Kalapa Council

To the Noble Shambhala Sangha,

As we enter our final days as the Kalapa Council and the legal board for Shambhala, we are reflecting on what we have all been through together. These past months have been painful and traumatic for many in our sangha. People who have experienced harm are coming forward with bravery. People who have felt silenced may be finding space for their voices. Some have found it hard to express their experiences in the recent atmosphere of intensity. Others who felt disconnected from some issues of the times may now be more curious and interested in learning.

We find ourselves feeling vulnerable and open. This Kalapa Council is a group of very different people, with different experiences on the path of practice and on our paths of leadership. It’s somewhat hard to speak from common ground since we are all going through different feelings, but there is a shared moment of dissolving occurring.

All of us came into service with inspiration to serve the community and teachings. Some of us have yearned for change that this disruption may bring into being. Some of us have had our character and intentions attacked. Some of us have seen places where we did not serve our community well. All of us are quite heartbroken.

We have been honoured to serve together. We’re grateful for the support and friendship that we have had as a team.

We hope that healing can occur in the Shambhala community, in our relationships, and for anyone who has been harmed. It’s our wish that anyone impacted by sexual misconduct should have access to support and care through An Olive Branch, through the new Code of Ethics, or other means.

We share an aspiration that the Shambhala community can evolve, and arise fresh in a way that supports and cares for all who participate. We also hope that leaders can emerge who feel clear and focused on their roles, and that they can be appreciated and given the benefit of some trust to find their way. While the last chapter of our tenure has been painful, we also celebrate the many good works, relationships, and initiatives that have occurred. We feel enormous respect for the many people that we have served alongside in Shambhala, and thank everyone for their generous dedication.

The teachings that drew all of us into Shambhala and helped many of us to improve our lives, uplift ourselves and find community deserve to continue and be accessible to others who resonate with them. May those inspired to continue on a path that includes Shambhala teachings have ways to do this that feel true and bring benefit. We supplicate the dralas and protectors to support Shambhala and those who practice here.

We are thinking of the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo and their family as they travel through a painful journey, and wish them care, clarity and space for reflection. Our personal love and inspiration remains linked to the Sakyong lineage.

Each of us will continue on our personal paths in ways that are right for us, and will find ways to offer service to the community, teachings and teachers that we love. Only time will tell how the Shambhala story will be written. Everyone in Shambhala has a role to play in what unfolds.

With love for all of you,

Jane Arthur

David Brown

Wendy Friedman

Jesse Grimes

Mitchell Levy

Adam Lobel

Robert Reichner

Christoph Schönherr

Josh Silberstein

Dear Shambhala Community –

Over the past two weeks, we have continued to receive many questions, concerns and letters from you. We are listening to your voices and want to provide further information about the independent investigation and allegations of sexual misconduct.

Although we are preparing to formally exit our legal and fiduciary roles as Kalapa Council members as soon as the Interim Board is seated, caring for our community and survivors remains a priority.

Sometimes it is difficult to feel each others’ hearts in the midst of talk about investigations, legal issues and financial reports. We feel that the Shambhala sangha, lineage and our relationships are worth healing, and hope that through honesty, and understanding, there can be a Shambhala that serves and supports all who practice within the community.

We have also received many questions about when the Sakyong will speak to the community again. We are aware that, out of respect for the independent investigation, he does not plan to any make formal statements until the conclusion of the investigation.

We want to underscore that our primary goal in initiating the independent investigation and in contracting with An Olive Branch is to provide safe spaces for survivors of harm to bring their stories forward. We understand that many have lost trust in Shambhala’s institutional processes for handling cases of abuse and harm. Many of you have written to us with questions and concerns about the neutrality of this investigation.

Attached to this e-mail is a letter from Ballard Spahr, a law firm that has offered to advise Shambhala’s leadership pro-bono on how best to navigate the investigation process. Steven Suflas, a partner at Ballard Spahr, wrote the attached memo which provides an outside view of the Wickwire Holm investigation process.

You can click here or scroll to the bottom of this e-mail to read the letter from Mr. Suflas.

We have also heard from the community that some survivors need more time to trust this process and consider coming to the investigation with their stories. To that end, on September 5, the Kalapa Council approved a two-week extension of the deadline for bringing claims forward to the independent investigation.

Wickwire Holm will now accept accounts of harm through November 16, 2018. Claims of sexual assault or misconduct by any teacher or leader in the Shambhala community can be raised directly to the investigator, Selina Bath, of Wickwire Holm by e-mail or phone at (902) 482-7030. It is critical to the investigation process that all accounts will be held confidentially.

Response to Recent Allegations

We have received many questions about the recent allegations raised against Kalapa Council members named in Buddhist Project Sunshine 3. In response, we would like to clarify our previous statement: The intention of that statement was to deny the allegations in the story from “Ann” and in Buddhist Project Sunshine 3 related to the Kalapa Council members mentioned and the Sakyong. As with the other stories being brought forward, we encourage anyone with claims of abuse or harm to bring them to the Wickwire Holm investigation or to An Olive Branch.

