This article is a repost of the January 27 emailing sent by the Transition task force (TTF) to the global community.
Dear Worldwide Noble Sangha,
It is with full hearts and complete appreciation that we write to you today. After six months, we are dissolving like an imprint of a bird in the sky, as we once promised. It has been an amazing journey and learning experience to be the Transition Task Force. We have learned from so many of you, and have felt from you the heart and deep love of the vision and practices of Shambhala and its importance to this world, again and again. Your voices have shone just like the facets of a diamond, and we have appreciated and gained insight from each voice and recommendation.
It is now time to turn this conversation over to the Process Team (PT), composed of 88 brave individuals who have stepped forward with their skills, yearning, and a desire to be of help to create a healthy and united Shambhala. A subset of the PT is the Steering Committee (SC). This 11-member committee consists of individuals who are trained in facilitating honest, wholesome, caring, and real dialogue and in organizational and cultural change. The SC will initiate and coordinate the work of the PT. The PT is an independent body of volunteers. Their effectiveness depends on your support and involvement.
The Steering Committee (SC) met this week for the first time. They will take the next few weeks to begin to create a working ground. By the end of February they will be in touch with the whole sangha to share next steps. This has been a long-awaited moment. Much anticipation and over-readiness for something to begin is apparent and understandable. We apologize for this gap and we are also glad for it. Not rushing our process, including taking time to speak with many of you, has allowed for the arising of a PT that is strong, inspired and also more than ready to begin. At the same time, it is a large group attempting something new and trying to create unity of effort as well as space for a lot of creativity, experimentation, and broad participation. This team is only now meeting one another and forming their own structures and processes, so please give them as much space and time as you can as they prepare the ground.
The whole of the PT consists of individuals who combine longing to offer their relevant life, sangha, and practice experiences; professional expertise and skills; and their dedication to Shambhala. As of Shambhala Day, this team will take its seat and begin what we hope is a community-wide process. The term of the PT is one year – Shambhala Day 2019 to Shambhala Day 2020.
A third element in the work of the PT is the Mandala Linking Network. (This is a revised name for what we previously called the Mandala Linkage Group). In brief, the goal of the network is to maintain ongoing, forthright communication among representatives of the SC, global Shambhala leaders, and voices for equity and inclusion, families and children, and youth. This will provide an essential context within which the work of the PT can flourish. The main responsibility of those serving on the network is to faithfully represent their constituencies. Ideally this intentional linking will lead to a harmonious pathway toward organizational health. As we have learned, without concerted, open, and dedicated ongoing communication, divisiveness and distrust can easily overshadow trust and healthy recognition of differences. The TTF is currently inviting individual leaders to join this network. More information will be available after Shambhala Day.
In our previous letter, some PT members were not included due to some technical difficulties, unintended omissions, and not responding to a final query. We have reached out to everyone who has at some point recently indicated that they still wish to be on the PT. We are including the names of all the people who have responded at the end of this letter. All members of the PT also will be announced on Shambhala Day.
We would like to thank Debbie Coats for her brave willingness to step back from the TTF while allegations against her were investigated, and we also would like to say that she is no longer the subject of any Care and Conduct or An Olive Branch processes.
It is with great tenderness and joy that we conclude our communications with you. Thank you for all your good wishes, criticisms, reminders, proposals, recommendations, and appreciation. We have, to a person of the 8 members and facilitator of the TTF, been uniquely challenged by and thoroughly enjoyed this journey of seating the Interim Board and selecting the Process Team. We have laughed and cried with each other, shared death, stress, and joys while we balanced to fruition what was needed and asked of us. We are delighted that the Interim Board members are so skilled in finance, and are honest and good-hearted humans. They are clearly excelling at doing what they need to do, and have said that they are enjoying working together. We are equally thankful for all the dedicated and inspired people who have stepped forward to be members of the Process Team, and the brave and dedicated smaller Steering Committee who will gather and facilitate the work of the PT.
May the work of the Process Team be of benefit.
