URI is a Bridge Building Organization
Galina Ermolina, founder of the Euro-Asia Cooperation Circle of URI, an Ambassador to the Council of the Parliament of the World Religions, and a citizen of Novosibirsk,Russia, connected with the United Religions Initiative (URI) at an Interfaith Holy Books Conference hosted by Dr. Abraham Karickam in Kerala, India in 2011.
Shortly after, Professor Ermolina, a scholar of shamanism from the Altai region of Siberia and the work of mystic Nicholas Roerich, founded the Euro-Asia Cooperation Circle to serve as a bridge of learning and respect among peoples of different traditions in Siberia and as a bridge between Europe and Asia. She wrote, “The Altai is one of the places on Earth were people of different nations live in peace. This is one of the reasons the Altai has a very special role in the spiritual evolution of humanity.”
The Euro-Asia Cooperation Circle is making a proactive effort to share the richness of Siberian cultures and traditions with the rest of the world. Their aim is to build strong bridges within their community, and on a larger scale, between Europe and Asia. They describe themselves:
"Our purpose is to encourage people in the region to unite in the name of the common good and to promote interfaith cooperation between people of all races, cultures, social status. We wish to share our Siberian heritage and in turn, learn about other nations."
In 2014, Galina participated in URI’s Hidden Seeds of Natural Healing and Curing Conference in California, which brought together spiritual leaders from varied Indigenous traditions. The coordinator of the Conference recalled, “Galina was such a light and joy in the planning process.” Galina participated actively in URI Europe regional gatherings of Cooperation Circles and was a guest scholar at the “Holy Drop” Conference hosted by Faiths Without Borders, a Cooperation Circle based in Helsinki Finland. She wrote:
"It is high time for people to understand that there are so many things which can separate us. Religion is one of them; so we believe that the way out lies in uniting and cooperating through those things which are loved and accepted by all, no matter where you live and what your spiritual belief is. A spiritual culture in cooperation is able to bring peace internationally."
Sadly, Galina Ermolina passed away March 31, 2018. Galina is remembered for her passion for Russia, her embrace of Bilik (a collection of spiritual traditions from the Altai region of Siberia), and her zest to build bridges of peace between Indigenous traditions and the religious traditions of East and West. URI honors her contributions and looks to the Euro-Asia Cooperation Circle to continue her legacy as bridge builders who feed the spiritual evolution of humanity.
Read more posts in the Every Voice series, which presents thought-provoking quotes showing how people all over the world give voice to URI.
