IRD Activities

• Interfaith Consortium for Ecological Civilization

  The consortium of religious and secular organisations is dedicated to ecological civilisation. The mission of ICEC is to facilitate a dialogue among the various sectors of society on ecological civilisation, gather wisdom from this dialogue that will inspire and guide individuals and social transformations, and lead in the transition to an ecological civilisation

• Interfaith Dialogue, Education and Action

  IDEA focuses on the development of leadership skills, individual responsibility and creativity to bring youth driven community projects to fruition. The mission of IDEA is to empower and educate youth (ages 14 to 19) from different cultural backgrounds to build leadership and critical thinking skills, create strong bonds of friendship and support ongoing learning opportunities among young people

• The Temple of Understanding Chapters in India

  The chapters are dedicated to interfaith dialogue and education. They convene conferences, publish papers and act independently

• The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne

  The centre promotes the differences between faiths, and the sensitivity and skill required to bring about successful interfaith encounters and dialogue

• Interfaith Education

  As a leader in interfaith education for over 50 years, TOU creates programs to address the new challenges of an interconnected, global society. By advancing an innovative model of interfaith education, our programs utilize the rich diversity within the New York City tri-state community to educate and create awareness of religious issues, traditions and perspectives with the purpose of breaking down prejudicial boundaries. Using an experiential approach TOU’s work goes beyond a static “lecture hall” model to include site visits, service learning, and immersion experiences in many traditions and cultures. TOU’s youth programs integrate religious literacy with cross-cultural understanding, conflict resolution and leadership training. The TOU’s adult offerings have included cultural tours such as museums and religious sites, videos, film screenings and panel events often held in partnership with other NGO’s, and UN Agencies focusing on climate change and sustainable development and on the important role of the interfaith community as an agent for positive change. The TOU also sponsors performances with universally important themes from world-class artists and entertainers. These are gatherings that will delight, enlighten, and inspire

• Internship Program

  Since 2005, the Temple of Understanding has implemented its commitment to education of young people by hosting a Summer Internship. TOU’s student interns have the opportunity to attend some open meetings of the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and various committees. It is our hope that this program launches their careers as global citizens who care about the humanitarian goals embraced by the UN.

Main Focus Countries of Activities

USA - USA - India - Melbourne, VIC, Australia - New York, NY, USA - New York, NY, USA