URI Stories of Impact

Recently, the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations hosted their 3rd annual networking lunch on interfaith cooperation for peace. 

Lejla Hasandedic, URI Youth Ambassador, helps design a project to bring together a young population divided by a violent past and differences.

Three members of the URI Cooperation Circle Euro-Asia travelled to Novosibirsk, Russia, to participate in a regional conference to honor the UN’s International Family Day.

URI Africa’s continuous advocacy for peace education in Africa finally makes headway with URI Africa’s participation at the International Expert Meeting.

With self-effacing humor Charles Gibbs laughs about his singing voice.  We, his friends, go along and beg him not to sing Happy Birthday or the National Anthem.  

In 1996, Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs was asked to lead URI as its Founding Executive Director. Retiring now after 17 years, Charles leaves behind a lasting legacy of servant leadership and an ever-growing global foundation for building cultures of peace, justice and healing.

During Charles’ travels for URI, he met Vjekoslav Saje, whom he has called “a charismatic leader with a contagious passion.” With a background in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, Vjeko started his Cooperation Circle, Balkan as a Soul Bridge, to contribute to rebuilding a broken and divided society after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.