With deep sadness and immense gratitude, URI mourns the passing of Rita R. Semel, co-founder of URI and the first Chair of our Global Council.
On June 26, 1995, following the United Nations’ 50th anniversary gathering at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Rita turned to Bishop William E. Swing and said:
“We can’t stop here.”
Those words helped carry forward the vision that would become URI.
Rita served as URI’s first female leader, guiding the first Global Council as Chair during the organization’s formative years. She presided over the signing of URI’s Charter, chaired URI’s first Global Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, and helped shape a global interfaith movement rooted in cooperation, courage, and shared responsibility.
Her leadership was deeply rooted in San Francisco, where she helped build the city’s interfaith community over decades. Her legacy was also honored publicly by U.S. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who paid tribute to Rita on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, calling her “one of the great moral forces of our community.”
Rita’s life reminds us that interfaith is not abstract. It is daily, local, courageous, and deeply human.
Her legacy lives on through Cooperation Circle members, Individual Members, Global Council Trustees, staff, advisors, supporters, and all who carry forward the movement she helped begin.
May her memory be a blessing.
May her work continue through ours — because indeed, we can’t stop here.
Today in Barcelona we planted a tree for peace with Sukyo Mahikari (in their garden), @u.r.i.europe , @uriglobal and @audir_associaciounesco And then, strawberries, pineapple and smiles. #interfaith #barcelona #sukyomahikari
The Assembly may be over, but the work never stops. 🌱
Following the URI Europe Assembly 2026, members of the URI Europe Board visited the **Sukyo Mahikari** community here in Barcelona for a meaningful encounter that ended with a simple, beautiful act: planting a lemon tree in their garden. 🍋
A small gesture. A big meaning.
Trees don't grow overnight. Neither does peace. Neither does interfaith trust. But you plant the seed anyway, with intention, with hope, and with the belief that what you nurture today will bear fruit for generations to come.
Thank you to the Sukyo Mahikari community for welcoming us with such warmth. 🙏
The seeds are planted. 🌍🕊️
#urieurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity #interfaitheurope
And just like that, the URI Europe Assembly 2026 has come to a close. 🕊️✨
We opened the morning with workshops on 🌍 Earth Restoration, exploring how different traditions, cultures, and communities approach the healing of our planet. Sacred. Grounding. Necessary.
Then came one of the most special moments of the entire Assembly, the certificate handover to our young facilitators. Watching this next generation step forward is everything. The future of URI Europe is in good hands.
And then? Barcelona gave us its greatest gift, a visit to the iconic Sagrada Família, where beauty, spirituality, and human creativity all meet in one place. A perfect metaphor for everything this Assembly has been.
We closed with a circle. Together. As one community. 🔵
Until next time. 🌿🕊️
#urieurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity #interfaitheurope
Workshops that spark change. A public event that moves hearts. And a place where nature reminds us why it all matters. 🌿✨
This is the URI Europe Assembly 2026. This is what hope looks like.🕊️
#URIEurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity #interfaitheurope
Day 3️⃣ Recap
We started the morning energized, diving into our Growth & Vitality workshop, exploring how each one of us contributes to the strength and future of our network. Through interactive stations, our participants shared their ideas and visions, and the room was full of inspiration. 💬
The heart of the day was a powerful exploration of violence prevention, specifically, a health approach to violence. Difficult conversations, but necessary ones. The kind that remind us why interfaith work matters. 🙏
The afternoon kept the momentum going with more dialogue on violence prevention, and then we closed the day with four parallel sessions that showed just how rich and diverse our community is:
🏕️ Youth Camps Project
📱 A Violence Prevention App
🎲 The Dialogo Game
🌿 Holistic Environmentalism & Healing
Something for every heart. Something for every vision.
This is URI Europe. 🌍🕊️
#urieurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity #interfaitheurope
Day 2️⃣ Recap
Second day of our Barcelona gathering was nothing short of inspiring!Morning kicked off with energising workshops: connecting with each other, deepening our understanding of URI, and exploring the growth and vitality of our network through interactive and creative methods. 💡✨
Then the afternoon took us to the stunning Barcelona City Hall for the Sacred Earth, Shared Humanity: Pathways to Peace in Times of Harm public event, a powerful reminder of why this work matters. 🌿🕊️
Together, we are building something beautiful. 💛
#urieurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity
#InterfaithEurope
Day 1️⃣ Recap
This morning, the URI Europe Board visited Audir, the incredible local organization that opened their doors, their space, and their hearts to welcome us to Barcelona. Their work in Catalonia is a living example of what interfaith community looks like in action. 🤝 🎉The URI Europe Assembly 2026 officially kicked off with nearly 50 participants gathering from all corners of Europe. The energy, the faces, the conversations, this is exactly why we do what we do.
#urieurope #SacredEarthSharedHumanity #InterfaithEurope
From Europe, Malawi to Somalia, our communities are honoring Mother Earth, not just today, but every day.
In Cameroon, 60 women learned to transform food waste into nourishment. In Malawi, young permaculturists are restoring soil and water. In Somalia, youth are protecting coastlines. In Egypt, olive trees are being planted as symbols of hope.
This is what interfaith action looks like for the Earth.
Read all 7 stories here: /uri-story/20260422-honoring-mother-earth-through-action-and-community
#EarthDay
When the land heals, communities heal🌳
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of PIDEAC- “Promoting Interfaith Dialogue and Eco-Peacebuilding to Address Farmer-Herder Conflict” — kicking off in Kebbi State, Nigeria in partnership with @uriglobal
This initiative brings together farmers, herdsmen, faith leaders, youth, and women to do something powerful: resolve conflict by restoring the earth together👫
We are grateful to our partners for making this possible.
This is what peace building looks like when it is rooted in community, culture and the earth itself🌍
Read the full story of PIDEAC Project on our blog (link in bio)
#DDPF #URI #PEDIAC #KebbiState #EarthRestoration
In Ranchi, Jharkhand, URI East India brought together passionate young leaders for a day of dialogue, learning, and collaboration under the theme “Voices of Unity: Empowering Interfaith Youth Leadership.”
From meaningful conversations on social justice to interactive activities that sparked connection, youth from diverse backgrounds came together to reflect, share, and reimagine a more inclusive future.
With powerful discussions on education, caste equity, and regional conflicts, alongside inspiring stories from Cooperation Circles, the workshop became a space where ideas turned into action. The result? A new wave of motivated changemakers ready to lead with empathy, courage, and unity.
Read More: /uri-story/20260413-empowering-interfaith-youth-leaders-ranchi
#Youth
