Read the March Newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6609170d224fbbba4f513738
Dear Friends of INEB,
As the year rolls into its second quarter we can begin to reflect on progress achieved, whilst looking forward to the exciting events yet to unfold in 2024. March marked another journey around the sun for INEB’s beloved talisman Sulak Sivaraksa, the INEB Institute livestreamed a discussion from the Kamalun Mosque, and Thailand took a step closer to legalizing same sex marriage. The 8th March was International Women’s Day. Coming up in April, this year’s International Young Bodhisattva Program application is launched, the online Ambedkar Intellectual Summit 2024 takes place and the Zen Peacemakers event ‘Bearing Witness to Racism in America’. In April we’ll celebrate Songkran, the traditional Thai new year festival (April 12-16th)
With mettā,
INEB Communications Team
Nine Decades and Counting
Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa celebrated his 91st birthday on 27th March and enjoyed a peaceful reflection with friends at his residence in Bangkok.
To see more news about Ajarn Sulak visit
https://www.facebook.com/sulak.sivaraksa
https://www.youtube.com/dhanadis
Network for Peace Partners Closing Event
INEB gathered with all the partner organizations in the Networks for Peace community and celebrated nearly five years of the project! From conception to implementation, it’s been an incredible journey of resilience, collaboration, and unwavering dedication to building a brighter, peaceful future for all.
Essential Quote Series
Explore some of the fascinating comments and insights by Socially Engaged Buddhists in Japan that appear throughout both volumes!
March 24-30: The Axial Shapeshifters of Japanese Buddhism by Jonathan Watts
Follow the series on jneb.net
Honen feeding lepers rice gruel
Network Activity:
The INEB Institute
Live from The Kamalun Mosque:
INEB Institute’s SENS program for 2024 is grateful to have partnered with The Institute for Human Rights and Peace Studies for the program called “Beloved Friends of Different Faiths.” This recording is a discussion between a Thai monk, Phra Itthiyawan ,Assistant Professor Dr. Abdullah Numsukand, and Imam Samai Charoenchang of the Kamalun Mosque.
Digital Bodhisattva
Spatial Samsara: The Apple in the Garden
“Whether we retreat into a pixelated promised land or persevere in the present, it is important to remember that we are all in this together. One can try to evade discomfort by layering oneself in expensive virtual pleasantries, but our continuation will still depend on a whole cosmos of favorable conditions and anonymous others ensuring that food, water, and warmth are close at hand.”
Read the full article by Dexter Cohen Bohn on Buddhistdoor Global
Upcoming Events:
International Young Bodhisattva Program:
For Spiritual Resurgence & Social Transformation
Apply Now!
Buddhist Hongshi College, Taoyuan, Taiwan
A collaboration of Buddhist Hongshi College
& the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
22 October – 4 November 2024
See full information at
https://inebnetwork.org/iybp-2024
Online Ambedkar Intellectual Summit 2024:
Celebrating Life and Mission of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
on his 133rd Birth Anniversary
7-14 April 2024
For registration contact
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CBWl6nfmVruEveaK2ZOVpQ
Zen Peacemakers:
Bearing Witness to Racism in America
April 25-30
It has long been our desire to create a bearing witness retreat around America’s racial history – as seen through the eyes of African Americans. The intention has always been to engage without becoming a tourist; to seek unity without ‘othering’ those with whom we Bear Witness.
This year we plan on walking the grounds of a deep history in the expansion of slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement – Selma and Montgomery.
See more: https://zenpeacemakers.org/programs/racism-in-america/
News from Thailand:
Thailand Takes a Historic Step Closer to Legalizing
Same-Sex Marriage
The lower house of Thailand’s parliament, the House of Representatives, today passed a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriages. Thai politicians voted overwhelmingly in favor, with 400 representatives supporting the legislation, and only 10 members opposing. Five members did not vote after a four-hour debate.
The bill now needs to be approved by the Senate, followed by formal endorsement from the Thai king, before the law can become reality in Thailand—a process that could still take some months to realize, although it is expected to completed before the end of this year. If successful, Thailand would become the third nation in Asia to recognize marriage equality, and the first in Southeast Asia.
Written by Craig C Lewis March 27, 2024
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