URI BRINGS GLOBAL PEACE BUILDERS TOGETHER FOR ANNUAL GALA
On
March 22nd, more than 300 attendees, including
interfaith community leaders and key local philanthropists, gathered at the
Four Seasons’ Grand Ballroom for United Religions Initiative’s (URI) annual
Circles of Light gala and fundraising event.This year’s theme,
“Honoring URI’s Young Leaders: Building an Interfaith Future,” focused on the
work of URI’s global young activists. The evening united San Francisco peace
building supporters with young global leaders from around the world. A candle
lighting ceremony for peace, musical guest, and personal accounts of overcoming
religious conflict were among the highlights.
URI's Youth Ambassadors
Cesar Rodriguez (the Dominican Republic), Suchith Abeyewickreme (Sri Lanka),
Lejla Hasandedic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Nyambura Mundia (Kenya) shared
stories of interfaith efforts throughout our world.URI's Global Indigenous
Youth Envoy for the Environment to the United Nations, Ta'Kaiya Blaney (the
Sliammon First Nation from British Columbia, Canada) inspired the guests in
attendance with her performance of “Shallow Waters” and “Earth Revolution.”
For Ta’Kaiya, the event
showcased URI’s unique network of young leaders working together on a level
playing field: “No one up there on stage was standing in front of anyone else,”
she said. “We are all working together to speak our truth.”
URI President and Founder
Right Rev. William E. Swing said, “It was very powerful to see the diversity of
these young people up there on stage. Beyond looking at the numbers of
Cooperation Circles that we have all over the world, to be able to just see
that network in person meant so much to us all.”In
addition to the speakers, 20 activists from URI’s Young Leaders Program were
given the Peggy Olsen Award, dedicated to youth leadership and honoring Circles
of Light founding member Peggy Olsen. This was the first year of the special
honor program in her name. Several prominent San Francisco philanthropists were also in attendance, among
them, Circles of Light Chair Sara Duryea, Cissie Swig, Jill Kramer, Kirstin
Olsen, and Rita Semel.All profits from Circles
of Light will go towards funding for URI’s interfaith peace building programs.
Prof. John Kurakar
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