URI Celebrates World Interfaith Harmony Week

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San Francisco, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 02, 2011

As popular uprisings roil the Middle East and North Africa this week, a revolution of a different kind is just beginning to take shape. Tuesday marked the start of the first annual United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7 – Crowded amidst a dizzying array of UN days, weeks, month, even decades, this designated week stands out as the first global-level acknowledgment of the importance of interfaith cooperation and understanding to world peace and prosperity.

Initiated by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the week is a chance for interfaith advocates, religious and government leaders, and people of all walks of life to celebrate the common ground they share as people of faith and conviction and take a united stand against violence in the name of religion.

United Religions Initiative, the world’s largest grassroots interfaith network, is taking a lead role in making this vision a reality. Dozens of its member organizations, called Cooperation Circles (CCs), have organized activities this week to break down barriers between religious groups and celebrate the moral ethics that bind us all.

URI’s Middle East and North Africa office in Jordan will bring Muslim and Christian leaders together to visit a Mosque and a church in Amman and pray for peace in the region; CCs in South India are hosting a religion quiz competition for students; CCs and regional leadership in the Philippines are hosting an interfaith festival of art and music; and URI’s UN office is helping organize an interfaith breakfast for UN NGOs. URI activities are also taking place in Ethiopia, Malaysia, Morocco, Uganda, Palestine, Germany, Argentina, Spain, Egypt, Finland and more.

Click here to learn more about World Interfaith Harmony Week, access URI’s activity tool card, or read postings from CCs around the world.

For further questions or to schedule an interview with URI Executive Director Charles Gibbs or UN Representative Monica Willard, please contact Julian Foley, jfoley(at)uri(dot)org.

About URI:

URI is a global network of 500 grassroots organizations, called Cooperation Circles, dedicated to peace and justice through interfaith and cross-cultural cooperation. Its nearly half million members are overcoming distrust and hostility every day for the good of their communities-mediating religiously motivated conflict; building schools, orphanages and health clinics; campaigning for citizenship rights and more in 78 countries. They touch the lives of an estimated 2.5 million people. The network is led by Executive Director Charles Gibbs, President William E. Swing, and Yoland Trevino, chair of an elected 29-member Global Council of Trustees from 19 countries. Learn more at www.uri.org.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebWorld_Interfaith/Harmony_Week/prweb8110014.htm

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