Our Story
UR Action's story is best told through:
01
the lens through which we view our work
02
the timeline of our early days
03
our intellectual heritage
WHY WE DO IT
Our Lens
The founding team of Urban Rural Action came to the work of advancing peace, democracy, and justice through shared purpose: preventing organized violence in conflict zones.
Prior to starting UR Action, that meant East Africa, West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America.
Today it means the U.S. because underlying dynamics that fuel violent conflict globally (e.g., widespread distrust of governing institutions; toxic polarization; income inequality; misinformation; divisive leaders) are also present in our own country.
But there is nothing inevitable about where we are headed as a country. UR Action was founded in 2018 on the conviction that our geographic, racial, political, and other differences in the U.S. are a source of strength.
We build relationships by solving problems together, and we solve problems together by building new relationships.
HOW WE GOT TO TODAY
Our Timeline
A History of UR Action
Executive Director Joe Bubman and Board Chair Lisa Inks contemplate applying international peacebuilding approaches to addressing conflict in the U.S.
Joe and former Board member David Michaels launch UR Action predecessor organization, Super Decathlon for one America.
Over several meet-ups at Philz Coffee in Washington, DC, Joe and fellow Executive Team member Naseem Khuri examine existing efforts to work across partisan divides to strengthen our country and reach the same conclusion: a new organization with conflict resolution and peacebuilding expertise could make a bigger impact.
Joe and Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Kira Hamman kick off UR Action's first-ever programming with a Gun Safety workshop in Waynesboro, PA with gun shop owners and violence prevention advocates.
UR Action implements community action programs and collaboration skills workshops across the country to build a more peaceful and democratic society.
2017
2018
2019
Today
FOUNDATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE
Our Intellectual Heritage
The intellectual heritage of UR Action is tied to two organizations where several members of our founding team built their careers in conflict resolution: Vantage Partners and Mercy Corps.
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UR Action's approach for helping community members conduct more constructive conversations across difference was inspired by Vantage Partners, a spin-off of the Harvard Negotiation Project.
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UR Action's approach for bringing together community members across divides to design and implement projects was inspired by Mercy Corps' Peace and Conflict work.
