North America

See how the URI community celebrated World Interfaith Harmony Week 2011.

Last week URI helped celebrate the first ever United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, an initiative by Jordan’s King Abdullah II to promote peace among people of different faith traditions. Coming against the backdrop of a spike in violence against Christians in Iraq and Egypt late last year; the killing of a progressive Pakistani governor in January over the nation’s blasphemy laws; and rising Islamophobia across Europe and the United States, why should we expect such a week—or even the interfaith movement—to make much difference?

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons CC, a group of scientists, clergy, diplomats and grassroots activists, appeals for a moral stand against the nuclear threat.

By Gregory M. Lamb, staff writer, The Christian Science Monitor  January 24, 2011: Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, who founded the Green Belt Movement, says spiritual values are the key to...

Members organize dozens of activities around the globe.

I write as the last light drains from the sky on this day commemorating the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King.  I spent the morning in San Francisco participating in an event organized by the San Francisco Interfaith Council, which is a URI Cooperation Circle. Rita Semel, who many of you know as URI's founding board and Global Council Chair is Executive Vice Chair of SFIC; and Michael Pappas, who is a member of the leadership council for URI North America, is SFIC's executive director.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests....

URI keeps working at providing a “safe place” to communicate online. We have set a high standard of communication for our list serves that requires respect and civility. In our list serve communications, URI is working at being the change we want to see. We often fall down in achieving this aspiration - but we keep at it.

December 22, 2010 Today’s Senate ratification of the new START arms reduction treaty with Russia is a major step towards strengthening national and global security.