Mission Statement:

The Unio Interfaith Center is committed to creating a welcoming, accessible, and diverse
environment for many types of monotheistic worship. The facility considers both similarities and
differentiations between the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths, allowing people of all
backgrounds to celebrate their differences together.

Logo:

Logo Description:

The Unio Interfaith Centers logo represents unity through prayer and outreach. Various
colored hands illustrate the diverse monotheistic followers that utilize the Centers facilities.
These peoples religions are similar and come from a common origin, as demonstrated by the
middle of the symbol. The many communal gathering spaces at Unio have been designed to
promote charitable works that lend a hand to the poor. The hands in the logo represent this
idea, and the concept of prayer at the Unio Interfaith Center, a fantastic place with an
appropriate and meaningful logo.

Key Description:

The Unio Interfaith Center has been designed to accommodate diverse clientele in their
worship and faithful actions. To ensure comfort and privacy, followers of each religion have their
own space to pray and to learn. The center will be open for twenty-four hours each day, to
accommodate whomever would like to visit. Services will be offered twice as often as in typical
places of worship, so that all spectators and athletes can attend when they are available,
however, Muslims times of prayer will not be altered, out of respect for the religions pillar of
worship. The spaces are organized in a Venn Diagram format to represent the similarities
between these monotheistic religions. In the overlapping sections, common spaces have been
designed, and in the areas for independent ideas, each religions unique services will take
place. The Jewish synagogue is positioned above the other, branched off spaces, resembling
how these religions developed. Judaism was the first monotheistic faith, with Christianity and
Islam following suit, as illustrated by the centers layout. Blueprint Two demonstrates how the
needs of each religion have been considered in the design of these spaces. For example, the
Islamic mosque faces Mecca and features three minarets, so that Muslims can pray towards the
Kaba five times each day. Those who visit the center are permitted to loan materials, such as
prayer mats or copies of The Bible, for the course of the Olympics, so that their individual needs
may be met. These items must be returned within twenty-four hours of the closing ceremony.
Each place of worship has entrances that have been painted to signify the religions main tenets
and the way in which followers live. The synagogue has grey doors, to represent maturity and
authority, for this is the basis of monotheism. The church has purple doors, as Christians are
spiritual and calmed by faithful notions. The mosque has white doors because this color depicts
hope, goodness, and simplicity, ideas that are present in Islams hope of resurrection,
performance of poor due, and plain wardrobe. To house Christian pastors, Catholic priests,
Jewish rabbis, and Islamic Imam leaders, a shared quarters has been created. In such a living
space, religious leaders can bond and learn about the similarities of their faiths. Such an
experience builds camaraderie and fellowship among inhabitants. With a better understanding
of other monotheistic views, these leaders would be able to disband any negative prejudices
that their people have. From Portuguese, Unio translates to, togetherness, therefore, unity is
the fundamental basis of this center. To promote such harmony, many communal spaces have
been incorporated in the centers design. Restroom facilities are positioned in between places
of worship, so that sharing and mingling with people of other faiths becomes more comfortable.
Moreover, to encourage cultural cuisine blending and charitable works, a large kitchen is
available to all. Furthermore, visitors have access to a large multilingual library that enables
people to learn about their own faith and about other religions. Such education shows
similarities between beliefs, and, therefore, helps to unify followers. A gathering hall is used to
celebrate various events, to which all people are invited. This cultural immersion is very
beneficial, and the hall ensures that traveling to the Olympics does not exclude one from
festivities. A relaxing rock garden, flower-lined fields, communal picnic tables, a pool, and large
soccer field serve as areas for people of all monotheistic faiths to socialize, blend with, and get
to know one another. These elements have been placed in the middle of all worship sites, so
that each population feels comfortable using the communal spaces. Additionally, ample car and
bike parking spaces have been created to accommodate large crowds. Tying together the
entire site is a colorful, mosaic Unio logo that reminds all believers how the center unifies the
diverse hands that prayerfully reach out to those in need. Clearly, the Unio Interfaith Center
has many considerate features that can bring together monotheists at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Olympic Committee Questions:

1. Do athletes under the stress of competition and in need of focus have special
needs related to their religion? What might they be? How might they be
accommodated?

Olympic athletes do, indeed, have special religious needs. For example, competitors
have unique schedules and limited free time, making worship harder to accomplish. At
 the Unio Interfaith Center, services are offered twice as often as in regular places of
worship, except in the mosque, as times of prayer are sacrosanct. The spaces are open
for twenty-four hours each day, so that busy individuals have ample opportunities to visit,
focus, and relieve stress through spiritual healing. Moreover, upon an athletes or
athletes request, pastors, priests, rabbis, or Islamic Imam leaders will offer personal
services tailored to an Olympians schedule. The Center would like everyone to be able
to worship, even if they are busy with Olympic competitions, therefore, many steps have
been clearly taken in consideration of these extraordinary athletes.

2. How does your proposal highlight the common ideas present between people of
different religions?

The proposed Unio Interfaith Center highlights followers commonalities in many ways.
To begin, most spaces are shared and open to people of all religions. In the library, one
can find The Old Testament, the scriptures that relate Judaism and Christianity.
Moreover, all monotheists are encouraged to help the less fortunate, which they can all
do together by cooking in the kitchen. All of these faiths welcome others, a concept
illustrated by the gathering hall. In this space, all people can congregate and celebrate
with one another; followers specific faiths are not of dominant importance. Additionally,
monotheists can mingle and socialize in shared bathrooms. Finally, all religious leaders
share one living quarters. This promotes both bonding and unity, as these faithful guides
can become educated and spread new knowledge to followers of their religion. Without
a doubt, this proposal takes into consideration the similarities between Judaism,
Christianity, Islam, and their followers.

3. Should inclusion of various faiths be considered in events outside the Interfaith

Center - for example, during the opening ceremony? Why or why not?

Inclusion of various faiths should not be considered in events outside the Interfaith
Center, for many reasons. Being announced as a follower of a certain religion may
subject someone to discrimination, ridicule, or unsportsmanlike conduct. Inclusion could
result in negative thoughts of favoritism, leaving athletes and their countries upset.
Because athletes follow many different religions, it would not be possible to incorporate
each in the same way. To make matters more diplomatic and less biased, a secular
environment should be encouraged. This way, athletes are comfortable and able to
focus on common events, instead of differentiating faiths. Religious Olympic-goers and
competitors can feel free to worship their own God inside the Unio Interfaith Center. To
maintain a peaceful environment, however, Olympic events and activities should remain
secular, in that religion should not play a role.

Presentation