>> good morning, i'm hugh burroughs in for runs swisher. we will be welcoming elizabeth back dale as a new host on "mosaic", today we are pleased victor and sally are with us with the united nations initiative. go and attendance celebrations and observances that will be part of it later this month. sally, start us off. this observance, what's it about? >> well, it's an exciting time. i think it's almost a profound moment for san francisco because it's the 70th anniversary of the united

nations so people forget 70 years ago, in 1945, it was right here in san francisco, leaders gather to think about, can we actually put into practice is this vision of having nations of the world come together on a daily basis to work for peace and security. after the war, of course this was probably an idealistic notion at the time. so to be here 70 years later in the same city at the same atmosphere of valuing peace, freedom, security, and the need for people to step up and work for it is really what this celebration is. you know united nations did not start and stop 70 years ago, no, it's alive and well. and so we hope june 26 and 27. san francisco, there will be a celebration that really honors that dream and the time now to

carry that dream forward. >> and that celebration is based where, rick? >> on the 26th at city hall plaza, there's a big celebration at noon to which the public is invited and at the 27th at grace cathedral. grace cathedral is a historic place because on the 50th anniversary, there was a celebration that not only brought the leaders of the world but religions of the world together in what then the episcopal district of california, bill swing created a multipage celebration honoring t of the signing of the charter. so on this 70th anniversary, we return to grace cathedral for a proper look at what the un has accomplished but look ahead on how we can live the life of the un every day in our lives. >> saturday and sunday at the civic center? city hall plaza. >> on friday. there will be dignitaries,

bunky moon will be here, there will be speeches and recollection of various historical times in the united states history. >> the secretary general of the united states will be here. >> that's right. >> i said friday. >> friday is an event that saturday is a full day event at grace cathedral starting at 10:30, the bills will chime with a full procession the doors will open, we hope there will be many people here that have some connection to the united nations. they will be assembly speakers, music and interaction time really asking each other, so, what are those special wishes that you have for the united nations going forward? because it is about not only a dream that started so many years ago but who we are now to carry it forward.

so it's a full day with refreshments and sustenance along the way and it was especially impressive as massive musicians have come together. there will be a special tribute to -- lyrics written from his beautiful markings, a swedish choir, korean choir, vocal ensembles, jazz groups. so again it will be a really rich day of quality, i think, ideas and foundation as well as good music and a lot of fun. >> so look for city hall and go down on that observance on saturday. and then, there are a few tickets at grace cathedral but you have to go online to get them, right? >> go online to get them. it is free for the public and we're hoping to fill them up. >> go to grace cathedral? >> that's right. >> go to your website and come right back.

hugh burroughs.

>> we are talking about the united nations 70th charter. we are also going to talk about united religions initiative which was started here in san francisco as the charter was signed 20 years ago by then bishop bill swing. remind us, you or i, what do we need to know? >> great story, bill swing has a great start because at the start of the charter, bishop bill swing was asked to gather people of all religions for a celebration at grace cathedral a wild idea which he took on not knowing, as he says, what he was going to do with this and created an extraordinary

celebration to mark medication. it was at that time that he came up with the idea that the nations of the world would never be in peace unless the religions of the world were at peace. and so he launched into creating what has become the united religions initiative. a global grassroots initiative in more than 85 countries, 700 grassroots groups working to bring people of all religions together to build peace in their communities and peace in the world. >> and you are both a part of this. what is your role in this? >> well, i have had the extreme honor and joy of my life to be there in 1995 and 1996 from the very beginning. i have been a founding staff person and have been involved with the organizational development. and throughout i think the hallmark is what bill swing said at the very beginning.

he said i have a conviction that this must happen, the religions of the world just like the nations of the world try to do with the united nations, but it's the second vocation for the religions of the world to work for peace. we are connected to wise wisdom traditions, to deep values to understandings of how we approach god and the divine but together what incredible power, profound possibility we can unleash. and i think for me having worked here all of these years, you know we kind of digest, absorb these convictions. we know it's true. and who knew in 1995 and 1996 when so many said it's impossible, bringing the people of the world's religions, this is going to be quite difficult and i don't think there's a place for it. well guess what? the world actually showed us something different in its

story. and as victor was saying the united religions initiative had the vision from the beginning that it would be people, it would be the power of people who would carry it forward. >> there are some people on the screen on our brochure and maybe you could run through some of these for us. >> sure. as we look around and think about what we call cooperation circles all over here, in the plains outside of jerusalem, jews christians, muslims gather for what we call we refuse to be enemies. an event that happens to stand together and as we say exercise the power of we exercise the power together, the power of the peoples together. the purpose of uri is beautifully expressed. >> religion, beautiful expressions, indigenous traditions throughout the world come together to promote daily interfaith. what is this? >> this is our purpose statement.

