Universal Love Alliance Foundation: a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting ULA
UNIVERSAL LOVE ALLIANCE
CATALYST FOR DIVERSITY AND WELL-BEING IN UGANDA
Opening Hearts and Minds to Diversity
Through education, people develop an understanding that all lives have equal value. We at Universal Love Alliance present workshops on acceptance and inclusion of marginalized people, including vulnerable women, children, sexual minorities, elders and refugees. Our focus is on educating groups that have the greatest impact in forwarding change: faith leaders and youth.
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Faith leaders in Uganda have great influence. They have the power to open doors in every sector of society, to promote inclusion, and to ensure the long-lasting success of ULA's interactive programs.
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Youth are the leaders of our shared future. When our youth become advocates for acceptance and inclusion, our diverse society can flourish.
​The Universal Love Curriculum is a collaboration between the Gene Keys Syntropy Hub, Samson Turinawe and his colleagues at Universal Love Alliance of Uganda, a devoted group of Ugandan Wisdom Keepers and educators, and Rosy’s beloved sister, Marilee Aronson, PsyD.
Our Mission
To support the development of the Inner Wisdom Keeper in all students by:
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Encouraging the celebration of both Universality and Diversity
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Enlivening and empowering students through reconnection with the richness of their Cultural Roots and Heritage
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Facilitating embodied learning through Experiential Exercises that provide access to the Power of Nature and Creativity and that cultivate Wholeness and Interconnectedness
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The Universal
​We breathe the same air, we smile, we bleed, we cry, we rejoice. No matter what age we are or where we find ourselves, we need to grow, to move from the unknown to the known, to expand and evolve. We need to learn how to think critically, how to make good decisions, how to resolve conflict and how to approach life’s inevitable challenges. We need self-awareness, self-confidence and self-respect. We need to learn how to practice love, how to hold responsibility, and how to have a positive impact on the world around us. We need to learn to partake in the natural cycle of give and receive. We need to connect with the Web of Life.
How we come to understand who we are as humans, how we approach our common fate, how we serve each other in unity versus divisiveness are the Universal questions this Curriculum aims to address.
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Who are we? Are we our bodies? Our minds? Our feelings? Are we spirits?
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Who are we in relation to each other?
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Who are we in relation to existence itself—to the Creator?
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How do we come to recognize our common humanity? How do we act with compassion and respect for the dignity of all Beings? How do we come together in love, sympathy and compassion?
While book-learning best comes from books, learning about life best comes from living! The Universal Love Curriculum provides hands-on, embodied experiences that engage mind, body, heart and spirit and encourage students to discover their own truths and values that they can apply in their everyday lives. Through active and creative engagement, students will journey through the Curriculum’s landscape as they learn about themselves, each other and the world around them. Although exercises and activities will vary widely taking students in different directions, the Dream Arc and Art of Contemplation will provide an overarching treasure map for the students’ educational journey.
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Animals
The Universal Love Curriculum enlists the students’ engagement with the world of animals. Animals provide a pathway to self-exploration and growth, as students identify qualities and traits they relate to and admire. Animals serve as a portal to curiosity, compassion, myth, and metaphor. They expose students to – and connect them with — different lands, wisdom traditions, and ways of living. They provide students with deeper insight into their own culture and land as they learn how their people have traditionally related to these animals. They allow students to explore their own associations and fantasies. As students work with different animals throughout the Curriculum, they will engage in individualized learning and share in each other’s discoveries.
The main intention of this Curriculum is to call forth the Inner Wisdom Keeper of the children, teachers, schools, and communities who work with it… and bring about a more loving, compassionate, and prosperous world as a result.
Together with Gene Keys Publishing, we have a deep dream to co-birth this Curriculum in a way that empowers our Ugandan/African brothers and sisters, who have dedicated their lives to serving people in need and opening the hearts and minds of people who have the power to meet those needs. We envision Samson and his collaborators piloting ULC in their communities and schools, and with the support of the Dream Arc and Gene Keys community, leading the way in bringing a profoundly loving education out into the world.
While ULC is sourced in African indigenous wisdom, we envision that over time, in collaboration with other educators and Gene Keys community members from other countries, it will be adapted to reflect indigenous wisdom of other cultures as well. ​
