Globalizing the Human Mind: Think Globally, Act Locally

Please note that we have a video recording of this presentation. Are you interested in watching it? If so, then click here.

Sandy has served as the North American Regional Coordinator of United Religions Initiative since July 2009. She works with a 9 person Leadership Council with members located in all four time zones of this continent.

Before joining URI as a local volunteer in 2004, Sandy had been active in Soviet-American citizen diplomacy, and was managing director of the “Voices of the Earth” eco-spirituality conference held in 1995 at the University of Colorado.

She and her husband, Paul, live in Northeast Tennessee where Sandy attends graduate study classes in storytelling at East Tennessee State University, and pursues an interest in creative nonfiction writing in addition to her work with URI.

The title of Sandy’s interactive workshop is “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally to Build a World of interfaith Peace.” One of the most commonly held values among member of nongovernmental organizations today is the desire to “make a difference”.

Psychologists might say this indicates the persistent human wish for immortality. In the world of interfaith peacebuilding, this ethic may actually be producing a rising tide of change agents who are reshaping our world in large ways and small. We will explore how individuals and organizations are making a positive impact in their local community and, by extension, in their world. Participants are encouraged to bring stories of times when they’ve seen a shift in their own attitudes and perspective about people of other faiths and cultures. Those who are already working in interfaith collaboration will likely leave encouraged and excited about new possibilities. Those who have been wishing to see a culture of peace, healing and justice grow in their local community may well leave inspired by the examples of others, and equipped with new tools to try out for themselves.