UNITED RELIGIONS

Programs: Global community development: in 14 years, uri has grown from 83 founding member organizations, called cooperation circles (ccs), to more than 735 groups in 91 countries. Collectively, ccs have more than 600,000 members and touch the lives of 2. 6 million people around the world. Uri's unique global network of grassroots ccs calls forth locally initiated actions by self-supporting groups and organizations. Ccs can be small groups organizing for the first time or well-established organizations. Every cc must have at least seven members, three of whom must be from a different religion, spiritual expression or indigenous tradition. Uri's organizational structure includes eight regions which are staffed by 19 regional coordinators who coordinate regional leadership teams that include trustees, staff and numerous cooperation circle members located around the world. The primary work of regional bases is to provide direct communication with ccs. They help ccs build capacity, provide visibility for cc work, assist ccs in building partnerships, organize regional gatherings and trainings, and seed new ccs. Uri's san francisco global support office provides for accountability and support for regional coordinators and regional leadership teams. Uri's global support office oversees the operations of the uri network, energizing the network by supporting regional leadership teams, creating a flow of quality information, maintaining a cc member database, managing finance, publicizing cc impact worldwide, engaging in fundraising, and providing focused resource support and training in areas such as conflict transformation, the environment, women's empowerment, and youth leadership. The executive director and president, working on behalf of an elected 28 member global council of trustees, lead the uri network and are supported by 16 global support staff based in san francisco.

global council:the global council (uri's international board of trustees) is uri's governing body. With trustees from 19 countries and diverse religious and indigenous traditions, the global council brings its grassroots experience to uri's ongoing strategic planning, network development and global engagement and serves to increase uri presence all over the world. The global council currently meets once a year in person, and three times a year by conference call. In between these meetings, the council operates through working committees that communicate by email and conference call. Members of the global council also represent regions and sit on regional leadership teams that plan and implement regional strategies to build network benefit to member ccs and develop collective global campaigns, such as mobilizing ccs around the world to participate in the international day of peace on september 21.

communications: uri's international network relies on robust communication system. Uri's global website, www. Uri. Org, is designed to magnify uri's impact, highlight cc successes, connect ccs, provide resource information to ccs, encourage global campaigns for collective global action and more. Additionally, uri produces a print and email newsletter called interaction quarterly and an annual report. In the social networking domain, uri is enhanced by launching sites on youtube, twitter and facebook. Communications also includes managing press relations and facilitating an accessible exchange of resources and best practices within the different regions to create stronger communities of practice within uri.