On Saturday, March 5, 2011, URI celebrated its eighth annual Circles of Light fundraising gala, bringing in more than $225,000 dollars for our work in interfaith peacebuilding around the world. Two hundred and seventy people gathered in the ballroom of San Francisco’s historic St. Francis Hotel to eat, drink and honor the many accomplishments of URI’s more than 500 Cooperation Circles (CCs), including this year’s honoree, the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia.
One of URI’s founding members, the UNESCO Centre’s Association for Interreligious Dialogue is a pioneer in inclusive peacebuilding and conflict mediation programs in Spain, easing rising tensions among immigrant and minority groups in and around Barcelona. Centre Director Miquel Àngel Essomba Gelabert and Elisabeth Lheure, a Centre mediator who is also a URI trustee, traveled to San Francisco to accept the award.
"We've always honored good people,” said Rita Semel, co-founder and executive vice-chair of the San Francisco Interfaith Council CC and URI’s first Global Council chair, “but to honor one of the CCs doing important work was especially meaningful."
Bishop Swing and his wife Mary greeted guests as they arrived, including many long-time URI supporters and friends. Ninety-one year-old Huston Smith, a renowned religion scholar, writer and interfaith pioneer, and Tibetan Buddhist leader Arjia Rinpoche were among them. Other special guests included the Consul General of Spain and members of the Barcelona San Francisco Sister City Committee.
Guitarist Eric Symons played the music of Spain while guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers in the reception room. As they moved to the ballroom for dinner, a slideshow of URI CCs, leadership and donors lit up the screens flanking the stage.
URI Executive Director Charles Gibbs welcomed everyone and reminded the assembled crowd of the critical and growing relevance of URI to the world. “We live in times of remarkable upheaval,” he said, “and URI is in the midst of it."
After a candle lighting ceremony dedicated to peace in each of URI’s regions, a slideshow of the UNESCO Centre’s work and a flamenco performance, Mr. Essomba and Ms. Lheure took the stage and spoke movingly of the challenges and successes of their work , describing it as a long and ongoing process of building trust and opening hearts.
"The highlight for me was Elisabeth's talk,” said President’s Council Chair John Weiser, who was there with his wife Maria and son Stefan. “Her story of the effort to celebrate a Muslim funeral in a Catholic church, especially in a traditional society like Spain, captured our attention. It was a powerful moment."
URI gives special thanks to the organizing committee, to everyone who was able to join us and gave so generously, and to those who supported—and continue to support—us from afar.
