URI GC & Staff Meeting in Antwerp, Belgium (June 2007)

The UNITED RELIGIONS Initiative’s Global Council and Staff gathered in Antwerp , Belgium last June, 2007 for their annual meetings to deepen relationships, exchange knowledge and experiences and to co-create vision and plans for URI’s growth and development in the coming years.

We were graciously hosted by URI Europe in the beautiful grounds of the Theological and Pastoral Center in Antwerp . The staff and volunteers of Bond Zonder Naam (Movement without a name) CC were great hosts. We thank Fr. Patrick Hanjoul, the dynamic Director of the movement for their great hospitality.
“A THRESHHOLD MOMENT FOR URI” was the theme of the meeting of the three day Global & Regional Staff (June 6-8). Seven years after the signing of URI’s Charter and with over 350 CC in more than 60 countries of the world and the enormous challenges, URI is now poised to enter a new, dynamic stage of growth and development.

The meeting commenced with a sacred opening and a tribute to the late T.D.Singh, a beloved friend and college from Mayapur , India . Each one then shared the victories and challenges of their URI work during the past year.

During the three days together, the staff explored some key questions - what is working well? What must URI improve? What is needed? Ways of enhancing communications, creating work plans, filing financial reports etc were discussed. There were beautiful exchanges of personal experiences, challenges and hopes during the group sessions. Plans were envisioned for the regional growth over the next five years to make URI purpose vitally alive all over the world.

Bishop William Swing, the President of URI provided an overview of his vision to build URI’s financial capacity to fulfill URI’s Purpose around the world. He outlined his campaign to raise a major endowment fund to provide a reliable base of funding. Both the Staff and Global Council had separate opportunities to have conversations with him to share /clarify any concerns and offer appreciation and support for his vision and dedication.

After the closing reflections on June 8, the Staff traveled to Brussels and paid a courtesy visit to the European Commission headquarters where we were received by the Minister of EC in charge of culture, youth and interfaith dialogue shared about their commitment interrelations dialogue for European integration. He was appreciative of the work of the URI.

Our next stop was the Grand Place of Brussels to the Mayor’s office where we were honored at a reception by the Mayor, also a staunch promoter of inter religious dialogue for harmony among the people in the city. The evening ended with a sumptuous dinner at the penthouse of EEC leader Jean Mathieu Lochtea.

"URI AT THE THRESHOLD”: VISIONS AND PLANS

The Global Council meeting opened on 10th June with a colorful indigenous ceremony in the gardens of the Theological Pastoral Center to get permission & blessings from Mother Earth to hold our meetings there. Interfaith prayers for blessings followed.

The GC chair, Yoland Trevino then guided us to create a web of interconnections with colorful yarn and each one sharing their our hope for our time together. We created a beautiful spiritual web of unity in diversity.

In the meeting room, the Global Council sessions took place with the GC sitting in a circle and the staff in an outer circle of support and with a candle, a symbol of enlightenment, burning in the center. The sessions were packed with discussions, visioning and planning that will move URI into a new stage of creative growth.

During one of the sessions each region created a wall of wonder of the achievements in the region over the last year. Later all regions envision how we would like to see our region grow in the next five years time.

The deep discussions, deliberations and decisions were intercepted with moments for music, singing and of silence to energize and to keep us focused.
After considerable deliberations the several important decisions were reached.

A new committee was created to be a coordination link between the Global council and the URI Foundation whose sole purpose will be to support URI work around the world.

The Endowment fund established in honor of Bill Bowes, URI’s most generous supporter, will be utilized to give cash awards, one per region, every three years at URI’s Global Assembly, to a CC or a group of CCs who have done exemplary work

An Amendment was made to an election bylaw after extensive deliberations. Beginning with the forthcoming Trustees Selection Process, Trustees will be able to serve three consecutive terms, should their region choose to select them to do so to ensure continuity of organization wisdom.

Mussie Hailu, who resigned recently as GC vice chair, to serve as Africa coordinator was replaced. Mohinder Singh of India and Deborah Moldov of the US were elected as joint vice chairpersons as much needs to be done for the Global assembly in 2008.

The GC endorsed that next Global Assembly will be held in Mayapur, West Bengal, India from November 30 - December 5, 2008. Around 1000 people are expected to attend, including about 200 youths .

At the closing ceremony of the GC on June 15 each Trustee made a commitment to the URI and crossed the “threshold” of olive branches to be warmly greeted by the Chair,Yoland Trevino and Executive Director Charles Gibbs.

The same afternoon we all dressed up in our colorful traditions/cultural costumes to go to the old city of Antwerp. We explored the old historical part of the city near the Town Hall with tour guides after which we went into the Town Hall for a reception hosted by the Mayor during which the Flemish partnership for interfaith dialogue was launched. This partnership of people of diverse religions and spiritual expressions and secular humanists is committed to cooperative action on a grassroot level that can also reach up to engage policy makers.

The Final activity of the day was a wonderful gala, the Interfaith symphony of inspiring music, chants, prayers, dance, testimonies and blessings to celebrate the launch of the Flemish Partnership for interfaith dialogues. We pray that the symphony of interfaith dialogue will reverberate around the world and there will be more peaceful and just communities all over the world.
With love, mutual respect and a shared commitment to develop URI’s work in the world that was very evident at the meetings we now begin a new chapter in the life of the URI that will lead it farther down the road to making our Purpose vitally alive all over the world.