What Parliament and Summer Camp Have In Common: Reflections and Thanks from Sari Heidenreich

I can't believe it has already been almost two weeks since we returned from the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City. Do you remember what coming back from summer camp used to be like as a child? Well, that is almost how this whole experience felt -- constantly running around, barely sleeping, talking until the wee hours of the night, meeting new friends, finding passions, capturing inspiration!

I spent the bulk of my five days at the Parliament in the URI Hospitality Space, which was born out of a suggestion from former Chair Sande Hart, and was more sucessfully than any of us could have ever envisioned. It was an incredible privilege to extend hospitality to hundreds of people over the course of the conference. Many came in for the free snacks but left with so much more! URI North America Leadership Council Chair Ardey Turner gave Reiki day in and day out with a seemingly endless supply of energy. URI staff, trustees and volunteers shared with anyone who would listen about the wonder and joy of the URI family. We invited many to join the family and they did -- if for nothing more than the few minutes they were in that room. 

The reunions were my favorite to watch and experience! Countless times during those days I would find myself face-to-face with someone I had emailed or talked on the phone with. It was a joy to finally be able to hug them, to have a few quiet moments on the couch to share in each other's presence. 

Many URI members also participated in official presentations and workshops and it was wonderful to see URI members support and learn from one another by attending each other's workshops. 

On Saturday evening, URI hosted a reception for URI members and friends -- old and new. It was also an incredible event with about 400 attendees. URI North America Leadership Council Member Fred Fielding engaged about half that number in an Appreciative Inquiry, and fellow board members Sukhvinder Vinning and Dana Jiang guided meditations. Victor Kazanjian, URI's Executive Director, and Kiran Bali, Chair of URI Global Council, welcomed our guests and Chief Phil Lane and Audri Scott Williams, both Global Council Trustees, ushered in Indigenous wisdom and blessings.

Hundreds of connections were made during our hours together as people met, many for the first time, over spring rolls and lemonade. Though the reception was shorter than a usual URI assembly, I was touched to think that this is possibly the closest URI North America has gotten to having one since 2009! 

I wanted to take a moment to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped make URI's presence at the Parliament such a huge success. First of all, to the Parliament Subcommittee -- Leadership Council Members Ardey Turner, Eric Huseth, Fred Fielding and Multiregion Regional Coordinator Rachael Watcher. They put thought and energy into every aspect of the Hospitality Space and Reception, from the configuration of the chairs and couches, to the food choices, the slideshow and materials table, and a minute-by-minute breakdown of the reception. This team put an incredible amount of themselves into making all of this happen -- both before and during the Parliament. Thank you, thank you. Thank also to each Leadership Council member who helped host and welcome people into the Hospitality Space and Reception during the Parliament!

I also wanted to send you a gigantic, heartfelt THANK YOU to Julia Jameson for all the ways she helped make the Hospitality Space an incredible success. All it took was one phone call from me and she jumped on board enthusiastically, offering to do above and beyond what I ever thought to ask for. I had no idea the "signs" I asked her to make would turn out as absolutely stunning pieces of art.  She created four original paintings for the Hospitality Space and an adorable sign for the snack table and provided a dozen other touches that made the space feel like home. 

I also want to recognize and extend gratitude to the team from URI Global, who partnered with the North America region on both of these endeavors and spearheaded efforts for the URI Booth in the Exhibition Hall. Specifically I want to thank Diana Conan, Stefan Howard, Maria Crespo, Sally Mahe, Valerie Prunell and Victor Kazanjian, who assisted whenever they could. Each approached this partnership with such a servant's heart and volunteered to do what ever necessary, including Diana who drove from San Francisco so we could have pillows and banners in the space, Stefan who always said "of course" to whatever I requested, Valerie who hand-corrected hundreds of reception invitations, Sally and Maria who warmly welcomed people to the Hospitality Space, and Victor who provided us with an overarching vision through it all. This was a such a great example of regional and global partnership!