The mission of the Temple of Understanding (TOU) is to achieve peaceful coexistence among individuals, communities, and societies through interfaith education. Our programs emphasize experiential knowledge and dialogue as a means of connecting people of all ages across a spectrum of religious traditions. Our goals are to foster appreciation of religious and cultural diversity expand public discourse on religion and spirituality educate for global citizenship create a more just and peaceful world Founded in 1960, the Temple of Understanding is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit and a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.