The Weekly Shot

Duruthu Poya is celebrated on the first full moon of each year. The holiday celebrates Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka over 25 centuries ago, and honors Sri Lanka’s introduction to Buddhist teachings.

Last holiday season, Kashi Foundation, a URI North America Cooperation Circle, organized volunteers to visit a nearby impoverished community to provide food and other essentials to the residents there. 

One year ago, URI hosted an interfaith celebration at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, California, USA, bringing together groups from different religious traditions and cultural performers.

Taking advantage of URI’s global network, two Cooperation Circles have connected to better serve their communities. 

The United Religions Initiative Europe Assembly brought peacebuilders from around the Europe region together in Damme, Belgium.

The clinic provided free physical examination. At the end of the event, one woman even won an insurance voucher for breast cancer treatment.

The URI Traveling Peace Academy gathers interfaith peacebuilders together for training, skill building, discussion, study, and networking, so that they can work more effectively in their communities around the world.