URI South East Asia & the Pacific

The URI Southeast Asia-Pacific (URI-SEAP) region covers a vast area of the globe with cultural and religious diversity. Currently, the URI-SEAP has 19 Cooperation Circles (CCs) in 7 countries in this region: Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. Additional interfaith circles in other countries are in their founding stage and the number is growing.

The members of our Cooperation Circles are engaged in fostering friendships and cooperation between peoples of differing beliefs and practices. Through interfaith dialogues, visitations and celebrations and through educational programs and the media we are building bridges of understanding towards just and peaceful societies in the region.

You are invited to join this unique global movement and organize a Cooperation Circle in your area.

Your talents, commitment and passion for a better world are needed in creating cultures of peace, justice and healing!

The Birth of URI

About 12 years ago, Bill Swing, the Episcopal Bishop of California, had a dream. He dreamt that all the religions of the world— the Jews and the Christians, the Muslims and the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Jains, and all the others— would unite to end religious violence and work for peace, justice and healing in the world.

“You’re nuts!”, one listener told him when he started traveling the world promoting his dream. Others call him a naïve, a heretic, the Antichrist. But he persevered.

Eventually, thousands of people shared his dream. And in 2000, the United Religions Initiative was born.

URI is not a religion. All participants adopt the URI Charter, which says, “We respect the differences among religions, spiritual expressions, and indigenous traditions. We encourage our members to deepen their roots in their own tradition.”

URI is a global community engaging over one million people from 120 faith traditions in more than 340 Cooperation Circles in 60 countries.
Working together, they have turned the dream of one “naïve” Californian into something that is transforming their communities and the course of human history.

At URI, we are working for the day when

· Religiously motivated violence is no longer a global threat, and interfaith cooperation is the norm.

· URI Cooperation Circles are a powerful and respected resource for peace, justice and healing in every major city and most towns and villages in the world.

· URI is a respected moral authority speaking with a global voice on critical global issues.

· Women, indigenous people, and youth are full partners in every aspect of our work.

· URI’s activities engage one billion people worldwide.

URI SEAP Cooperation Circles

Currently, the URI-SEAP has 18 Cooperation Circles (CCs) in 7 countries:

1) Centre of Melbourne Multifaith & Others Network (COMMON) CC

Melbourne, Australia
Contact: Ms. Jessiee Kaur-Singh - jessieeks@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.commonmelbourne.com/


2) Unity, Peace and Multiculturalism CC
Adelaide, Australia
Contact: Dr. Ratnam Alagiah - ralagiahasiapacific@yahoo.com.au


3) Peace, Justice, Harmony CC
Sydney, Australia
Contact: Nemat Sabapathy - adib9@unwired.com.au


4) United Religious Education Circle CC
Auckland, New Zealand
Contact: Rev. George Armstrong - gandj.armstrong@xtra.co.nz



5) Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship (INSAF) CC

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact: Dr. Amir Farid Bin Dato Isahak - dr_amir55@yahoo.com

Website: www.surforever.com/insaf



6) Malaysian Interfaith Network (MIN) CC
Selangor, Malaysia
Contact: Dr. John Gurusamy - johngurusamy@gmail.com, min_asia@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.malaysianinterfaithnetwork.net/

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7) Nur Damai ("light of peace") CC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact: Ms. Padmini Soloman - pamnisol@yahoo.com

Website:

8) Ashram Gandhi Puri CC
Bali, Indonesia
Contact: Agus Indra Udayana - nyamp@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.ashramgandhipuri.or.id/


9) Ahimsa Satya Karuna CC
Bali, Indonesia
Contact: Agus Indra Udayana - nyamp@yahoo.com,


10) Interfaith Youths of Cambodia CC
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Contact: Mr Ros Sam An - santisena@forum.org.kh


11) IUNUI CC
Singapore
Contact: Mr. Alfred Tay - tay.alfred@gmail.com



12) Kalinaw ("peace") CC
Cebu, Philippines
Contact: Sr. Sandra Clemente, RSCJ - kalinawcc98_uricebu@yahoo.com.ph

12) Bohol Goodwill Volunteers CC

Bohol, Philippines
Contact: Mr. Bonifacio Amado Quirog, Jr. - boniquirog@yahoo.com


13) Trust, Understanding & Learning Among Youths (T.U.L.A.Y. = "bridge") CC
Bohol, Philippines
Contact: Mr. Ludwig Bon Quirog-wamailto:-warlock_avatar@yahoo.com

Webpage: http://www.tulaycc6uri.multiply.com/

14) Pakigdait CC
Mindanao, Philippines
Contact: Mr. Musa M. Sanguila - musanguila@yahoo.com, pakigdait@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.pakigdaitinc1.tripod.com/

15) Muslim-Christian Peacemakers’ Association CC
Manila, Philippines
Contact: Mr. Lee Collano - leecollano@yahoo.com

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16) The Peacemakers’ Circle CC
Manila, Philippines
Contact: Ms. Marites Guingona-Africa - peacemakerscircle_uri@yahoo.com, shekinah8@gmail.com

Webpage: http://www.peacemakerscircle.blogspot.com/

Be a Member of URI!

Be a member of URI and help strengthen its international network of interfaith activists working to create cultures of peace, justice and healing in their own communities— and throughout the world!

· Form and/or register a Cooperation Circle (CC) - the basic unit of URI membership that consists of local or virtual groups that include at least 7 members of at least 3 different religions, spiritual paths or indigenous traditions; and works in line with the URI Charter.

· Become an URI Affiliate - individuals or single-faith groups who support the URI Charter but have limited rights and responsibilities.

· Become an URI Supporter - by contributing a yearly donation to the URI network.

Contact Us

URI SEAsia-Pacific Regional Office

Staff:
DR. SHAKUNTALA MOORJANI-VASWANI
URISEAP Regional Coordinator (RC)

MR. ORLANDO T. DE GUZMAN, JR.
URISEAP Regional Information & Communications Officer (RICO)

Address:
Unit 105 PhilDHRRA Partnership Center
59 Salvador Street, Varsity Hills, Loyola Heights
1108 Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: (+632) 920-7622
Fax: (+632) 920-4618
E-mail: uriseap_regionaloffice@yahoo.com.ph
Online newsletter: www.uriseapnewsletter.blogspot.com