Diversity and Accessibility Working Group

Interim Report – July, 2004

Chair: Cortez Rainey 

Ground

•    The mandala—on an individual and organizational level—could do more to welcome practitioners from a broader range of the population.

 

Path

•    Initiate a discussion on this topic.

•    Work collaboratively with the Mandala Governing Council, Center Directors and individual practitioners.

•    Develop a list of practical steps that individuals and Centers can take to promote diversity and accessibility in their immediate community.

 

Fruition

•    Increased understanding of diversity and accessibility issues, increased awareness of the ways in which these issues affect individual lives, greater sensitivity and respect for people with diverse backgrounds and needs, increased understanding of how responses to diversity issues affect the Shambhala communityÕs ability to make the Teachings available to a diverse world. 
•    A community that is more welcoming and diverse, and its facilities more accessible to persons who are physically challenged.
 

Membership

Veronica Guzman

Babo Harrison

Dan Hessey

Sarah LittleFeather

Hamish Maclaren

**Aba Cecile McHardy

Cortez Rainey, Chair

Lodro Rinzler

Maria Vargas

*Linda Watson

Shawn Wheeler

Kai Yee-

*Moving to Review Group

**New member

The Working Group is diverse. It consists of persons of various characteristics— race, gender, sexual orientation, age, income, physical ability, language, geographical location and cultural and social strata. Group members have frankly explored this topic through telephone calls and conferences and countless emails. We are eager to serve as an impetus to a broad examination of this topic throughout the Shambhala community.

The members of the Diversity and Accessibility Working Group view diversity and accessibility as an extension of the mission of Shambhala Buddhism.

 

Objectives and Status

Although the Diversity and Accessibility Working Group began its work late, in May, since then it has worked diligently to accomplish its mandate. 

Status: The Working Group has prepared a treatise on this topic, Notes on Diversity and Accessibility, in consultation with the Review Group and with input from selected members of the Shambhala community. Dan Hessey is the principal writer. The first version of this treatise will be distributed by the first week in August throughout the mandala. Readers of the treatise will be encouraged to discuss the exposition with sangha members and to send comments to the Working Group. The Working Group will use the feedback it receives to revise the treatise and will prepare a final version for adoption by Mandala Governing Council—early October.

 

Status: The Working Group, in consultation with the Review Group, has developed three questionnaires on diversity and accessibility: The Mandala Governing Council Survey, the Center Director Survey and the Practitioner Survey. Survey respondents will be asked to share their experience of diversity and accessibility within the mandala and to send their responses to the Working Group. The surveys will be distributed by the first week in August. The Working Group will prepare a collection of survey responses and distribute them throughout the community—late September.

Status: This objective will be accomplished, in consultation with the Review Group, after responses have been received from the Mandala Governing Council, Center Director and Practitioner surveys—late September.

 

Status: This objective will be accomplished in consultation with the Review Group, after Objectives 1, 2 and 3 have been completed—late October.

Updated 2004/08/26