Allama Dr G R Chishti cutting the tape to open the office, with leaders from various religions and communities
The main door of the new URI MCC Islamabad office proudly presents the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to indicate that its members will work for inter-religious peace and harmony in the light of UN plans and advice. Its first priority will be serving the local community of mixed Muslim and Christian populations, which are currently ignored and deprived of necessities of life, such as roads, sewage systems, gas and water supplies in 21st-century Islamabad, Pakistan.
The stage on the occasion of the URI MCC Islamabad opening ceremony
1: Election of URI MCC Islamabad
On the occasion of the URI National Conference, held at Peace Conference Lahore under the auspices of Fr Dr James Channan OP from 18-19 February 2017, Allama Dr Chishti participated as Coordinator of Karachi URI CC.
During the final session of the National Conference of URI, it was announced by the Executive Secretary of URI Pakistan that the seat of newly-born URI MCC`s Coordinator is empty; therefore, we are going to elect one from among the member CCs of Islamabad. Accordingly, Mrs Saeeda Yasmeen of Kirn Foundation Islamabad CC came to the microphone and proposed the name of Allama Dr G R Chishti for the post, following that Mr Saeed ur Rehman Siddiqui of Peace Group of Journalists AZK endorsed the proposal.
Afterwards, URI Coordinators from all over the country, who had come to participate in the National Conference URI, voted and unanimously elected the nominated Allama Dr G R Chishti as Coordinator of URI MCC Islamabad.
Dr G R Chishti, respecting the wish of his colleagues in URI, accepted the result of the election and promised to work for the URI MCC Islamabad sincerely with dedication.
In the official group photo, Allama Dr GR Chishti is seen in the centre with Fr Dr James Channan OP Coordinator URI Asia, and with other coordinators of URI.
2: Fr Dr James Channan OP and all the participants are invited to the Interfaith Fair
The Interfaith Fair was to be organized by Universal Interfaith Peace Mission (UIPM, an affiliate organization of URI and Winner of the First Prize of the UN’s World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2015) on 28 February, as part of a month-long campaign to celebrate WIHW of UN for year 2017. Dr Chishti also requested that for the Official Certificate of Registration of URI MCC Islamabad may be granted so work may be started with full confidence.
According to the request, Fr Dr James Channan OP, arrived very kindly to the Interfaith Fair in Islamabad and awarded the Official Certificate of Registration with the name of Allama G R Chishti as Coordinator of URI MCC Islamabad on it. In the group photo above, Excellency Mr Jean Francois Cautain Ambassador of European Union Delegation to Pakistan and Fr James Channan award the certificate to Allama Dr G R Chishti, wearing a gold medal.
Allama Dr G R Chishti Addressing the Interfaith Fair. Excellency Mr Vittorio Cammarota Director UN Information Centre Islamabad Fr James Channan and Dr Amineh Hoti were on the stage.
3: Allama Dr G R Chishti further requested the URI Pakistan Office in Lahore to provide us with the complete list of members of URI MCC Islamabad.
4: The URI MCC Islamabad members are the following Cooperation Circles:
Hayat-E-Nou (New Life) CC
Purpose: To promote interfaith peace and harmony in Pakistan.
Description: We recently affiliated with the URI family and are pleased and inspired to learn more about the world religions and traditions. We are focusing on women’s development. We have started the Vocational/Sewing training centre and trained 110 Muslim and Christian women and girls who are widowed, orphaned or oppressed. Now at present, 25 students are enrolled. The fruits of this are very positive for religious harmony. We distributed relief packages and aid to 150 families in the Swat Valley who were affected by violence.
Ibteda Foundation CC
Purpose: To promote interfaith harmony, peace, justice, and understanding in the world. To respect equality among all religions.
Description: We installed a filtration system for clean water. We are running a school named Vision Public School, wherein Muslim and Christian students study together and socialize and eat together. In the morning, interfaith prayers are offered for peace and justice. It is best example of religious harmony. Our CC also distributes the relief packages for IDPs of Swat Valley in July and August. We are running vocational training schools for Christian and Muslims girls and women, for enhancing women’s development. We celebrated the International Day of Peace.
Karachi URI CC
Purpose: To promote interfaith peace and harmony.
Description: We actively work to establish religious peace and tolerance among the different sects within a religion. Members get together every three months. To achieve URI's purpose, we organize and participate in inter-religious functions to promote tolerance and daily interfaith cooperation.
Kiran Foundation CC
Purpose: To promote interfaith, intercultural and inter-civilization harmony; to bridge the growing gap between various faiths and belief systems; similarly, to work for the promotion of peace and justice all over the world.
Description: Our CC is focused on promoting interfaith dialogue for peace and harmony in Pakistan. It explores women’s issues and religious harmony with our staff of Muslim and Christian workers. In 2009, we received an award in recognition of our work.
Kiran Rajput Welfare and Social Organization Islamabad CC
Purpose: To work for the welfare of man, women and children, orphans and widows of all communities. To promote interfaith harmony for peace.
Description: We run a vocational training center wherein Muslim and Christian girls and women study together in religious harmony.
Peace and Harmony CC
Purpose: To promote peace among people of different faiths in Pakistan; to create religious harmony; and to train women and youth for interfaith dialogues for peace.
Description: Our CC holds many workshops for the promotion of interfaith dialogue for peace. We planted a peace pole in the Christian Study Center with Coordination of URI MCC Pakistan, celebrated International Day of Peace, and have attended national and international conferences.
Peace Group of Journalists CC
Purpose: To use writing to promote peace and harmony among the followers of various religions of the world generally, and in Kashmir particularly.
Description: Our CC holds interfaith workshops and promotes interfaith dialogue for peace through journalism. We work hard and distribute relief packages for IDPs in Swat. We are creating religious and political harmony in Azad Kashmir. We hold peace conferences, support youth groups for interreligious harmony, social and religious tolerance, peace, justice, democracy, confidence & character building, and identification of local problems and their solutions in utilizing local available resources, etc.
Reach Foundation CC
Purpose: This group of women was formed to provide for the basic necessities of underprivileged people and distribute gifts. Some of them were involved in this type of social action through their different faiths, but they are convinced that they will have a greater impact if they do this work from an interfaith perspective with no discrimination in search of universal unity, peace and love.
Description: They also plan to organize speeches and debates on peace & harmony among youth to enhance skilled behavior in society, looking forward to those social & religious values prevailing on this universe.
Reach Foundation CC
Purpose: This group of women was formed to provide for the basic necessities of underprivileged people and distribute gifts. Some of them were involved in this type of social action through their different faiths, but they are convinced that they will have a greater impact if they do this work from an interfaith perspective with no discrimination in search of universal unity, peace and love.
Description: They also plan to organize speeches and debates on peace & harmony among youth to enhance skilled behavior in society, looking forward to those social & religious values prevailing on this universe.
Read the full report and see many more photos from the opening here.
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