We joyfully introduce four new Cooperation Circles accepted as United Religions Initiative members in July 2015. The work these new members are doing is inspirational for the URI network as a whole. The empowering and uplifting of ethnic minorities, youth, and women are central themes for these new CCs. They provide essential training, career, and leadership opportunities for the members of their communities while promoting interfaith peace and cooperation.
BENIN
Religion Pour La Paix – Benin - Porto Novo, Benin, URI Africa
Ten different religions and African traditions are represented in this organization, which aims to promote Interreligious peaceful co-existence. They organize interreligious seminars and collaborate with some NGOs on health, youth and education programs. Together they to carry out the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). After seven years of the preparatory works, Religion Pour La Paix was officially launched on August 3rd, 2007. Since then they have carried out many activities, including their registration with the Ministry of Interior and procured an agreement with the Ministry in Charge of the NGOs and religious institutions. Their work focuses mainly on interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, women and youth (ages 18 to 30).
NIGERIA
Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth - Enugu, Nigeria, URI Africa
Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth is a Nigeria-based, national, youth-focused Non-Governmental Organization. Its objectives include: providing diverse African young people with entrepreneurial learning opportunities; organizing training, educational and mentoring programs on entrepreneurship and business development; and stimulating entrepreneurship development by engaging youths from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds to participate actively in transforming Africa’s 21st century economy and to mitigate poverty among young Africans. Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth conducts trainings, summits, conferences and other events on youth leadership and entrepreneurship development. They organize peace forums, sensitization and awareness education towards fostering inter-religious understanding, mutual economic cooperation and peaceful coexistence among young people in Nigeria. They engage as policy advocacies for youth development, employment generation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and in Africa at large. They coordinate the African Young Entrepreneurs Network, which is a social media network of 10,000+ members who share various opportunities and information for diverse young entrepreneurs in Africa. The group also facilitates discussions and networking opportunities, and explores and promotes innovative and excellent youth ideas for economic transformation.
INDIA - SOUTH ZONE
Society for Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment (SPACE) - Andhra Pradesh, India - South Zone, URI Asia
This Cooperation Circle is formed by NGOS and social workers. From 1997 onwards they have worked deeply with various religions, communities, and castes. This is helping interconnection among cultural, religious, and caste communities. The group includes Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Tribes. The Cooperation Circle gives occasional training to poor people and youth. They give free education to Dalit students and give nutritious food to children. They also help women to make manual products and help to sell the products in the market. People are inspired by these activities. Among their highlights, the Cooperation Circle has executed watershed development programs, vocational skill training programs, natural resource management projects, water sanitation initiatives, and survey and evaluation programs. SPACE has much experience in various community empowerment programs and among social service activists.
WEDO GLOBAL CC - Based in Chai Wan, Hong Kong, HKSAR China, URI Multi-Region
WEDO GLOBAL CC is a social enterprise that envisions a racial-barrier-free society where everyone can live in peace and harmony. The mission of this Cooperation Circle is to empower ethnic minorities; to advocate multi-culture education and to promote peace and cultural diversity. It aligns with the mission of URI.
WEDO GLOBAL CC was created to enhance cultural understanding of Hong Kong Chinese on ethnic minorities, so as to reduce the negative perceptions and racial discrimination. It provides training opportunities inside and outside Hong Kong for under-presented ethnic minorities. There have been Pakistani, Indian, Nepalese, Indonesian, and Australian members coming from the Muslim, Sikh, Catholic and Indigenous communities. As their training takes six days, every participant is exposed to an in-depth cultural exchange and learning about each other’s cultures. After the training, the participants have opportunities to be recruited as cultural ambassadors to conduct multicultural workshops and theme-based community walking tours. This increases their job opportunities, confidence, knowledge and skills.
Currently WEDO GLOBAL is cooperating with Oxfam Hong Kong to offer multicultural education programs for educational institutes, corporations and other charitable organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Sri Lanka.
In the future, they will cooperate with the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to expand existing programs to more schools, corporations and charitable organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
