URI Accelerate Peace Conference Program
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
June 26-27, 2019
at the Hoover Institution
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
8:00 to 9:00 Registration
9:00 to 10:00 OpeningCeremony
Welcome Kiran Bali, MBE JP, Chair of the URI GlobalCouncil
The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian Jr., Executive Director of URI
The Hon. George P. Shultz, Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution
The Rev. Dr. Tiffany Steinwert, Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University
Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University
Sughra Ahmed, Associate Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
A CantataofPeace From Sapient by Steve Chesne
Composer Steven Chesne spent a year unearthing ancient peace invocations and prayers from all over the world: words of the oneness of humankind, spoken by Buddha, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mohammed, Sikhs, Hindus, Jews, Cheyenne, Kikuyu, and Baha’i.
Procession of Belief Traditions and Regions of the World
Leaders: Members of the URI Global Council and Staff
Remembering Victims of Violence and Injustice
Leaders: Rabbi Stephen Pearce, D.D., Ph.D. Sr. Rabbi Emeritus and Taube Scholar, TempleEmanu’el
Adeola Fearon, founder of the Charlotte Red Bench URI Cooperation Circle, Chair URI North America Leadership Council
Abraham Karickam, Regional Coordinator for URI-Asia, South Zone
Karimah Stauch, Regional Coordinator for URI-Europe
Enoé Texier, Professor Central University of Venezuela, Regional Coordinator, URI-Latin America and the Caribbean
Overview Kiran Bali, MBE JP, Chair of the URI GlobalCouncil
The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian Jr., Executive Director of URI
10:00 to 10:30 Accelerating Peace Opening Appreciative InquiryActivity
Moderator: Sally Mahé, Senior Consultant,URI
Participants are asked to turn to a neighbor and ask their partner the following questions. Each person will have 15 minutes.
Appreciative Inquiry: Interfaith Action in Global Peacebuilding
- To start, I’d like to learn a little about who you are. Please tell me your name, where you live and what drew you to this conference about interfaith efforts towards global peace building?
- Our beliefs come from many places in our lives, religion, spirituality, culture. What is something you value deeply in your beliefs that informs how you think about and practice peace?
- Though the story is still largely untold, thousands upon thousands of people of different beliefs throughout the world, are reaching across boundaries to work together. In what ways have you seen or heard about interfaith peacebuilding in action?
10:45 to 12:00 Session I: Peacebuilding through Promoting Enduring, Daily Interfaith Cooperation: From Dialogue toAction
What is interfaith action? How does interfaith action fit into the larger framework of global peacebuilding? This session will explore the field of interfaith peacebuilding and the relationship between interfaith understanding, interfaith dialogue and interfaith action in the global and local peacebuilding process.
Moderator: The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr, Executive Director,URI
Panelists: The Rev. Jennifer Bailey, Founder and Director of the Faith Matters Network Radia Bakkouch, President of Coexister, France, a URI Cooperation Circle Maria Crespo, Director of Cooperation Circle Support, URI
Audrey Kitagawa, Chair of the Parliament of the World’s Religions
Phil Lane, Hereditary Chief, Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations, URI Trustee
Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, President of the General Theological Union
Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, a URI Cooperation Circle
12:00 to 1:15 Lunch andKeynote
Speaker: H. E. Adama Dieng, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Special Adviser to the Secretary- General of the United Nations on the Prevention ofGenocide
Introduced by Wambui Ngige, Human Rights Attorney, URI Global Trustee
1:15 to 1:30 Musical Performance – Pato Banton and Antoinette Rootsdawtah, Pato Banton’s Spiritual Family, a URI CooperationCircle
1:30 to 2:30 Session II: Voices for a World Free of NuclearWeapons
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons is a URI Cooperation Circle composed of dynamic voices from across the political, professional, and spiritual spectrums who have united in a single purpose: to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all. This group of dedicated peacebuilders, which includes diplomats, scientists, lawyers and religious leaders created a video entitled “A Prayer from Voice s for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” which we will view and then hear from our speakers during this session.
