United Religions Initiative (URI), a global interfaith network, is joining the fight against AIDS. Although many of its grassroots groups across the world have already been engaged in prevention and support, URI is now committing to further its work by partnering with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

According to a URI press release, the idea of collaborating came about earlier this year during the African Union Heads of States meeting in Ethiopia. Specifically, the partnership came about when Mussie Hailu, URI’s regional director for Africa and global envoy of URI, met with UNAIDS executive secretary Michel Sidibé and Rosemary Museminali, UNAIDS representative to the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

To reach its goals, URI works with its 830 member groups and organizations, called Cooperation Circles. URI’s overarching goals are to cultivate peace and bring together people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. To learn more about it, visit URI.org.

To learn about UNAIDS, which unites the efforts of 10 United Nation organizations and the World Bank to fight AIDS, visit UNAIDS.org.