this is the core of the work of uri, promoting enduring, daily , interfaith cooperation to and religious violence and promoting peace, justice and healing for the earth. a wild idea but when we see being focused on religion, being focused on alternative models where people live peacefully on that circle outside of jerusalem, it's critical to give hope that this is possible. >> and let me just say the genius of that purpose statement is that it galvanizes hundreds of thousands of people now all over the world. we do have, as we said, grassroots groups that we call cooperation circles. and each one signs on to that purpose and the 21 principles of how to behave into it. and this is the common ground that we all share. so even though the work might take place in uganda

differently than pakistan different than in southern california everyone is finding their own way to build bridges of cooperation. >> hears this video. what are we seeing here? >> these are young people in pakistan and they are going through a peace building training program. these are the same young people who but -- the taliban are trying to recruit into their efforts but yet they have chosen muslims and christians and tribal peoples to stand together instead to build peace in the communities, to build peace across pakistan and put their lives at risk to do this work together. >> and where are we here? >> we are in the southern philippines and this is quite an important photo because it says at the level that this kind of interface work can happen this is a language that

basically means brotherhood and cooperation. we have one of our key leaders, a trustee, muslim who has been working with others to start work with the military on peacekeeping measures in mindanao. >> why is he giving you a pumpkin? >> [ laughter ] >> this is this beautiful -- >> it's a basket with fruit and food in it. it looks like a pumpkin from here. >> i should say that in mindanao our people there worked with the rebel leaders, military and government and were a key factor in what has brought about the peace agreement working with the united nations, again uri and united nations working together to bring about the recent signing of the treaty that has brought peace to that world. >> that stops violence between whom? >> in mindanao between rebel groups that were part of the

rebel groups and between the military and it was part of a christian muslim clash as well so we did working bring all of those treaties together. >> okay, that last is still we saw, it looks like somewhere in africa. there we are. >> this is uganda. we have programs throughout africa, asia, all regions of the world but in uganda especially i was there recently, we have programs that bring, in this case, women from the eight essential and western african countries who have suffered so in violence, rwanda, the democratic public of the congo, these women have come together having lost family members having suffered, to bring their communities a sense of peace. again, christians, muslims, tribal folk, coming together to say we refuse to participate in the violence that the world is surrounding us with. >> how many nations? >> 87 countries. >> united religions initiative.

we will come back and talk more with sally and victor and find out how you can be involved. stay with us. we will be right back.

>> 70th anniversary of the signing of the united nations charter here in san francisco as well as the united religions initiative and big tutus at city hall and at grace cathedral. sally and victor have been talking about in 80 some odd nations, people who have come together through a purpose statement that was really begun here by the then bishop of california, episcopal bishop bill swing. it has caught on and they have been working to get people to trust and love each other under a great purpose statement. before we go back to that, sally, who are you? why did you get involved in this? where did you grow up?

how did you get here? >> lots of good stories. i grew up in st. louis, missouri, my first teacher was i taught civics. >> where? i'm from alton. >> oh, st. louis. i was in st. louis public schools for about five years before i went to graduate school. there was a life direction that set there which set look at these children, what do they need to learn about democracy? what is really important and how a mobility becomes a law is how they can impact with it, who they are to step up and make changes. and interestingly, i felt that had a spiritual quality. i felt there was something bigger than just ourselves as we moved into that role. and low and behold, as i went through my past with seminary training and looking at really what the spiritual potential is to drive out of people i ran into bishop bill swing and this crazy idea called let's just do something impossible. and that touched me and i said, send me up.

so i've been involved in again, this design, draws, invites, steps up and engages people to see the need, bring religious values together and make change. it's more than just getting along, it's making positive change in their community. >> you are seminary educated but not a priest. >> that's right. >> you got to san francisco, what years are we talking? >> 1988 from new york city with my family. at that time. and i actually was employed at grace cathedral for a few years. >> you have been involved in uri for how long? >> almost 20 years. 1996. actually 1995 i was a volunteer. >> you've got a big title, director of global organizations -- >> whatever, it's an organization development. >> okay. >> [ laughter ] >> listed that you are appreciative incorporating methodology.

what's that? >> i'm so glad you asked. uri is built with this amazing methodology philosophy. we did not invent it. it's out there in the world called appreciative inquiry. but it means if you have problems you don't focus on them to make a change you focus on what you have values the most profound experiences, positive experiences and values in people's lives, assets you draw that forward. and then you ask them to dream and provision. uri did not get to be itself because a few people thought it was a good idea, it's because many people said i think i envision a way thousands can work together just like stars in the cosmos shine on each other. >> and we are going to do that. sally will lead us in an appreciative inquiry on the 27th at grace cathedral. >> accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.

