By words and actions, people all over the world give voice to URI. Their voices remind us what URI means and inspire even more of us to speak out and spread URI’s message.
John Lennon sang, “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Martin Luther King exclaimed, “I have a dream! People in URI are encouraged to dream out loud, to believe in their visions and work for their dreams to create a better and a more peace-filled world.
Dr. T.D. Singh, also named His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami Sripada Maharaj, was such a dreamer. Charles Gibbs, former Executive Director of URI, wrote about Dr. Singh…
"On many occasions, we dreamed together of the day when there would be URI interfaith peace villages in every region of the world. At these villages, interested people of diverse faith backgrounds would come together for a lived experience of interfaith understanding and cooperation. They would be centers where people would deepen their own spirituality and their openness to and appreciation of other spiritualities in community. Also, they would gain practical skills to help them be spiritual activists for interfaith cooperation when they returned to their home communities."
Dr. T. D. Singh in India with URI's founding Executive Director, Charles Gibbs, in 2006
"The seeds of these interfaith peace villages have been sown all over the world. It is impossible to tell how they will grow…. T.D. would never have wanted such a village to be named after him, but I have no doubt that they will embody his spirit, his deep heart, his brilliant mind and his unshakeable commitment."
Dr. T.D. Singh passed away in 2006. He was a scientist, revered spiritual leader, an outstanding exponent of the science-spirituality dialogue, and founder of the Science and Spirituality Cooperation Circle, a URI group based in Kolkata, India, and the founder of The Manipur Cooperation Circle in the home of his birth, Manipur, India.