On September 4, An Olive Branch formally opened their Listening Post, where victims may receive direct support and resources, or report cases of sexual or gender harm. Please click here to read more about how you can engage with the Listening Post.

As always, we invite you to contact us at kalapacouncil@shambhala.org with questions or concerns. You may also contact the Transition Task Force at transitiontaskforce@shambhala.org with questions regarding their work in selecting the Interim Board and Process Team.

With appreciation,

The Outgoing Kalapa Council

The Outgoing Kalapa Council
Josh Silberstein, Chair
Jane Arthur
David Brown
Wendy Friedman
Jesse Grimes
Mitchell Levy
Adam Lobel
Robert Reichner
Christoph Schönherr

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Letter from Ballard Spahr

Steven Suflas, a partner at Ballard Spahr, wrote the attached letter which provides an outside view of the Wickwire Holm investigation process. Ballard Spahr is a law firm that has offered to advise Shambhala’s leadership pro-bono on how best to navigate the investigation process.
Please click here to read the letter from Mr. Suflas.

Dear Community –

We are writing to provide you with further information about the third-party investigation of claims of sexual misconduct within the Shambhala community. Shambhala has contracted with Wickwire Holm, a full-service business law firm located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to serve as the investigator.

Selina Bath will be the primary contact and lead investigator. Selina is a Certified Workplace Investigator. She has extensive training in conducting investigations and is experienced in conducting fair, neutral and independent investigations. She has conducted numerous investigations within organizations of various sizes on matters relating to sexual harassment, bullying and disrespect in the workplace. She will be assisted by Will Russell, a member of Wickwire Holm’s Labour and Employment group.

There are two avenues to bring forward a claim to Selina:

1. Claims of sexual assault or misconduct by any teacher or leader in the Shambhala community can be raised directly to the investigator. She can be reached at (902) 482-7030 and sbath@wickwireholm.com. Selina will be out of the office in the coming days, and during this time, her associate Will Russell can also be reached at wrussell@wickwireholm.com.
2. Anyone who receives support through An Olive Branch may also authorize An Olive Branch to share information with Selina. More information about An Olive Branch’s scope of work will be sent to the community via e-mail later today.

About the Process

Selina’s approach is to meet with claimants, respondents, and witnesses individually to gain a better understanding of their evidence and their perspective. Claimants may be asked to submit a written statement to Selina before the interview. If either a claimant or respondent identifies a third-party witness who Selina believes to have useful or relevant information, Selina will interview that individual as well. Selina’s approach is to peel back the layers of the claim to identify any underlying or systemic issues.

Selina will interview people who would like their claim investigated. Interviews are private and confidential between the individual and the investigator. Information developed in the investigation will be kept confidential to the extent possible, but may have to be shared with third-party witnesses and respondents to ensure that the investigation is thorough and effective.  If necessary, an interview may be conducted by videoconference or telephone. As previously stated, claimants can also authorize An Olive Branch to share information which they have provided to that organization.

The investigation will be open to receive claims for a period of three months, ending October 31. Selina welcomes information from anyone who may have knowledge that can assist with the investigation. She can be reached at (902) 482-7030 and sbath@wickwireholm.com. Selina will be out of the office in the coming days, and during this time, her associate Will Russell can also be reached at wrussell@wickwireholm.com.

By addressing both the specifics of the claim as well as any underlying issues, Selina is able to provide a fulsome report that will allow Shambhala to fully understanding the issues being brought forward so that all involved can begin a path toward resolution. Shambhala will publish a report at the conclusion of the investigation.

We appreciate your continued patience as we work to ensure an objective, credible investigative process that will better allow us to understand the scope of the allegations being raised against leaders within the Shambhala community.

 

With appreciation,

The Kalapa Council

Dear Shambhalians,

In the interest of beginning a healing process for our community, the Kalapa Councillors will step down from our posts.

In this time of groundlessness, there is a wish for more clarity and answers, but the truth is that much is unknown. We recognize that parts of our system are broken, and need to dissolve in order to make room for real change.

It is our desire to exit responsibly. There will be a phased departure so that there is a board in place to uphold the legal and financial responsibilities of the organization. Advisors in transitioning leadership groups are assisting Shambhala in planning how to structure and communicate this progression. We are also reading and listening to all of the feedback that you are sharing. We will share more details soon as we integrate advice and learn more.

Additionally, we want to formally announce several developments that have been confirmed in the last few days.

• The agreement with An Olive Branch has been signed. They will bring their expertise to serve as a neutral party for receiving stories of harm, survivor advocacy and consulting on our policies going forward. An Olive Branch will also personally introduce themselves to you, the Shambhala community, shortly.
• We have engaged Wickwire Holm, a law firm based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to act as the third-party investigator to look into stories of abuse or misconduct involving any teacher or leader in the Shambhala community.

We will offer more details on both of these processes very soon. We are committed to communicating regularly and transparently with the community as new information or updates develop.

