URI Europe

52nd French Speaking Scriptural Sharing by Dialogue & Alliance Cooperation Circle

https://www.urieurope.org/stories/52nd-french-speaking-scriptural-sharing-by-dialogue-alliance-cooperation-circle

Dialogue & Alliance

52nd French Speaking Scriptural Sharing by Dialogue & Alliance Cooperation Circle - URI Europe URI Europe

A month has passed since our wonderful URIE Assembly in Barcelona, and we are pleased to share this reflection on the URI Europe Assembly 2026—its conversations, connections, and the seeds of collaboration that continue to grow across our network.

Sacred Earth, Shared Humanity: Reflections from the URI Europe Assembly 2026 - URI Europe URI Europe

The URI Europe Assembly 2026 has concluded — but for the URI Europe Board, the journey didn’t end there. 🌱

Following the Assembly, Board members paid a visit to the **Sukyo Mahikari** community in Barcelona — a community rooted in spiritual practice, harmony, and a deep reverence for life. It was a warm, generous encounter, full of the kind of quiet connection that interfaith relationships are built on.

And to mark the occasion, we did something that felt just right: we planted a **lemon tree** in their garden. 🍋

It may seem like a small act. But to us, it carried the full weight of everything this Assembly has been about. We plant trees not for ourselves, but for what comes after. For the conversations that will happen in its shade. For the fruit it will one day bear. For the reminder that growth — real, lasting growth — takes patience, care, and community.

The Assembly is over. The seeds, quite literally, have been planted.

Thank you to the Sukyo Mahikari community for your hospitality, your openness, and for giving us a little corner of your garden to leave something behind. 🙏🌍

The work continues. It always does. 🕊️

The URI Europe Assembly 2026 has officially come to a close — and what a final day it was. 🕊️🌍

We began the morning with a series of workshops on **Earth Restoration**, weaving together perspectives from different faith traditions, cultures, and lived experiences. Each voice brought something unique to the conversation — and together, they painted a picture of what it looks like to care for the planet as a shared, sacred responsibility.

The morning reached its emotional peak with the **certificate handover to our young facilitators** — a moment of recognition, pride, and hope. These young people have shown up, stepped up, and grown throughout this Assembly. Investing in them is investing in the future of URI Europe.

The afternoon took us beyond the walls of our meeting rooms and into the heart of Barcelona — a visit to the magnificent **Sagrada Família**. Standing beneath Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, it was hard not to draw a parallel: great things take time, collective effort, and unwavering vision. Much like the work we do.

And then, as it should be, we ended as we began — in a **closing circle**. Sharing reflections, gratitude, and the quiet energy of a community that has spent days thinking, listening, and building together.

The Assembly is over. The work continues.

Thank you to every participant, facilitator, and partner who made the URI Europe Assembly 2026 what it was. See you next time. 🌱✨

Today was one of those days that reminds you of the depth and breadth of what this community stands for.

We opened the morning with our Growth & Vitality workshop, an interactive, hands-on session where participants gathered around stations to share their ideas and contributions to the future of the URI Europe network. The energy was contagious, and the ideas were inspiring. This network grows because *you* grow it.

From there, we moved into one of the most important conversations of the Assembly: violence prevention. Our facilitators introduced a health approach to violence, a framework that shifts the lens from punishment to prevention, from reaction to understanding. It sparked rich and courageous dialogue that continued well into the afternoon.

And to close the day? Four parallel sessions that captured the wonderful diversity of our community:

🏕️ A presentation on the URI Youth Camps project — building bridges through shared experience
📱 A violence prevention app — technology in service of peace
🎲 The Dialogo game — because dialogue can also be playful
🌿 A holistic approach to environmentalism and healing — caring for the Earth as a spiritual act

Every session, every conversation, every shared moment today was a reminder: peacebuilding is not a single path. It’s many paths, walked together.

Three days in. The Assembly continues. 🕊️🌱

What an incredible Day 2 in Barcelona! 🎉🌍

We started the morning with meaningful workshops designed to bring us closer together — getting to know one another, learning more about URI and its mission, and diving into conversations about the growth and vitality of our network using fun and interactive methods. There's nothing quite like the energy in a room full of passionate, purpose-driven people! 💡

In the afternoon, we had the honour of attending the Sacred Earth, Shared Humanity: Pathways to Peace in Times of Harm public event at the magnificent Barcelona City Hall. It was a deeply moving and thought-provoking experience that reminded us all of the importance of coming together — across cultures, faiths and borders — to build a more peaceful world. 🌿🕊️
Day 2 done, hearts full. More to come! 💛

What a day the URI Europe Assembly 2026 has had! 🌍

It started this morning with a meaningful visit to Audir, the Catalan organization that is hosting us here in Barcelona. We had the chance to learn about their interfaith work, meet their team, and feel firsthand the warmth and dedication that defines this community. It was the perfect reminder that before any big gathering, it's the local roots that matter most. Thank you, Audir! 🙏
Audir Diàleg Interconviccional

Then came the evening, and with it, the official kick-off and opening of the URI Europe Assembly 2026. Nearly 50 participants from across Europe gathered together for the first time, bringing with them stories, energy, and a shared commitment to building bridges across faiths and cultures.
The Assembly is now underway, and we couldn't be more excited for what the coming days will bring.

Stay tuned, more to come! 🕊️✨

Healing the Earth 2026 webinar

🌍 On 20 April, two days before UN Mother Earth Day, faith leaders and practitioners from across the world gathered for the latest session of the "Healing the Earth 2026" interfaith webinar series, co-organized by the United Religions Initiative Europe and the World Council of Churches World Council of Churches (WCC).

WCC champions water as a human right on Earth Day 2026 On 20 April, two days before UN Mother Earth Day, faith leaders and practitioners from across the world gathered for the latest session of the "Healing the Earth 2026" interfaith webinar series, co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and United Religions Initiative Europe.