By Arjun Kumar | Fundraising Coordinator
Dear Friends of INEB,
We hope you all are doing well!
This short report from us provides you with an update on some INEB events this year. Please read on!
Since INEB, as the name indicates, is a ‘network’ organization, our community is very diverse and expansive including many cultures and countries. The specific activities discussed show how our community is reached through INEB’s activities.
INEB Conference in October 2019
We will be holding our bi-annual conference later this year at Deerpark Institute in Bir, India. The theme of the conference is ‘Culture of Awakening’. In the last few months, our team has had quite a few planning and coordination meetings with our partners to make sure that everything runs smoothly at the conference. Each conference location is rotated among its members. In this way the host organization provides an opportunity to increase understanding of its country context and challenges unique to its home community. Since the conference is being held in India participants also will learn about the Tibetan community in exile, both in Dharmsala and Bir.
Our tentative schedule for the 3-day event, which consists of a series plenary and seminar sessions facilitated by a panel of experts, as well as contemplative timeouts which give participants the opportunity to relax and meditate in the beautiful and serene natural environment in the Himalayan foothills of Deerpark Institute. Nature walks and study tours will also be organized to give participants a chance to visit some of the nearby monasteries and schools. Traditional performances by local Tibetan artists will also take place in the evenings. Since the theme of the conference is the ‘Culture of Awakening’, seminar sessions will revolve around keeping this theme at the centre of discussion, and relating it to INEB’s vision, mission and outreach work. Some of the tentative topics of discussion for the seminar sessions are – Culture of Living and Dying, Culture of Peace and Justice, Culture of Sustainable Well-being, Contemporary Expressions of the Buddha’s Wisdom.
The day after the conference ends, our Advisory and Executive Committees will hold a joint meeting which is an opportunity for all our members to provide updates on their activities and critically review our 10 year strategic roadmap – The Way Forward.
Environment and Climate Focus – January Meeting
In January several of our partners met in Bangkok and via Zoom to discuss their involvement in various climate and environment initiatives. We discussed how to support each other through advocacy and training efforts. We developed a tentative calendar of events for the rest of 2019 and part of 2020 which includes study tours to other countries, workshops, an Eco-temple network meeting and an interreligious dialogue on Earth Trusteeship from 19 – 21 July in Bangkok. The theme for the dialogue is Nature Rights, Global Citizenship and Reclaiming ‘The Commons’: The Rise of Earth Trusteeship.
Even though this is funded by the ED, it demonstrates the expansive community we reach through this dynamic partnership.
March 12 – 15 International Roundtable on Buddhist Psychology, Psycho-Spiritual Counseling and Chaplaincy Counseling
We are very concerned about helping people living with critical diseases, addiction and other psychological challenges including suicide. One of our approaches for addressing these is included in INEB’s strategic plan as Buddhist “Chaplaincy” Training. An international roundtable on Buddhist psychology, psycho-spiritual counseling and chaplaincy met at INEB’s Bangkok office from March 12 – 15. During these four days 20 – 30 Buddhist monks, nuns, lay persons, practitioners and specialists in a variety of fields participated in discussions and field visits. Participants (from Japan, USA, Myanmar, Thailand and India) came to deepen their understandings of key issues and form stronger collaborations. The roundtable covered four specific themes which included: the interface between Buddhist thought and modern psychology; modalities for training Buddhist chaplains in psycho-social care; cooperative strategies and team building for medical and spiritual caregivers; and confronting substance abuse through Buddhist methods.
Alternative Education
We have two alternative education programs, one of which completed their 27-week course (17 September 2018 – 15 March 2019) in March. The Ecovillage Design Education framework was expanded by increased emphasis on self-cultivation and social transformation. The entire program took participants on a journey grounded in critical self-awareness. New learning arose when our participants were exposed to a broad set of cultural perspectives and the diversity the participants brought to the courses.
Young Bodhisattva Training in May 2019
In the last few months, the INEB team in partnership with Buddhist Hongshi College has been actively preparing for the ‘Young Boddhisattva Training for Spiritual Resurgence and Social Transformation.’ Twenty seven (27) persons, including monks and nuns from 10 countries, have registered to attend the training which will be held at Buddhist Hongshi College in Tao Yuan, Taiwan, from 30th April - 13th May 2019. The training is aimed at empowering the young generation. In order for young Buddhists to realize their human potential to contribute to real change, INEB and Buddhist Hongshi College is jointly offering this program to develop the confidence, capacity and commitment amongst young Buddhists for social and spiritual transformation. The training will empower and enrich youth in ancient Buddhist teachings and their applications in addressing and resolving current global problems. These young Buddhists stand to gain the unique potential to create real social and sustainable change in their communities and beyond. Our team has had a number of planning and coordination meetings with our partner, as well as some fundraising drives to raise some much needed funds that would go towards covering visa and airfare for some of our students who cannot afford to pay for these costs.
That’s all for now! Wishing you all a great year ahead!
With Metta,
The INEB Team
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