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Social Justice, October 2024
Marium Mohiuddin
Where Social Justice Begins

by Marium Mohiuddin

“You have to come and help me right now!” he said. All I could think was “it’s 4 a.m., and there’s no way I can sneak out.” My parents would kill me. Despite being a senior in college...

Where Social Justice Begins
Social Justice, October 2024
Sparrow Etter Carlson
The Substance of Possibility

by Sparrow Etter Carlson

I write this now with my hand on my heart, and here it will remain. For what follows is about the precious people within our midst who are treated as ex-humans in our society and...

The Substance of Possibility
Social Justice, October 2024
Mohammed Jibriel
Living at the Crossroads: The Complex Realities ...

by Mohammed Jibriel

I recently learned about the concept of moral injury, which describes the profound psychological, behavioral, social, and spiritual distress that...

Living at the Crossroads: The Complex Realities of Queer Palestinians
Social Justice, October 2024
Zack Ritter
Moving Toward Collective Care, Healing, and ...

by Zack Ritter

“All 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza are terrorists,” she said as we were eating cookies, standing around the flickering flames at Shabbat services. I was...

Moving Toward Collective Care, Healing, and Action
Social Justice, Women , October 2024
Cassandra Lawrence & Wendy Goldberg
Uplifting Women’s Voices and Challenging Male ...

by Cassandra Lawrence & Wendy Goldberg

It is the first thread in our tapestry of connections. In August 2018, both of us—eager for a safe space to discuss how multifaith communities can cultivate...

Uplifting Women’s Voices and Challenging Male Misconduct

William Swing

Stumbling into a Spiritual Strategy to Combat Nuclear Weapons

Stumbling into a Spiritual Strategy to Combat Nuclear Weapons

by William E. Swing

Starting in 1983, I have done what I could to respond to the existence and threat of nuclear weapons. Read books and relevant news, watched movies and TV documentaries, written articles…

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URI – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

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URI – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

by Victor Kazanjian

Imagine watching the news or viewing your Facebook feed each day and seeing thousands of positive stories of people from different religions, spiritual practices, and indigenous traditions working together…

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The Interfaith Community and Nuclear Weapons

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The Interfaith Community and Nuclear Weapons

by William Swing

What do the following tragedies have in common?  1 - The Columbine High School shooting of April 1999. 2 - The Virginia Tech mass killings of April 2007.  3 - The Boston Marathon bombing of April 2013. 4 - The Jewish Community Center murders of April 2014?

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An Heroic Opening Gambit

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An Heroic Opening Gambit

by William E. Swing

On Tuesday afternoon, April 2, 1996, I had just presented a paper in Oxford on “The Coming United Religions.” It would be mild to say I failed in gaining backers. Afterwards, a young doctoral student from Germany, Joseph Boehle, came up to me and asked, “Would you like to have a conversation with Dr. Hans Küng?”

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Why is the Parliament of the World’s Religions Important?

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Anyone who has attended one or more of the modern Parliaments (starting with the 1993 centennial celebration in Chicago) comes away with a multitude of stories and new friendships. Being with thousands of interfaith activists, by itself, tends to change your perspective on the world. TIO asked leaders from the interfaith movement to share with us briefly what they think is important about the Parliament of the World’s Religions. For a longer response, see Marcus Braybrooke’s reflection in this TIO on attending all the modern Parliaments.

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“For God’s Sake, What are We Going to Do About That?”

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At the end of April, 2015, and carrying over into the first two weeks of May, 2015, the nations of the world gathered at the United Nations in New York to review the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which originated in 1970. The NPT calls for nations, not possessing nuclear weapons, to refrain from developing them. And it calls for nations with nuclear weapons to reduce the number of weapons.

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In a World of Violent Disorder, Carrying the Agony in Hope

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Written for the 639 United Religion Initiative Cooperation Circles in 84 countries, Bill Swing’s words in these difficult times resonate for interfaith activists everywhere.

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What it Takes to Fund International Interfaith

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United Religions Initiative: A Case Study

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United Religions Initiative as Gift

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Engendering Grassroots Activist Connections

United Religions Initiative

The idea to create a global forum for preventing and responding to interreligious conflict came to URI President and Founder Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, then-Episcopal Bishop of California, asked to host a UN 50th anniversary celebration at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 1995. He found little interest among top religious leaders, but at the grassroots level he found a deep desire for peace and social justice. From this, the idea for a bottom-up global interfaith network was born.