Dear Shambhala Community,
I hope this email finds you, your family and friends healthy and safe. Personally, I am enjoying some much needed warmth in Ottawa and with Spring, a feeling of renewed optimism and energy. I have also been enjoying working with my colleagues – on the Board, Process team, and now, the new Code of Conduct Council Members and Facilitators. These groups and the Office of Care and Conduct are all working on the initiatives outlined below – and towards profound culture change – a transformation marked by increased awareness, caring and action in our community. The time to jump in is now!
This email is to provide you an update on the initiatives of the Office of Community Care and Conduct. In this email you will find:
- An announcement of the recently Appointed Code of Conduct Council Members and Facilitators (CCFs)
- Overview of Care and Conduct complaints received from 2018 through 2020.
- Community Conversations: Taking Conduct to Heart
- Scholarships for Right Use of Power Teacher Training
- We continue to offer repair focused Counselling and Therapy through outside resources.
- Background checks in Shambhala
- Sample Care and Conduct wording for centre websites
- Important Announcement Forthcoming
1. Code of Conduct Council Members and Facilitators (CCFs)
We are pleased to announce that four Code of Conduct Council Members and four Code of Conduct Facilitators have been appointed by the Shambhala Board to serve the community and ensure the new Code of Conduct is implemented with accountability, transparency, inclusivity and care.
Code of Conduct Council Members – The Council’s role is to manage the formal complaints raised following the Shambhala Code of Conduct Policy and Procedure. This policy was created in 2020 and put into effect Shambhala Day 2021. New Council Members are: John Sennhauser, Claudia Arnau, Jan-Frans Sturm, and Yasmin Spiegel.
- Please click Here to read a short bio of the new Council Members.
Code of Conduct Facilitators – The Facilitator’s role is to support the code of conduct process at a local level, providing individual support to those involved in a code of conduct process, following the Shambhala Code of Conduct Policy and Procedure.
Code of Conduct Facilitators are: Jan Snyder, Alexander Garbera, Christopher Szendroi, and Vincent Drummer. We are still looking for a few more, especially from Europe. If you are interested please read here for more info and contact tara.templin@shambhalaglobal.org.
- Please click Here for contact information and to read a short bio of the Code of Conduct Facilitators.
2. Overview of Complaints arising from 2018 through 2020.
As a global organization, Shambhala is committed to accountability, transparency and inclusivity. This report contains data with regards to the complaints received by the International Care and Conduct Panel from 2018 until Shambhala Day of this year (2021) as filed under the 2018 Care and Conduct Policy.Publishing complaints data is beneficial in multiple ways. An analysis of the data supports the Care and Conduct team in determining how best to prevent harm in the future, identifying specific areas of concern, monitoring trends that may be occurring, and informing strategies to repair and to prevent. We hope that this report contributes to an environment where individuals feel confident in coming forward with concerns and reporting situations of misconduct at all levels of the mandala. As trust evolves we hope and expect that these data will evolve and be increasingly reflective of our community’s health and challenges.
- Click Here to read the Full Report of Complaints arising from 2018 through Shambhala Day 2021.
3. Code of Conduct Community Conversations “Taking Conduct to Heart”
The Process Team is hosting community conversations on the Code of Conduct (available here), drawing on our personal experiences of both good conduct and misconduct in Shambhala, to begin to work with conduct in a practical way. The conversation will explore these questions: How can we develop greater awareness of how our actions impact others? How can this increased awareness evolve into a willingness to step in and guide ourselves and others towards good conduct and safety?
Please Note: These conversations are not the context in which to report new incidents of misconduct in Shambhala. If you wish to do so, please visit What-to-Do-if-You-Have-a-Concern-in-Shambhala.
Prior to joining this conversation, we invite you to read through the Shambhala Code of Conduct (available here). “The Practices of Good Conduct” (pages 3 and 4) are especially useful for helping us define the qualities of a protected space in Shambhala.
Register Here to join us to explore how we can foster good conduct at the personal and local levels:
If you are interested in having a facilitated presentation and discussion of the new Code of Conduct for your community, please contact Nina Migliari at irina.migliari@shambhalaglobal.org.
4. Scholarships for Right Use of Power Teacher Training
Scholarships for the Right Use of Power Institute’s Teacher Training and Core Training, beginning June 3, 2021, are available from the Shambhala Board for those who require financial assistance. These trainings will support individuals who wish to help expand this program throughout Shambhala and beyond. If you need financial support to attend this training, please email Tara Templin, Director of Community Care and Conduct, at tara.templin@shambhalaglobal.org and indicate the scholarship funds needed (up to 80%). There is no application process and the prerequisite to qualify for the scholarship is completion of the RUP course on Shambhala Online.
5. Counselling and Therapy Offering Continues
If you, or someone you know, has experienced harm due to aggression, failings on the part of the organization, or actions within the Shambhala community, you are invited to access the counselling and therapy offering. If you live in Europe or know someone who would benefit from the European Counselling and therapy offering, click here.
6. Background Checks in Shambhala
Background checks are required for Shambhala Board members, Shambhala Global Services employees, Code of Conduct council members and facilitators, and for individuals assigned responsibility for working with children. A Background Check Protocol has been developed for prospective and current volunteers/applicants in the USA/Canada and outside of North America.
To date, there have been 34 background checks completed.
If you require a background check for a volunteer working with children, please contact Nina Migliari at irina.migliari@shambhalaglobal.org.
- Click Here to read the Background Check protocols for USA/Canada and outside of North America.
7. Care and Conduct wording for centre websites
We encourage centres to share the new Code of Conduct policies and resources via their website and other public communications.
- Click here to access draft wording for your centre website or other communication mediums.
7. Important Announcement
The Board and CC&C Office are completing arrangements to offer a new initiative related to restorative justice and a listening service. Next month, we will be announcing how to access these resources. Stay tuned!
Yours in the vision of Shambhala,
Tara Templin
Director of Community Care and Conduct