Dear URI Cooperation Circles,
February has been an active month. Many Cooperation Circles have gathered in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week. In the spirit of that celebration, we announce that our community has been enriched by two new Cooperation Circles. Both of them have been doing impressive work in their regions - Asia and Latin America -and they want to continue doing it under the umbrella of URI’s Global Network, which now includes 571 Cooperation Circles in 83 countries. Read a brief description of their work below.
ASIA - Prayas Cooperation Circle
The Prayas Institute for Social Development was registered as a secular, non-profit, voluntary organization in Hyderabad, in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, in 1994. It has a reputation of being an outstanding organization.
Its members, who are trained social workers of various faiths including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity, come together and focus on development programs for the underprivileged sections of their society. They champion interfaith dialogue, reconciliation, peace building and the education, development and protection of children. They conduct campaigns to empower women by eliminating the violence and discrimination perpetrated against them. They run an adult education program where women learn skills that allow them to become self-reliant, and they promote youth development and exchange programs.
Prayas believes in the necessity of networking with national and international organizations to build strong alliances. To learn more about their work, visit their website at www.prayasisd.org
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LATIN AMERICA - Marawaka Cooperation Circle
This CC, which is located in Bolivar, Venezuela, has the goal of reviving the Kariña Ancestral Culture (an indigenous culture of Caribbean origins), including its artistic traditions, literature, spirituality, shamanic songs, and healing and burial rituals. Its membership consists of people from the Indigenous tradition, Catholics and Evangelicals. They have spent the past 25 years recreating traditional rituals and inviting surrounding communities to gain an appreciation of their cultural heritage.
Like URI, their organization seeks to foster interfaith dialogue and ethnic relations with the Mapoyo, Panare, Piaroa and Jiwi groups. They aspire to heal all living beings through the Indigenous Cosmovision, which respects and upholds a relationship with the natural elements.
If you wish to extend your warm wishes to these new groups, please click on the links for their CC pages.
May Peace prevail on Earth!
With much appreciation,
on behalf of the URI CC Approval Committee
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