As I step into my new role as URI’s first woman Executive Director, I want to acknowledge and highlight that I have joined a movement filled with remarkable individuals and organizations that harness collective strength to create meaningful impact—from local communities to the global stage.
This movement is made up of individuals working together across differences toward peace, justice, and healing - URI's global mission.
Across the globe, violence is increasing and human rights are being trampled. Indigenous, environmental, and other activists are being attacked and irreparable damage is being done to the Earth and sacred spaces that hold immense value for followers of many traditions and faiths.
Secretary General Guterres said in his February 24, 2025, speech before the UN Human Rights Council, that human rights are being suffocated by a number of factors, including by “a growing intolerance against entire groups – from Indigenous peoples, to migrants and refugees, to the LGBTQ+ community, to persons with disabilities. And by voices of division and anger who view human rights not as a boon to humanity, but as a barrier to the power, profit, and control they seek.”
This growing intolerance is contributing to a breakdown in the social fabric and an increase in violence and hate speech in many communities across the globe. Against this backdrop, the need for and the potential of the URI network has never been more apparent.
We must all harness our personal power as well as the power of this network to work together to confront these challenges and engage in intentional efforts to interrupt and stop the harmful behaviors that are eroding the social fabric of our societies, causing permanent damage to our lands, and creating a permissive environment for hate and violence to prevail.
Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion for promoting human rights and preventing violence. Working with URI for the past two years has reignited and strengthened this passion.
I am honored to stand at the forefront of a movement that seeks to heal our communities and foster a world where violence motivated by religious differences becomes a thing of the past.
It is auspicious that I am starting my new role in March, a month that is synonymous with amplifying and celebrating the role, impact, and action of women around the world.
I am encouraged by the significant number of women who have been and are today active in the URI network, and I am proud of URI's gender inclusivity and promotion of women's efforts throughout the network.
Every day, hundreds of women–focused URI Cooperation Circles worldwide are implementing initiatives that promote leadership, women's economic empowerment, gender equality, and so much more.
As we celebrate the immense contribution of women, I invite each one of us to draw inspiration from these stories from our network of those who have risen against adversity with courage and grace.
They stand as living testaments to the power of resilience and belief in themselves, their capabilities, and in each other to pave the path to a future where peace prevails on Earth.
The work of the URI Cooperation Circles have demonstrated that we have the power to dismantle divisions and foster a deep-rooted culture of respect, resilience, and understanding through compassion, nurturing, warmth, dialogue, and solidarity.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the immense contribution of Indigenous communities in our network in creating URI and throughout the years. I am deeply committed to listening to and amplifying the Indigenous wisdom and perspectives that enrich URI’s purpose and strategic direction.
URI is not merely an organization; we are a movement – a global movement of caring and compassionate people committed to daily interfaith cooperation and with a burning mission to end religiously motivated violence and create cultures of peace, justice, and healing. What a wonderful and powerful network!
Let me finish by expressing my deep appreciation for all of the great work being done around the world by URI Cooperation Circles and Individual Members. You are the soul of URI. And we are here to support you in all of your endeavors.
Together, we have the power to change the world. Let the great work continue.
In gratitude and solidarity,
Karen Volker