Speakers: Kehkashan Basu, Founder and President of Green HopeFoundation
Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute
The Rt. Rev. William Swing, Founder and President, URI
2:30 to 2:45 Break
2:45 to 4:15 Session III: Ending Religiously MotivatedViolence
Violence in the name of religion has become one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. This session will explore how interfaith efforts to confront this challenge are a critical component of the overall effort to counter violent extremism, prevent mass atrocity and genocide, rebuild communities and societies post-conflict, build the positive relationships between people of different beliefs and create the conditions that are essential to sustainable peace.
Video Case Presentation: Countering Violent Extremism in Nigeria Introduced by Emmanuel Ivorgba, West Africa Regional Coordinator, URI
Moderator: Azza Karam, Senior Advisor at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Coordinator of the UN Inter- Agency Task Force on Religion and Development, UnitedNations
Panelists: Samira Barucija, Co-founder of Youth For Peace, Bosnia/Herzegovina, a URI CooperationCircle
Mussie Hailu, Former Ambassador, Director of the Global Partnerships and Africa Coordinator for URI
Mamoun Khreisat, Middle East and North Africa Regional Coordinator, URI
James Patton, President and CEO, International Center for Religion and Diplomacy Musa Sanguila, Director of Pakigdait, Philippines, a URI Cooperation Circle Jessica Trubowitch, Public Policy and Community Building Director JCRC –Jewish
Community Relations Council
Janessa Gans Wilder, Founder and Executive Director of the Euphrates Institute, a URI Cooperation Circle
4:45 to 5:30 Keynote Conversation – A Bishop and General Talk aboutPeace
Theologian Hans Kung wrote, “There will be no peace among nations, without peace among religions.” Throughout human history, religion has been used as a motivation and justification for war, while at the same time religion has been used to inspire people to seek peace. In this session, Bishop William Swing and General James Mattis discuss issues of religion, war and peace.
Speakers: General James N. Mattis, Davies Family Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Former United States Secretary ofDefense
The Rt. Rev. William Swing, Founder and President of URI, former Episcopal Bishop of California
5:30 to 6:30 Reception
6:30 to 8:30 URI Circles of Light Gala & AwardsCeremony
(Separately ticketed event)
- Celebrating the kick off to URI’s 20th Anniversary Year
- URI Awards Ceremony
- URI Global Peacebuilder Awards
- The URI Bowes Award
Thursday, June 27, 2019
8:00 to 9:00 Registration
8:00 to 9:00 Breakfast andNetworking
9:00 to 9:30 Waters of the WorldCeremony
The Waters of the World Ceremony, led by Indigenous peacebuilders, brings waters that come from over 150 sacred water sources in 65 countries on all seven continents and from the Seven Seas. These waters have been mixed and added to in ceremonies of the United Nations, the United Religions Initiative, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and the Goldin Institute for International Partnership and Peace. They are mingled as a blessing for all beings of the Earth, in the hope that we may live in peace.
