Dear <<First Name>>,
I hope the New Year has brought you a sense of joy, freshness, and renewed lungta. Celebrating the winter solstice was particularly meaningful for me this year, as we were able to have a small sangha gathering in Ottawa to celebrate, and survive, the cold dark days of Winter. We took a long walk in the snow, children in hand, lights around our necks and wrists, and then told stories that warmed our hearts, if not our noses!
I am writing to you today as we anticipate the end of year practices with some updates on initiatives of the Office of Community Care and Conduct. In this email you will find:
- 2021 Report on Code of Conduct Complaints and Concerns
- An update on the Code of Conduct review process
- A pocket version of the Code of Conduct
- NEW! Right Use of Power Resources
- Counseling and Therapy offering continues
2021 Report on Code of Conduct Complaints & Concerns
As a global organization, Shambhala is committed to accountability, transparency, inclusivity, and care. This report contains data about the concerns and complaints received by the Code of Conduct team beginning on Shambhala Day 2021 until Dec. 31, 2021, as filed under the Shambhala Code of Conduct.
We hope that this report contributes to an environment where individuals feel confident in coming forward with concerns of misconduct at all levels of the mandala. As trust evolves, we hope and expect that this data will evolve and increasingly reflect our community’s health and challenges.
- Click Here to read the 2021 Report on Code of Conduct Complaints and Concerns.
- Click Here to read the previous 2018- 2020 Report of Care and Conduct Complaints.
An Update on the Code of Conduct Policy Review Process
At the request of the Office of Care and Conduct, the Shambhala Board has extended the review date of the Code of Conduct one year, from Shambhala Day 2022 to Shambhala Day 2023.
Code of Conduct community presentations will continue through Fall 2022, and review of the five policies will begin in late 2022. To request a presentation, contact Nina Migliari at irina.migliari@shambhala.info
Community members are warmly invited to give feedback on the code of conduct, either by completing the Code of Conduct Feedback Form, or by sending an email directly to the Director of Community Care and Conduct at codeofconduct@shambhala.org.
Pocket Version of the Code of Conduct Poster
Have you ever wished that you had a small discrete way of accessing the Code of Conduct and guidance on expressing a concern or filing a complaint? Well, many people do! So the C&C Office has developed a small, pocket version of the Code of Conduct poster that can be printed and placed in discrete areas, such as bathrooms, hallways, small meeting rooms, etc. It is our aspiration that anyone wishing to express a concern or complaint has easy access to relevant information.
- Click Here to download and print the pocket version of the Code of Conduct.
NEW!! Right Use of Power Resources
We sincerely appreciate the hundreds of Shambhalians who have completed the Shambhala Online – Right Use of Power course. This training has supported our leaders in deepening their understanding of how to use their power wisely and with heart, with significant benefits that are still rippling out to our community. But what next? Perhaps you are now looking to refresh yourself on the material, or dive deeper into the RUP skills and concepts, or offer the RUP training to your local community? If so, we have the resources for you!
- Click here to download a RUP manual (you will need to register on SO). The manual is a comprehensive workbook that includes transcripts, handouts, worksheets and more from the Shambhala Online course.
- Shambhala’s RUP teachers are now offering customized, 2-day, virtual “retreats” to local centres and groups who would like to provide a condensed, embodied and impactful RUP training experience for their sangha. Contact tara.templin@shambhalaglobal.org for more information.
- Scholarships for the Right Use of Power Institute’s Teacher Training and Core Training, beginning February 2022, 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.
Counseling and Therapy Offering Continues
In 2021, forty individuals in North America and Europe accessed the Therapy and Counseling Offering.
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 Counseling and therapy offering, click here.
In the Vision of the Great Eastern Sun,
Tara Templin
Director of Community Care and Conduct