victor, how about yourself? how did you get here? >> i've been at uri for a year and half. i'm the new executive director and have been blessed to be in this role but i've been 19 at wellesley college, dean of religious life and cultural education and before that was a community organizer in the south bronx and boston. my work has been about social change. but i met bill swing in 1982 when i came out to san francisco after college and he was just kind of thinking about this possibility. at that time, and early on in the work he was thinking he would go around the world and talk to all great religious leaders and ask them to become part of this movement and he did. and to a person, almost everyone said no. you have to be crazy. there's no way we are going to join this movement. so bill turned it on its head and said if we are not able to work with religious leaders, let's work with ordinary folks. so uri which i'm so happy to be

a part of works with primarily ordinary people in communities, building bridges of connection building strong coalitions. >> how can i get involved? >> there you go. so we have people who are part of uri by joining cooperation circles, they are in san francisco, there are many cooperation circles that people can become part of, doing all kinds of humanitarian efforts, improving communities, hosting interfaith dialogues peace building kind of things and people can become involved in the work globally by becoming part of uri, becoming a member of uri which means you join this global family doing this extraordinary peace building. >> if i want to do something and i'm living in santa clara or someplace and i want to get to know muslim or buddhist neighbors and so on, i can just say hey, i'd like to be part of this and you get in and start talking with people? >> we will connect you up. recently we are connectors. >> so if i think the answer is

red grocery bags okay, you take that idea there and you talk with people. okay. we will come back to that. but you skipped over some stuff there. so you are at wellesley. but once you also at fulbright? >> i was. i taught in india, i spent a lot of time in india and in united states at very grassroots organizing, anti-poverty work, digging into the issues that are underlying causes of poverty. >> and also in the bronx. how long did you spend there? >> a year and a half working with gangs and during afterschool programs for children. >> and you grew up where? >> i grew up in boston in an armenian family and actually grew up in the shadow of two grandfathers, an armenian grandfather and a grandfather who was president at boston university working with dr. king and rabbi hassle. so i grew up in an interface world where these extraordinary

leaders who have a global vision were part of my life. >> and that leads to you say you are a thought leader. >> that's what they say. >> what is that? >> i love to bring people together. i believe that the truth that we seek is between us. no one of us has the truth and certainly not die. so my work has been to bring people together in dialogue and conversation so we can discover the way had together not impose our own views on others but to work on something we could not come up with by ourselves. >> united religions initiative. so, bill swing had the idea and bishops tend to go to bishops and got not much response so he says, turn it on its head let's start with people in the neighborhood all faiths come together and the two of you do that by being a thought leader and appreciative inquiry methodology? which means getting people together. but, we will be back in just a minute, stay with us.

>> 70th anniversary of un's charter signing in san francisco and pick to do's at grace cathedral and here to help us with that, united religions initiative. you all are staff people, theologically educated you have been educators at schools in college and have gone to the school in the east and found your way here. you are both episcopalian. and now you work with 80 some odd nations and who knows how many circles of interfaith people within all that, how do you do this, again? >> go, sally. >> well, we have over 700 circles and there is a genius and how we do it because we don't do it.

we do provide the values, the container and the vision that calls other people to do it. and as we were saying people, we were just in bulgaria the amount of numbers of people that gathered throughout europe and the time of all of this social unrest around europe uri had invited leaders from, you know, finland to turkey to spain to russia they were already on the ground doing various kinds of bridge building work. and, we are, you might say, the family or the network that holds them. that is what we have to learn how to do better and better. and that is a creative act. >> do spend a lot of time talking to people? what do you do? >> coaching people training people, encouraging people helping people work together. that's the genius. it's not a top-down organization with issues, edicts, here's what you need to do. people decide what they need to do. people in countries and regions

decide what they need to do. our work as a global organization is to support them in achieving their dreams. we do that through training, coaching building a communications system where they can build up their stories. because it's all about stories. in the world where a media to us promotes the stories of devastating violence and horrific human calamity we get to hear the stories every day of people on the ground, people of different religions, people of religions in conflict working together to transform their community, not just talking, but doing in their community. building peace on the ground. >> how do we get in touch with you? >> our website is www.uri.org. >> sally and victor, thank you for being on "mosaic". a pleasure to see you. blessings. grace cathedral, what's the date? >> 27th at at grace.

>> this month at grace cathedral. go online, get tickets. go to the civic center again, for ron swisher, an reverend. eckdale as we will see, i'm hugh burroughs, thank you very much.

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