Survey for New Affinity Groups? We need your input!

Please take our Survey about possible new Affinity Groups

Undoing Internal and External Systems of Oppression

Last year NDF’s Inclusion and Equity Committee sponsored affinity groups focused on undoing racist conditioning. Group members watched videos, read essays, wrote their racial autobiographies and shared their stories and aspirations. The response was so positive that participants asked that we convene another set of meetings. The two groups that are already established will continue meeting and are open to accepting new members.

To gauge which topics would best serve growth in the sangha this year we developed a survey. Please click on the survey link below to tell us which topic most interests you. The proposed topics are:

Nature

What is the Buddhist attitude toward land and Nature? How did the colonial attitude toward land and Nature affect beliefs, laws, and actions toward Indigenous Peoples in this country? How does colonial dominance affect Indigenous people today? How does Buddhist practice help us acknowledge murderous violence, theft of lands, and other abuses? How does our practice help us celebrate Native peoples and their stewardship of the earth? Can our practice help us move toward reconciliation?

Race

DNA has traced the origin of the human species to Africa. Some of us migrated north and became light skinned, but we all remained human beings. Race is a relatively recent social construct-not a biological reality. When and where did the social construct originate and why? How has racist conditioning affected our Buddhist practice?

Sex and Sexuality

What contradictions exist in the Buddhist teachings about sex and sexuality, the body, the feminine and the masculine? How does sacred view impact our personal relationships in light of power imbalances? How do misogyny and the heteronormative framework of Buddhist teachings affect our practice?

The number of groups, exact topics and times will be determined based on the responses we receive. Final determination of the topics will be decided by group members.