URI is called the biggest worldwide grassroots interfaith cooperation group on this planet. It brings folks of all faiths collectively in additional than 100 international locations on all continents. We had the chance to interview Eric Roux, its newly elected Chair.
In a world like ours, the place conflicts are more and more overlaying the face of the earth, and the place religions have failed to forestall it, if not contributed to it, why would interfaith matter?
I wouldn’t say that “religions failed” greater than “governments failed” or “the UN failed”, “the OSCE failed”, and so on. In truth, if you wish to put the blame on somebody, it is best to say that we, as humanity, have failed till now to forestall wars and conflicts. None of us can exclude ourselves from the accountability of our world. However blame doesn’t clear up something. Many individuals consider interfaith as an exercise the place some folks from two or three mainstream religions meet and are available out with a wishy-washy assertion calling for world peace. That’s not what it’s.
We, at URI, do interfaith cooperation. That signifies that we convey folks collectively, from completely different faiths, the extra inclusive the higher, and we ensure that we work collectively towards a selected objective. So let’s say that your interfaith cooperation group is engaged on environmental points. Their major focus will probably be to be environment friendly in that subject. However one fast aspect impact will probably be that they must share the house with their fellows from different religions, to share the identical actuality of their mission, and to speak collectively to perform their objectives. The consequence will probably be that they may perceive one another, will change into buddies, and that itself contribute to a extra peaceable world. In fact, it’s all in regards to the scope and dimension of those actions. It requires quite a bit, an enormous lot of cooperation to have a noticeable impact at international stage.
So, how does it work, concretely?
In URI, it’s the grassroots which leads the hassle. We have now greater than 1,200 teams on the bottom, everywhere in the world, which we name “cooperation circles”. They’re composed of individuals of various religions or religious traditions, who’ve determined to work collectively to create a constructive affect in particular fields. Some are engaged within the restoration of the setting and the preservation of the Earth from the implications of the local weather change. Some will give attention to the prevention of religiously motivated violence and manage therapeutic periods between communities at odd to create communication between them. Some are specializing in inventive performances that convey collectively individuals who in any other case would by no means be taught from one another. Some are working towards the proliferation of nuclear weapons, together with the UN. Others will dedicate themselves to guard the rights of indigenous communities when their religious traditions are endangered by bigotry and vested pursuits. In addition to dozens of different subjects or sub-topics. However on the finish of the day all of them contribute to the aim of URI, which is to advertise enduring, every day interfaith cooperation, to finish religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice, and therapeutic for the Earth and all dwelling beings.
And the way would you describe the distinction between URI and different interfaith organizations?
It’s the grassroots element which actually makes the distinction. A number of massive interfaith organizations put the stress on non secular leaders, primarily from the massive non secular organizations. Whereas bringing aboard non secular leaders is essential, we consider that to actually create a broad affect, you should give an opportunity to everybody to contribute. And you may be shocked by some folks of religion or not who don’t maintain any title, and will not be non secular leaders, and might the truth is be leaders of their group on the subject of advancing the great. It’s not that we criticize different worldwide interfaith organizations, as we’re companions and so they do an important and essential job, however ours is a crucial complement to it. Each is important: non secular leaders, and people who need to dedicate their life, or a part of their life, to result in a greater world the place folks of all faiths or none can reside collectively in concord. I’m not saying we’re the one ones to try this, however that’s what makes us particular, as an massive worldwide group.
In truth, the board of trustees in URI is manufactured from people who find themselves grassroots interfaith activists, from all areas of the globe. They’re elected by the cooperation circles themselves, amongst themselves. It’s not top-down, it’s bottom-up, and at last circling in a virtuous method. Those that know the difficulties on the bottom are those that will assist URI defining its technique to beat the challenges. They’re helped and supported by a employees manufactured from people who find themselves super-dedicated to interfaith and to the aim of URI. Being a employees in URI, whether or not you’re the Government Director, a Senior Director, a regional coordinator or another put up, shouldn’t be a standard job. It’s a mission, a peace-making mission which is led by people who find themselves coronary heart and soul for fostering understanding and collaboration between folks of all faiths and religious traditions.
