Porsesh Research and Studies Organization (Kabul, Afghanistan/ URI Asia)
7 members
PURPOSE: Providing fact-based research for informed, ethical decision-making to promote peace and prosperity.
PRSO was established in 2015 with the sole purpose of promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. The organization is mainly involved with data collection, providing facts and analysis for the government and international organizations to ensure that high-level policy making reflects the voices of the people. The team wishes to work for the betterment of life for the people of Afghanistan, raise awareness against intolerance and for solidarity in difficult times. They do so by holding community workshops, writing policy briefs, and holding open meetings for the community. They believe that the present situation socially, economically, and culturally is not favorable for the Afghan people or the world and to answer the need to promote religious tolerance, respect differences, and build unity amongst people from different backgrounds.
Women and Peace Studies Organization (Kabul, Afghanistan/URI Asia)
60+ members
PURPOSE: Promoting knowledge and awareness that inclusive peace and security frameworks leads to sustainable peace and harmony in Afghanistan.
Problems of violence and intolerance in Afghanistan are persistent, and the ethnic, geographic, cultural, and linguistic differences have fragmented communities, making peace processes slow and complicated. Women and Peace Studies CC seeks to make a difference and work for unity in Afghanistan. Members believe that a bottom-up approach will make the people heard and consulted. The CC focuses on women’s empowerment and security, working closely with grassroots actors to gather their perspectives and work collaboratively on the issues they face. A major initiative has been creating provincial peace committees in 34 provinces, with at least two or three women members involved. The CC promotes the role of women as peace negotiators and peacebuilders, creating space and avenues for them to engage with debates on peace and security from a unique perspective. This will also contribute to the knowledge of women leaders at local and national levels to transform families, communities, and villages, preventing youth from participation in extremism.
Bridge Builders (Buenos Aires, Argentina/ URI Latin America and the Caribbean)
7+ members
PURPOSE: Organizing social assistance activities from a macro-ecumenical vision in collaboration with members of different religions raising awareness of others in society.
Bridge Builders is a group of young adults from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith backgrounds who participated in a program run by URI LAC, Fundación Judaica, and Fundación de la Amistad Argentina Turca, later choosing to continue working on social service action together. They organize events, activities, and workshops with a social justice base to learn the practices and beliefs of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. They meet periodically to determine initiatives according to the needs of the community in Buenos Aires where the CC is based. Recent highlights include: interfaith camps, interfaith movie debates, an interfaith calendar, youth encounters, baking bread for friends in the streets, thanksgiving, and children’s theater.
Gallatin Valley Interfaith Association (Montana, U.S./ URI North America)
45+ members
PURPOSE: bringing together people of faith traditions in the Gallatin Valley to nurture a healthier community through compassion, peace, justice and love.
This association began as a Christian Ministerial Association, deciding to become an interfaith organization in 2004. The Gallatin Valley Interfaith Leaders Association was originally open only to clergy, later opening to all as the Gallatin Valley Interfaith Association, raising awareness and collaboration between people representing about 15 faith traditions. They foster leadership to address wider social and spiritual issues within the Gallatin Valley community, and have grown to be a well-established forum to share experiences of faith traditions. The members see themselves as part of a global movement where people of different faiths can recognize shared values and shared humanity to work toward a more peaceful, healthy, and just world.