Despite this groundless situation, we believe that this community has a path forward from which Shambhala can emerge as a healthier, more supportive, and more inclusive sangha.

Sending heartfelt appreciation to the noble sangha,

The Kalapa Council

Josh Silberstein, Chair
Jane Arthur
David Brown
Wendy Friedman
Jesse Grimes
Mitchell Levy
Adam Lobel
Robert Reichner
Christoph Schönherr

To the Shambhala Community,

Many of us are shaken after hearing accounts of harm within our community. We are grappling with long-held damaging patterns that exist in society and our sangha, and we are longing to transform. It has been a painful time of self-reflection, learning and holding our teachings and community close.

At this moment, care for survivors of harm in its many forms feels most urgent. We acknowledge the voices of all who have been harmed. We are sorry. Our hearts go out to women who have experienced abuse or have been made to feel undignified in any way. It is devastating to face the bias, racism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, classism, and ableism in our community. We recognize the pain of those who have been silenced, marginalized, or unseen in our culture. We feel frustrated by patterns that have blocked people from speaking up if they have been mistreated, and have hindered the ability of those in leadership to hear them and respond fully. It is humbling to see the limits of our ability to live up to our profound teachings and vision.

In our conversations with survivors, we are learning that there is much we can improve. For example, we can now see that confidentiality in our procedures may not have protected people in the best ways possible. We are actively working with An Olive Branch as a third party to help us improve our policies and culture around sexual misconduct.

We want to share clearly that, despite some claims on social media, this leadership body has never threatened legal action against any survivor, ally, or mediator. No one on the Kalapa Council has ever asked a victim to remain silent. However, we acknowledge the power systems that create the pressure to remain silent.

It is necessary for stories of harm to emerge. We understand that there are further experiences to be shared and we remain confident that our community can become much more honest, healthy and just through this journey. As much as we long to dispel harm and intolerance in Shambhala, this learning will be ongoing. We will never achieve a pristine human community; we can only engage a continual process to weave our teachings, education, vigilance about harm, and ongoing transformation into our culture.

There is a need for clarity and information as well.  We will share a letter with all of you by the end of next week that will offer more definitive information addressing the rumours currently swirling on social media. The Kalapa Council will meet with leaders via video conference on Monday.

Our lineage is led by human Sakyongs. They have offered us profound teachings, and as humans they can cause harm. We are all experiencing a wide range of emotions, and we know that some people are angry and hurt. This anger and hurt is included in our space together. As members of the Kalapa Council, we are also struggling. This does not erase our appreciation, commitment and love. This is a messy, human relationship.

We are trying to find our genuineness within this complexity. We are heartened that the Sakyong has taken a first step in engaging his community around these issues. As well caring for the victims, our hearts are also with the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo and their family as we navigate this challenging time. We stand with our lineage through the pain of our heartbreak.

As Shambhalians, many have heard of our complex history spanning several decades and some are hearing about this for the first time. This history has been shared through personal experiences, and sometimes through rumours and gossip – or avoided because of uncertainty about what is real and what is lore. It seems that part of our pain now is that some wounds were not tended to, and people were left scarred. We do not want to hide or cover any part of our shared history. We wish to bring everything into the light, and look with sanity, tenderness and clarity at what we can learn from our past. In the coming year, we are planning events that that will openly share Shambhala history.

Facing painful parts of our past and present is difficult work, and we are committed to seeing it through. We are united in our heartbroken concern for everyone in this community. However, we cannot do this work alone and we recognize that the Kalapa Council needs tremendous help. As Kalapa Councillors we were appointed by the Sakyong. We were not selected to be representative of the community, but for our connection to him and the roles that we hold. This group is predominantly white, male, and North American. We feel this limitation needs to be addressed, whether within this body or in another new leadership structure. Together we need to include and empower other voices. As one way to acknowledge the changes that need to occur, the Council will begin training next month to help us further understand power dynamics, marginalized voices, race, gender, and class, as they influence our organization and culture.

The Kalapa Council is grateful for the letters and feedback we have received from many of you, and invite you to stay in touch. You can reach us at Kalapacouncil@shambhala.org   Thank you for your patience with our responses as we focus our attention on the most urgent needs. This work takes steadiness and time.

Ultimately, it seems that our path is to live in the contrast between fear and confidence in our own humanity. We are being challenged to discover gentleness and fearlessness in the midst of tremendous uncertainty, both within our community and in our world at large. For now, our way forward is to remain in this groundlessness together.

 

Yours in the tender heart of warriorship,

The Kalapa Council*

Josh Silberstein, Chair
Jane Arthur
David Brown
Wendy Friedman
Jesse Grimes
Adam Lobel
Robert Reichner
Christoph Schönherr

*In a message dated 2/16/18 Mitchell Levy recused himself from participating in all conversations and decision-making with regard to sexual harm policy within the Shambhala Mandala until implementation is complete. For this reason Mitchell Levy has not signed this letter.  To read his statement, click here.