Leaders: Don Frew, Elder and National Interfaith Representative of the Covenant of the Goddess, URITrustee
Phil Lane, Hereditary Chief, Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations, URI Trustee
Sofia Painequeo, Mapuche Indigenous Leader and Founder of the Aflailai Foundation, a URI Cooperation Circle, URI Trustee
Vilma Palax Tuy, Descendientes de Guatamaya, a URI Cooperation Circle
Audri Scott Williams, Trail of Dreams Peacewalkers, a URI Cooperation Circle, URI Trustee
9:30 to 11:00 Session IV: Building Cultures of Peace, Justice andHealing
for the Earth and all Living Beings: Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Sustainability
As women’s lives and well-being continue to be disproportionately impacted by ongoing violence, injustice and oppression, and the Earth and her inhabitants suffer from the impact of environmental degradation, interfaith peacebuilders are engaging these critical issues on a global and local scale. This session will explore these issues through on the ground examples and invite participants into dialogue around strategies for women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Speaker: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Secretary General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, a URI Cooperation Circle Introduced by Subhi Dhupar, URI Regional Coordinator for URI-Asia NorthIndia
Video Case Presentation: Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Sustainability
Presented by: Amira Diamond and Melinda Kramer, Founders and Co-directors of the Women’s Earth Alliance
Moderator: Kiran Bali, MBE JP, Chair of the Global Council of Trustees forURI
Panelists: Despina Namwembe, Regional Coordinator for URI-Africa GreatLakes
Swamini Adityananda Saraswati, Director of Programmes, Policy and Development of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), a URI Cooperation Circle
Sofia Painequeo, Mapuche Indigenous Leader and Founder of the Aflailai Foundation, a URI Cooperation Circle
Monica Willard, URI Representative to the United Nations
11:15 to 12:30 Session V: Building Cultures of Peace, Justice and Healing for the Earth and all Living Beings: Global Organizations and GrassrootsPartnerships
Too often in the peacebuilding process a gap exists between global organizations and those at the grassroots engaged in work that seeks to address critical issues including conflict, violence and injustice. The session will explore strategies for closing this gap and why global organizations are prioritizing grassroots partnerships.
Moderator: Suzanne Siskel, Executive Vice President and COO, The Asia Foundation, URI President’sCouncil
Panelists: Kate Cumbo, Executive Director, PeaceJamFoundation
Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
Rabbi Serena Eisenberg, AJC Northern California Director
Brian Grimm, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation
Susan Hayward, Senior Advisor, Religion & Inclusive Societies, United States Institute for Peace
Aqueela Jogee, Vice President of Programs, Give2Asia
12:30 to 1:30 Lunch
1:30 to 2:00 Call to ActionKeynote
Speaker: Valarie Kaur, Founder of The Revolutionary LoveProject
Valarie Kaur has become one of the most dynamic leaders in the interfaith movement, challenging us to ground the movement in an ethic of love. In describing The Revolutionary Love Movement and calling us to action, Valarie Kaur says, “We believe Revolutionary Love is the call of our times. In an era of enormous rage, we must resist dangerous policies and acts of hate that threaten our most vulnerable communities. But resistance alone will not deliver us: We will burn out or even start to mirror the rage we are resisting. So we are staging a cultural intervention to birth a new future. Our mission: to equip our movements and communities with tools to labor in love — love for others, our opponents, and ourselves. When we pour love in these three directions, then love becomes revolutionary.”
2:00 to 3:00 Call to ActionStorytellers
Responding to the Call to Action through love for others, our opponents and ourselves, these interfaith leaders weave their stories together reflecting on their own traditions, that which calls them to action and how they in turn call us to be interfaith peacebuilders in our communities and in our world.
Storytellers: Subhi Dhupar, URI Regional Coordinator for NorthIndia
Daniel Eror, Youth for Peace, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a URI Cooperation Circle
Sari Heidenreich, URI North America Regional Coordinator
Vincent Leong, Young Leader URI SEAPAC, Malaysia
Johnny Martin, Youth Director, Arizona Interfaith Network, a URI Cooperation Circle
Wambui Ngige, Human Rights Attorney, Kenya, URI Trustee
Sarah Oliver, Youth Programs Coordinator Southern Africa for URI
Ishaq Pathan, Deputy Director, Islamic Networks Group (ING)
Vilma Palax Tuy, Descendientes de Guatamaya, a URI Cooperation Circle
Shayda Sales, URI Program Associate
Elle Segal, Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Manager, JCRC San Francisco
Valeria Vergani, Director of the InterSpiritual Sustainability Society, Canada, URI Trustee
3:00 to 4:00 Call to Action WorldCafé
Using the World Café dialogue process, participants will engage three questions about their experience at the conference and how they intend to put their learnings into action. Discussion at Tables
- What insights have you had or questions have arisen from our time together at this conference?
- Has something changed in how you understand Interfaith Action and Global Peacebuilding?
- What immediate and longer term actions are you inspired to pursue as you leave the conference?
4:00 to 4:30 Closing Ceremony
4:30 to 5:15 Closing Reception