Sorry to ask a provocative query, however do you actually consider that a corporation like URI is ready to convey peace on Earth, finish religiously motivated violence and convey justice to all dwelling beings?
You realize, the dangerous behaviors behind wars and violence are contagious. However so are constructive behaviors. The general public are thinking about dwelling their life in concord with others. Only a few are those that actually love battle. Once they see examples of excellent behaviors between individuals who have completely different backgrounds, they discover hope once more.
Few days in the past, I obtained a message from certainly one of our cooperation circles in Sri Lanka, as that they had began a challenge to revive the mangrove ecosystems in a lagoon in Puttalam District. Which will sound minor, however it’s not. To begin with, after they try this, they carry collectively members of the encompassing villages who come to take part to the motion, and all of them mingle with individuals who don’t have the identical religion than them, sharing a joyful expertise of doing one thing constructive for his or her society. That’s far more highly effective than dangerous habits, as that can keep of their soul as a sunny reality. These folks will probably be far more tough to transform to violence, as they’ve tasted the great of dwelling collectively in peace and cooperating towards constructive objectives. That won’t cease the battle within the Center East, you’ll be able to inform me. Nicely, I assume not, except you consider within the butterfly impact. However let’s say that across the lagoon, just one,000 folks observed it. Their lives are modified by it. You multiply this by 1,200 (the variety of cooperation circles) and twelve months in a yr, and also you begin having fairly a greater variety of folks touched by constructive interfaith cooperation. However even when it was simply that 1,000 folks in Sri Lanka, it will be price it. To not point out the constructive impact on the mangrove, which is able to allow future generations to outlive higher.
I’m not saying it’s sufficient. We’re very conscious of the necessity to develop and improve the cooperation, all over the place, anytime, if we need to have an opportunity to counterbalance the chaos created by just a few. However we all know by expertise that that is the best way: bringing folks collectively and have them work towards a standard constructive aim, the place all have an opportunity to assist, contribute, and create.
I’d add this little factor: sure, the world shouldn’t be doing effectively, and sure there are wars and conflicts, non secular persecutions, injustice, bigotry, hate speech, terrorism in addition to an amazing environmental problem these days. However, we must always always remember that lovely issues exist too, and that many issues on this planet are doing effectively. Lots of people are working for the great, numerous initiatives are bringing about a greater world, the general public like one another, miracles of life occur day by day, and that’s the most essential factor in humanity, in addition to within the creation as a complete. We, the folks, know how one can do magic. It’s only a matter of doing extra in favor of a greater world, and never accepting anymore the dangerous issues as a fatality.
So sure, we consider we will do one thing, and we additionally consider we will fulfill our mission to a whole success. Are we dreamers? Actually, however who says a dream can’t come true?
Thanks. And at last, do you assume URI made a sensible choice in electing you because the Chair?
I hope so. Truthfully, in URI, the position of the Chair is to serve. The previous Chair, Preeta Bansal, was unbelievable and introduced URI to new heights when it comes to setting its modern organizational kind and bringing a renewed grassroots imaginative and prescient. And behind URI, you might have the imaginative and prescient of an enormous, its founder Bishop Invoice Swing, who dreamed it and made it a actuality, bringing the imaginative and prescient of some to a motion that touches tens of millions in solely twenty years. So I simply see myself as a servant of the 1,200 cooperation circles that do the job day by day, of my fellow trustees who’ve a protracted expertise of serving their communities, and a companion of the Government Director Jerry White, and the employees who dedicate their time to assist cooperation circles to develop and act. I really like URI, I really like the folks in it, I really like the folks typically, and I consider that it has the true potential of bringing about a greater world. So why ought to I save my vitality on it?
