallah, Seattle, WA, USA
Rev. Betsy Stang, Bearsville, NY USA
Khorrum Omer, New Delhi, INDIA
Anne Roth, Concord, CA, USA
Rev. Ilfra Halley, West Hurley, NY, USA
Sharon Franquemont, Oakland, CA, USA
Ray Signer, San Francisco, CA USA
Sky, Seattle, WA USA
Iftekhar Hai, San Francisco, CA USA
Katharina Harlow, Monterey, CA USA
Alfred H. Tay, SINGAPORE
Rev. Kathy Sandoval, San Juan Capistrano, CA USA
Safa'a Abu Tarha, JORDAN
Munira Shahidi, Z. Shahidi International Foundation, TAJIKISTAN
Jill Hacker, Crozet, Virginia USA
Maria Eugenia Crespo, ARGENTINA
Patricia Morningstar, VA, USA
Ron Povich, Stanardsville, VA USA
Fr.Albert Nambiaparambil cmi, Kerala, INDIA
Deborah Rabia Povich, Stanardsville, VA, USA
Sam S. Srinivasan, Fremont, CA
Sally Mahé, San Francisco, CA USA
Linda Bennett Elder, Georgia, USA
Heena Reiter, Earlysville, VA USA
Sally Santana, Port Orchard, WA USA
Yoland Trevino, Altadena, CA USA
Rev. Karen Lindquist, Seattle, WA, USA
Deborah Moldow, Somers, NY, USA
Bettina Gray, Berkeley, CA USA
Rev. James Davis, Bearsville, NY USA
Marsha Pilgeram, Bountiful, UT USA
Hanan Shahatit, Amman, JORDAN
Nancy Momany, Amman, JORDAN
Margery Knott, Arrington, VA USA
Linda Stern, Seattle, WA, USA
Sibyl Lundy, Seattle, WA, USA
Jamal Rahman, Seattle, WA, USA
Rev Debra Lajimodiere, Seattle, WA, USA
Elena Prien, Charlottesville, VA, USA
P.K. McCary, Houston, TX USA
Barbara Hartford, San Francisco, CA USA
Abraham Karickam, Kerala, INDIA
Rick Ulfik, New York, NY, USA
Biswadeb Chakraborty, Bengal, INDIA
Judith K. Chynoweth, Chester, CA USA
Catherine Starr, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Dr.Taleb Al-Harithi, Palestinian Peace Society General Coordinator, Palestine
Anne Lusby-Denham, Falls Church, VA USA
Ted Tight, Woodside, CA USA
Zeenat Ali, Pune, INDIA
Libby Hoffman, Falmouth, ME, USA
Rick Ulfik, New York, NY, USA (URI-UN)
Martha Gallahue, New York, NY, USA (URI-UN)
Rabbi Ross and Reverend Steen Ross, New York, NY, USA (URI-UN)
Faridi McFree, Long Branch, NJ, USA (URI-UN)
Sister Anele Heiges, O.P., New York, NY, USA (URI-UN)
Sanford Hinden, Dix Hills, NJ, USA (URI-UN)
Clare Nolan, Brooklyn, NY USA (URI-UN)
Nancy Roof, Stockbridge, MA USA (URI-UN)
Diane Williams, New York, NY USA (URI-UN)
Jahangir Piara, Exec. Director, Org. for Peace and Development, PAKISTAN
Suna Umari, Houston, TX USA
Emily Richard, St. Louis, MO USA
Diana Whitney, PhD, Taos, NM USA
Atefeh Sadeghi
Mussie Hailu, ETHIOPIA
Rev. Charles Gibbs, Executive Director, URI
Tarana Mehdi, New York, USA
Don Frew, Berkeley, CA, USA

URI Cooperation Circles:

Mid Hudson Valley URI CC, Bearsville, NY USA
URI New York CC, NY USA
EKTAAN CC, West Begal, INDIA
Women's Spirituality CC, INTERNATIONAL
Interfaith Circle of Love CC, Seattle, WA USA.