Dear Friends,

Greetings of love and peace.

It is a joy to share with you the results of the trustee selection process in seven of URI’s eight regions (We expect that voting the Middle East and North Africa region will be completed by June 30th).

As you will see from the results below, the twenty-one trustees selected so far represent a diverse group of leaders from URI CCs. Nine are women, twelve are men. Fourteen are new trustees who will serve their first term, seven are current trustees who will serve another term. They come from sixteen countries and eight religions, spiritual expressions, indigenous traditions, and represent significant diversity within those eight families.

I would like to congratulate those who will serve on the 2008 Global Council, and thank all those who offered themselves in service but were not elected. I trust all will continue to offer powerful leadership in the URI during the coming three years. I look forward to welcoming three trustees from the MENA region once their election goes forward. I look forward to welcoming the three trustees the current Global Council selects to provide continuity and expertise on the new GC. I look forward to inaugurating the 2008 Global Council at the Global Assembly in Mayapur, India 30 November - 5 December 2008, as we honor the 2005 Global Council for their exemplary service over these past three years.

Now I ask you to welcome these members of the 2008 GC and to support them with your prayers and meditation in the months between now and the Global Assembly.

Africa:
Rattan Kaur Channa, United Religions of Nairobi, Kenya Sikh, new trustee
Samuel Lubogo, Latter Glory of Religions in Busoga, Uganda, Christian, new trustee Pelecinnah Josiah-Pele, Nigerian United Religions, Nigeria, Christian, new trustee

Asia:
James Channan, Lahore-Pakistan, Christian, current trustee
Jinwol Lee, URI Korea, Korea, Buddhist, current trustee
Sushil Salwan, Central Delhi, India, Hindu, new trustee

Europe:
Shaikh Bashir Ahmad Dultz, URI Europe, Germany, Sufi, current trustee
Elisabeth Lheure, Assoc. UNESCO/Diàleg Inter, Spain, Bahai, new trustee
Soroush Zand, Copenhagen, Denmark, Theosophist/Hindu, new trustee


Latin America and the Caribbean:
Elias de Andrade Pinto, Grupo Inter-Rel. de São Paulo, Brazil, Christian, current trustee
Fany Avila Eleta, Mujeres Artesansa Kunas, Panama, Indigenous, new trustee
David Limo Pajar, URI Lima, Peru, Christian, new trustee

Multi-Region:
Linda Bennett Elder, The Pilgrimage Project, United States, Christian, new trustee
Yoland Trevino, Women and Spirituality, United States, Indigenous, current trustee
Matthew Paul Youde, URI Global Youth, United Kingdom, Christian, new trustee

North America:
Susanna McIlwaine, Interfaith Explorers of Northern Virgina, United States, Studying Sufism and Buddhism, new trustee
Adelia Sandoval, SARAH, United States, Christian, current trustee
Rebecca Gonzales-Tobias, The Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Jew, new trustee

Southeast Asia and the Pacific:
Marites Africa, The Peacemakers Circle, Philippines, Christian, new trustee
Amir Farid Isahak, Malaysian Interfaith Network, Malaysia, Muslim, current trustee
Musa M. Sanguila, Pakigdait, Philippines, Muslim, new trustee

The official counting of the proxy ballots for this election was held at the URI global office in San Francisco, CA (USA), April 21, 2008. Witnesses included, Michelle Clark, Charles Gibbs, Barbara Hartford, Sally Mahe, Mark Mancao, Sam Ruben, Ray Signer and Yoland Trevino (by phone).

  Yoland Trevino did not participate in the counting of the Multi-Region ballots. Each of the seven regions easily exceeded the 51% of certified CCs required to vote for these elections to be valid.