by Rev. Joseph Santos Lyons, The Center for Organizing, Renewal and Leadership
Building movements is a sacred rhythm—an enduring pulse that transcends borders and time, woven from the threads of shared dreams and the hard soil of struggle. At CORAL, the Center for Organizing, Renewal, and Leadership, we understand that change is not a thing to be seized or controlled. It is a living, breathing relationship: a gathering of spirits rooted in Manila’s forested foothills and reaching far beyond.
CORAL is a volunteer-driven project nurtured by a dedicated core group who live collectively in an eco cohousing space, the physical heart of our work. We believe that presence and care are radical acts of power—essential for sustaining social justice.
Born in 2020 amidst a world retreating behind masks and screens, CORAL was sparked by feminist and anti-racist trainers, seasoned movement builders, and humanitarian workers. This collective vision created a sanctuary for frontline organizers in the Philippines—those carrying heavy burdens often alone—to rest, reflect, and reimagine a just future.
From the beginning, the UU College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) offered not only financial support but deep listening and trust. Their partnership was a beacon, affirming that this fragile dream had a home and the potential to grow. With UUCSJ’s support, we built bridges across oceans, linking Southeast Asia with the West and weaving together diverse struggles for liberation and healing.
These early resources supported new partnerships that have blossomed with transformative organizations: Penuel School of Theology, a vital voice in Filipino liberation theology; Masungi Georeserve, where indigenous stewards guide us back to the earth’s fierce spirit; and women-led community groups in Antipolo City, nurturing urban poor families with compassion and mutual care.
We engage with dynamic social justice movements—democratic socialist political groups, LGBTQ+ advocates like PANTAY, and civil society organizations promoting transparency and good governance. Our ongoing relationships with the UU Church of the Philippines and Unitarian Universalists across Southeast Asia and the Pacific deepen this global web of solidarity and shared purpose.
At CORAL, we regularly reflect on questions like: What time is it on the clock of the world (with gratitude to Grace Lee Boggs)? Who are we becoming? How do we nurture care while sustaining struggle? How do we practice presence in the face of exhaustion and crisis? Where is the sacred in our organizing and activism?
Over five years, CORAL has welcomed dozens of UU ministers, organizers, and seekers worldwide. Our center offers space to breathe, share stories, and kindle new alliances. Visitors arrive seeking respite, but leave carrying the flame of renewed connection, song, and hope.
This volunteer-driven ministry is lovingly sustained by a small feminist collective living in eco cohousing, committed to the radical power of presence and care.
For Unitarian Universalists considering ways to support global social justice, CORAL shows how your generosity nurtures movements that transform lives—through relationships, reflection, and relentless commitment to justice. In these shared spaces, we find the pulse of movement: transformation born not only from struggle but from the sacred relationships we build and hold dear.
To build a movement is to build relationships—to be present, listen deeply, and hold space for grief and joy, justice and healing. Within that weaving, we find sanctuary—and the possibility of a world remade.