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Charter signed for religious coalition
Tuesday, June 27, 2000 By Ervin Dyer, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
With the stroke of his pen, California's Episcopal bishop, the Rev. William Swing, signed off on a dream yesterday.
Swing and more than 200 delegates gathered in Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland to put their signatures on the charter for the United Religions Initiative, a worldwide coalition of faiths, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions out to battle religiously motivated violence.
The idea for a United Nations of religions made up of grass-roots workers came to Swing five years ago. The charter signing officially gave birth to the network of fund-raising, communications and research needed to provide the initiative with its working foundation. The initiative will be guided by a board of 24 trustees who will be elected from eight diverse geographic regions around the globe.
Belying his poker-faced calmness, Swing said he felt like "Tiger Woods on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach."
"I have an enormous gratitude for, always, we met just the right person, with just the right contribution at just the right time," said Swing.
After a half-mile procession down Forbes Avenue from Carnegie Mellon University, where the delegates are holding their week-long conference, the Music Hall was turned into a celebration of spirit.
African drummers and Indian musicians mixed with Muslims, Wiccans, Christians and lay people, singing and clapping in a circle of hope and diversity.
The festivities were helped along by the work and contributions of the Pittsburgh community.
Locally, more than $400,000 was raised through private foundations and individuals. Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside, a longtime supporter, took up a collection.
Dozens more from Pittsburgh's Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish communities volunteered and offered gifts in kind to support the conference.
"God is not American," said Lorraine Williams, a minister in North Versailles who works with other international groups to bring religions to the table to solve problems and served on the initiative's Pittsburgh planning committee.
"We have to transcend boundaries," said Williams, "Everywhere you go, people are hurting. We all have to work to heal that pain."
Swing will work now to set up headquarters and administrative duties at the Presidio in San Francisco, but emphasized that the initiative is a road show.
"Pittsburgh is our first stop, but we're never going to get off the road."
In his comments before the charter signing, Swing received a standing ovation. He acknowledged it's been a long haul -- the effort has grown largely without the endorsement of mainstream religious leaders, many of whom shied away, fearing the initiative downplayed the individualism of various religions and denominations.
"This is the spirit's property," said Swing, "and no one owns it. Fifty years from now, people from all over the world will flock to Pittsburgh in tribute of this signing."
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