International Young Bodhisattva Training for Spiritual Resurgence and Social Transformation Ven. Pema (Karen Schaefer) April 30 - May 12, 2019. Taiwan
Twenty seven (27) students, including monks and nuns from 10 countries who joined this International Young Bodhisattva Training (IYBT) course were welcomed by hosts Somboon Chungprampree, INEB’s executive secretary and Venerable Chao Hwei Bhikshuni from Hongshi Buddhist College (HBC) and a patron of INEB. Somboon said that graduates from previous courses were very active in Indonesia, India and Myanmar. The facilitators volunteering on this course were themselves alumni. Ven. Chao Hwei shared how we can all practice the way of Bodhisattva in daily life. She went on to discuss her work advocating for samesex marriage, in addition to other sangha and activist communities addressing issues such as antilegalisation of Gambling, Animal and Environmental Protection. (The same sex marriage bill passed parliament a few days after this course ended.) The students separated into their country groups to reflect on and discuss the core issues in their countries, and to brainstorm what kind of social action Buddhist organisations could effectively offer. Ouyporn Khuankaew, the International Women’s Partnership, Chiang Mai, Thailand, led the group through a series of relevant topics and activities. Her three day “Workshop on Socially Engaged Buddhism” went into practical experiential examination of issues and skills using Buddhist Vol. 35 No. 3 September - December 2019
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Social Analysis, Power Analysis, Deep Listening, Compassionate Communication, Gender Inequality and Social Injustice. She skilfully facilitated exercises that helped students experience directly issues of power, and marginalisation due to social inequity— encouraging them to take up action in areas of Social Development, Social Service and Social Change. Urging them to find their own way to take up social action, Ouyporn defined six different roles people could adopt to make society better: 1. Warrior: challenge system; non-violent direct action. 2. Reformer: join government committee; change laws. 3. Educator: raise consciousness amongst marginalised people, 4. Healer: provide counselling; conflict resolution; use non-violent communication (NVC). Help people who suffer from injustice. 5. Organiser: build relationships, connect people, now this is happening more on-line. 6. Campaigner: advocate for them; tell the public about injustice; use the media; technology. Ven. Bhikshuni Shing Kuang, Hong–Shih Buddhist College, spoke on “Meditation on Mindfulness, Buddhism and Health” by saying that it is possible for activists to become so engaged in
