Converting Out of Caste: the suicide of Rohith Vermula, the Dalit doctoral student at Hyderabad University, has spurred the mass conversion of Dalits in India.Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision is finally coming to fruition. Listen to the BBC’s radio documentary on the mass conversion of the Dalits. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03qkq4h Heart and Soul Listen in pop-out player In recent… Read More Hundreds of Thousands of Dalits are Converting to Buddhism

Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, with Lama Rod Owens, Angel Kyodo Williams, and Jasmine Syedullah, will be published on June 14, 2016. Originally published in Harvard Divinity School student profile. February 18, 2016 “I don’t show up out of anger or rage. I show up out of love and compassion.”—HDS student and Buddhist Lama… Read More Lama Rod Owens: Activism as Spiritual Practice

The Imperfect Buddha Podcast, by Matt and Stuart, presents “The Big Enlightenment Show!” while I share my strangely congruent impressions on the visit of Dzogchen Ponlop to Halifax this weekend. Yes I was there for his public address on Friday night. But first, I will treat you to the funny parts of IBP podcast #7.1. The full… Read More Enlightenment, Inc.

Shaun — Indigenous Activists Peaceful Occupation of INAC Offices As many as 20 Indigenous grassroots and Black Lives Matter activists began a peaceful occupation of  the Toronto office of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), demanding that the federal government take action following the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat. (source) What began yesterday as a handful… Read More Idle No More and Black Lives Matter TO Join Together

La Sarmiento has been a leader of American LGBTQ and people-of-color Buddhist communities for close to a decade. I caught up with the trans, queer Filipino teacher before a silent retreat to discuss the dynamics of race and gender in a world that is typically White, cisgender and straight. Miriam Zoila Pérez  APR 14, 2016 2:00PM EDT La Sarmiento Photo: La… Read More Pushing Past Tokenism: La Sarmiento in Colorlines

Issues raised by youth and Dr. James Hansen in this case have been ruled “justiciable”, in other words, judicially recognized as having a basis in law and foreseeable damages. This case alleges the Federal Government is violating Plaintiffs’ constitutional and public trust rights by promoting the development and use of fossil fuels. The Complaint explains… Read More Our Children’s Trust in Landmark Climate Case

April 13, 2016  Award-winning author Joseph Boyden reflects on his love for places like Attawapiskat, and the desperate need for investment and education Attawapiskat is a microcosm of intergenerational trauma. If you don’t know what Attawapiskat is or if you’re not quite sure what intergenerational trauma means—or how they are married to each other—please allow… Read More Joseph Boyden: The True Tragedy of Attawapiskat