On March 22nd, more than 300 attendees, including interfaith community leaders and key local philanthropists, gathered at the Four Seasons’ Grand Ballroom for United Religions Initiative’s (URI) annual Circles of Light gala and fundraising event.
This year’s theme, “Honoring URI’s Young Leaders: Building an Interfaith Future,” focused on the work of URI’s global young activists. The evening united San Francisco peace building supporters with young global leaders from around the world. A candle lighting ceremony for peace, musical guest, and personal accounts of overcoming religious conflict were among the highlights.
URI's Youth Ambassadors Cesar Rodriguez (the Dominican Republic), Suchith Abeyewickreme (Sri Lanka), Lejla Hasandedic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Nyambura Mundia (Kenya) shared stories of interfaith efforts throughout our world.
URI's Global Indigenous Youth Envoy for the Environment to the United Nations, Ta'Kaiya Blaney (the Sliammon First Nation from British Columbia, Canada) inspired the guests in attendance with her performance of “Shallow Waters” and “Earth Revolution.”
For Ta’Kaiya, the event showcased URI’s unique network of young leaders working together on a level playing field: “No one up there on stage was standing in front of anyone else,” she said. “We are all working together to speak our truth.”
URI President and Founder Right Rev. William E. Swing said, “It was very powerful to see the diversity of these young people up there on stage. Beyond looking at the numbers of Cooperation Circles that we have all over the world, to be able to just see that network in person meant so much to us all.”
In addition to the speakers, 20 activists from URI’s Young Leaders Program were given the Peggy Olsen Award, dedicated to youth leadership and honoring Circles of Light founding member Peggy Olsen. This was the first year of the special honor program in her name.
Several prominent San Francisco philanthropists were also in attendance, among them, Circles of Light Chair Sara Duryea, Cissie Swig, Jill Kramer, Kirstin Olsen, and Rita Semel.
All profits from Circles of Light will go towards funding for URI’s interfaith peace building programs.
For photos of the event, visit our Facebook page:
