Interfaith Today, episode five

This week, in late May 2006, the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative has been meeting in Menlo Park, California. This is the first podcast in a series featuring interviews with URI trustees and regional coordinators.

This first segment features an interview of Elana Rosenman, a Multiregion trustee from Jeruselem who started the Women’s Interfaith Encounter CC after her son was injured in a suicide bombing. Then Kathy Sandoval, a trustee from North America, and a member of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians - Acjachemen Nation. The last interview features Andre Porto, Latin America's regional coordinator, speaking about his work and that of Viva Rio in Brazil.

Trustee biographies from the URI

Mrs. Elana Rozenman
-- Jewish, Women’s Interfaith Encounter CC, Jerusalem, Israel.
-- I have a Masters in Social Work and have worked for over 30 years assisting people to improve their lives. Three years ago, I created the Women’s Interfaith Encounter, a program (with Muslim and Christian co-coordinators) of the Interfaith Encounter Association as a response to the severe wounding of my son in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem and a desire that women should no longer be the victims of war and violence.

I also was concerned that the women’s voice is not heard in interfaith dialogue because the clergy in the Holy Land are men. We now have groups of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian women who share the vision of women building peace together--studying each other’s religions and creating relationships of respect, trust, and love as an antidote to the violence and madness in which we live. Many women have been empowered to bring this interfaith message to their families, students, and colleagues. I’ve brought our Middle East interfaith model to international conferences with my Muslim and Christian co-coordinators, and have become involved with other international women’s groups which are now networking with URI.

I co-created the WINMENA (Women’s Interfaith Network of the Middle East and North Africa) and now I am working on a regional interfaith conference for women on “How Women Build Peace”. I envision the Global Council supporting the creation of a Women’s Interfaith Network (WIN) Africa, WIN Asia, etc, all becoming regional MCCs within which there would be many local women’s CCs working on local and regional issues of concern to women and demonstrating a model of inclusion, respect and love among the religions. These women ARE becoming the change they wish to see in the world and are assisting men to strengthen the truth of our religions to combat the religious distortions that are fueling the violence in our world. I know URI will benefit from this infusion of women’s energy and wisdom, and URI is a natural international leader in this movement.

Ms. Kathy Sandoval
-- Native American Acjachemen and Progressive Christian, Alliance for Spiritual Community CC, San Juan Capistrano, California, USA
-- Attended Catholic schools, majored in psychology in college. For the past 12 years, has studied with the Acjachemen Atiatish (tribal spiritual teacher) and is now a Ceremonial Leader and Keeper of the Sacred Songs of the People. Kathy is the Cultural Liaison for the Acjachemen Nation and has created a tribal singing group, the Tushmalum Heleckum, who perform at various ceremonial gatherings and community events. She has created a weekly Native American Worship and Healing Service in association with Shepherd of the Hills, UCC.

Kathy attended the URI North American Assembly in Utah in 2001 and the URI Global Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2002. She has been an active member of the Alliance for Spiritual Community CC since 1995. She expresses her vision thus:
My experiences in every aspect of my life, from working with indigent and emotionally handicapped individuals to teaching young and old how to count in their ancestors’ language, have given me insight into the way we are as human beings. It is my observation that we have been asleep for sometime. The Wise Ones of the People have said we are waking up. I have been taught we are to share what we know with all people. I take every opportunity to remind people about something we have forgotten: that we are connected to our Mother the Earth and she is a living and vibrant being. We are connected to the source of all, the Creator, and we are connected to each other and to the Universe.

My vision for the Global Council of the URI is that of a powerful conduit to the worldwide CCs. It will be a huge listener for all CCs and encourage viable and responsible solutions to every dilemma. We will do everything in our power to eliminate spiritual competition and honor all CCs unfolding at their own pace. We will encourage imagination and vision as a powerful means of solution.