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3. Ensure the sustainability and growth the URI network with strong regional infrastructure and seed funding

Our world stands at a critical juncture. As UN Secretary General Guterres highlighted in his February 2024 speech before the UN Human Rights Council, human rights are being suffocated by

"a growing intolerance against entire groups – from Indigenous peoples, to migrants and refugees, to the LGBTQ+ community, to persons with disabilities." Violence is escalating globally, environmental and human rights activists face increasing threats, and sacred spaces vital to diverse faith traditions are under assault.

Against this backdrop of growing division, URI offers a unique and powerful multi faith response. With 1,200 Cooperation Circles operating in 113 countries, URI is well poised to play a key role in helping to address the tensions and injustices that are fueling violence and hatred globally. Our faiths and traditions call upon us to celebrate our differences while working together for a more compassionate and peaceful world. URI has spent 25 years building the foundation for this vision. Now is the time to scale this proven model to meet the urgent challenges of our time.

In order to grow to scale, URI must adapt its support infrastructure to be able to serve the needs of its members. This means supporting the current regional staff structure, expanding the training offerings to the network and providing incentive grants to support work in priority areas such as reducing religiously motivated violence and attacks against sacred spaces, promoting eco-healing and earth restoration, and facilitating the gathering and dissemination of ancestral, traditional and Indigenous wisdom which has been an integral part of URI from the very beginning.   

Investing in the Bill Swing Fund will ensure that the URI regions always have the staff and financial support they need to continue to foster growth, ensure network vitality, and provide increased and improved capacity building tools. It will also provide for specialized funding to support key priority areas mentioned above. This funding will also provide seed grants to CCs in all regions.