Charles Gibbs

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Charles Gibbs

Since 1996, The Rev. Canon Charles Gibbs has served as the founding Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative, a global organization dedicated to interfaith cooperation for peace, justice and healing. WWW.URI.ORG

In his work for the URI, an unprecedented global, grassroots movement dedicated to changing world history. Its members from diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions throughout the world have a shared purpose to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings, Charles has traveled extensively, working with religious, spiritual and other leaders in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North and South America and Asia. He has been a featured speaker at many international gatherings. In addition, he has published many articles, book chapters and a co-authored book on interfaith work for global change.

Charles is an Episcopal priest, who brings to his ministry a strong commitment to spiritual transformation and work for peace, justice and healing, and an abiding belief in the sacredness of all life on this planet.

Before being ordained, Charles taught writing and worked in the theater. His wife, Debbie, is head of the Lowell School in Washington, DC. His daughter, Naomi is a junior at Whitman College. His son, Ben, teaches and is head of the English Department at an inner city school in Houston, Texas.

Description of Work

The URI signed its global Charter in June 2000 and now has a network of more than 400 self-organizing Cooperation Circles active in 67 countries around the world. Their work includes peacebuilding, interfaith education, HIV/AIDS prevention, environmental awareness, human rights advocacy and community building; and across the globe involves over 1.5 million people each year.

URI has a global office in San Francisco and regional coordinators on six continents. Its Global Council has representatives from 19 countries. URI has consultative status with the United Nations. Over the next five years, URI will focus both the effectiveness and scope of its global network, focusing in four key areas: global infrastructure, communications, peacebuilding, leadership development.

The call of this moment and all moments is to seek the light and face the darkness without and within with an unflinching commitment to journey each day at least a little toward enlightenment – living in love, fearless, joyous and free – in service to this glorious and wounded world.