SF Bishop Swing builds global powerhouse for good
Conceived of as the equivalent of the United Nations for the world’s religions to work together, the United Religions Initiative is today a million person global powerhouse that educates children, fends off terrorist recruitment and, improbably, turns religious opponents into allies in 104 countries. So far.
“We assume that the world has enough religions,” said founder Bill Swing, formerly the bishop of the Diocese of California in the Episcopal Church. “But we assume that the world doesn’t have enough bridges between those religions to make the world better.”
Yet his big idea ran into trouble almost immediately after he thought of it in 1995, when as bishop, he hosted the United Nations’ 50th anniversary service at Grace Cathedral. On a fivemonth quest with his wife, Mary, to Rt. Rev. E. William Swing is the founder of United Religions Initiative, a United Nations equivalent for the world’s religions to work together. introduce the idea to the pope, the Dalai Lama, Jerusalem’s chief rabbi, Egypt’s grand mufti and the archbishop of Canterbury, among others, Swing was stunned when they expressed no interest.
Then, “it dawned on me that the grassroots people of all faiths were the key,” he said. He and Mary hired a staff, hosted interfaith events around the world — welcoming tribal members and atheists into the mix — and went $800,000 into debt.
The system they created works through “cooperation circles,” which anyone can start with at least seven people and three different religions or traditions. Circle members choose a purpose — the arts, education, the environment, human rights or any other — and adhere to the main organization’s principles, which are replete with such words as peace, justice, cooperation and respect.
They pay no money to the organization’s headquarters in the Presidio of San Francisco, which employs 37 people, and no money flows out to the circles, Swing said.
In all, the group calculates it has about 1 million participants, with 108 circles in the United States alone. Its newest circle is Saudis for Peace, composed of Shiites, Sunnis and Christians in Saudi Arabia. In Cameroon, a circle of Christians, Muslims and tribal members runs a computer lab so youth can see an alternative to becoming Boko Haram terrorists, according to the organization’s website. A Middle East circle unites Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians in restoring the polluted Jordan River.
The United Religions Initiative “is one of the most constructive things going on anywhere in the world today,” said George Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State. He and Swing are in a cooperation circle called Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, whose eight members include Jews, Hindus and Christians.
“People don’t get together and talk about their religions. They talk about some problem they need to solve,” Shultz said. “That’s very important in a world where there’s a lot of tension around religions.”
» “We assume that the world has enough religions. But we assume that the world doesn’t have enough bridges between those religions to make the world better.” Bill Swing, founder of the United Religions Initiative