Community Care Working Group

Chair Amy Conway amyxconway@yahoo.com

Objectives

Web Site

The Community Care Resources web site is now on line.

Reports

Community Care Resources (PDF)

Final report on Community Care and Conduct, with Introductory Letter (this is a report initiated by the Board of Directors)

Caring Community in Action (December 2004)

Interim Report

Caring Community in Action (July 8, 2004)

Minutes of Meetings

Objectives

• Identify what are the qualities of a caring individual and community. Explore ways that our community and traditional communities might relate to the acute needs of community members and maintain the long-term, ongoing sense of connection which allows us to share both joy and suffering.
• Collect "skillful means", best practices, and models of care which show how to create a caring community as part of our practice. Identify practices that are working well now and share them with the community.
• Create specific proposals about how our sangha community can increase our awareness of each others' needs, stay connected to each other, and be more proactive in helping one another.  This may be different in each local area depending on the community.
• Explore the role of Shambhala Center administration, the deleg system, the Dorje Kasung (particularly the Desung Arm), Upaya/Wisdom Councils, self help groups and other relevant forms within the Shambhala community in providing a structure for community care. Look at how people in these positions are trained in providing an environment which fosters a caring community.
• Offer community processes to respond to the needs of community members. These processes could include both those that have been successfully put in place and those that are just getting started.
• Connect the recommended care models with the Shambhala Buddhist teachings using the Shambhala Treatise on Society and Organization as the ground.

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