With sad-joy and an aspiration for a healthy, kind, brave, and whole Shambhala,
Ani Pema Chödrön, Acharya
Suzann Duquette, Acharya
Arawana Hayashi, Acharya
Charlene Leung, Acharya
Katrin Stelzel, Treasury Council Europe, Member
Andrew Sacamano, Kasung Shastri
Sharon Owyang, Regional Director
Basia Solarz (facilitator)
The Shambhala Process Team Steering Committee
Jim Fladmark, Boulder, CO, US-West, Governance Structure
LaDawn Haglund, Phoenix, AZ, US-West, Culture Change
Dian Marie Hosking, Bristol, Europe-UK, Governance Structure
Paul Kelway, Brussels, Europe-Belgium, Governance Structure
David Marshall, Kawartha, ON, Canada-East, Governance Structure
Deborah Marshall, Pioneer Valley, MA, USA-East, Culture Change
Frederick Meyer, New Orleans, LA, US-East, Culture Change
Lisa Piemont, New York, NY, US-East, Culture Change
Martin Ramstedt, Berlin, Europe-Germany, Healing and Learning
José Tomás Ruano, Santiago, Chile, South America, Governance Structures
Susan Skjei, Boulder, CO, US-West, Community Building
(Photos and bios can be found here.)
Shambhala Process Team
Dia Ballou, White River Junction, VT, US-East, Governance Structures
Jonathan Barbieri, Fort Collins, CO, US-West, Governance Structures
John Bel, Amsterdam, Europe-Netherlands, Governance Structures
Henri Bouissou, Marseille, Europe-France, Community Building
Konstanze Brockstedt, Dechen Chöling, Europe-France, Governance Structures
Janet Bronstein, Birmingham, AL, US-East, Governance Structures
Sarah Canfield, Boulder, CO, US-West, Healing and Learning
Michael Carpenter, Victoria, BC, Canada-West, Culture Change
Laura Chenoweth, Halifax, NS, Canada-East, Governance Structures
Richard Chervenak, Boulder, CO, US-West, Governance Structures
Debbie Coats, London, Europe-UK, Culture Change
Susie Cook, Sonoma, CA, US-West, Culture Change
Daniel Cooper, Boulder, CO, US-West, Governance Structures
Mark Curtin, Phoenix, AZ, US-West, Community Building
Alexander Day, Berlin, Europe-Germany
Florence Derail, Europe-France, Culture Change
Loppon Lodro Dorje, Halifax, NS, Canada-East, Community Building
Tanja Duda, Frankfurt, Europe-Germany, Healing and Learning, Culture Change
Lia Duggan, Dechen Chöling, Europe-France & Ireland, Community Building
Catherine Eveillard, Dechen Chöling, Europe-France, Community Building
Mary Fahrenfort, Amsterdam, Europe-Netherlands, Governance Structures
Shel Sampa Fisher, Montreal, Canada-East, Governance Structures
Abbey Fox, Austin, TX, US-West, Healing and Learning
Joanna Francis, Vienna, Europe-Austria, Governance Structures
Jessica Gurvit, Palm Beach, FL, US-East, Community Building
Adam Hart, London, Europe-UK, Community Change, Governance Structures
Hans Henning Heide, Malaga, Europe-Spain, Governance Structures
Mathias Hofmann, Ticino, Europe-Switzerland, Culture Change, Governance Structures
Margaret Hughes, Northern Rivers, Australia, Governance Structures
Gerda Jansonius, Marburg, Europe-Germany
Steve Jewell, Boulder, CO, US-West, Healing and Learning
Carolyn Kanjuro, Boulder, CO, US-West
Nancy KapLon, Washington, D.C., US-East, Community Building
Voula Kereklidou, Stockholm, Europe-Sweden, Governance Structures
Katy Klutznick, Boulder, CO, US-West, Healing and Learning
Jan Lamac, Prague, Europe-Czech Republic, Governance Structures
Gernot Landschein, Marburg, Europe-Germany, Culture Change
Alexandra Landstra-Kalinine, Leiden, Europe-Netherlands & France, Healing and Learning
Gregory Lubkin, Los Angeles, CA, US-West, Governance Structures
Laurie Mallery, Halifax, Canada-East, Governance Structures
Lisa Markovchick, Flagstaff/Phoenix, AZ, US-West, Governance Structures
Fleet Maull, US-East, Governance Structures
Brian McCorkle, Boston, MA, US-East, Governance Structures
Kristine McCutcheon, Sydney, Cape Breton, Canada-East, Community Building
Joanna Horton McPherson, Central America-Costa Rica, Culture Change
Ellen Napodano, Boulder, CO, US-West, Healing and Learning
Dean Nelson, Hawaii, US-West, Governance Structures
Peter Nowak, Vienna, Europe-Austria, Governance Structures
Matilda Perks, Montreal/Halifax, Canada-East, Community Building
David Philbedge, Europe-UK, Community Building
Otto Pichlhoefer, Vienna, Europe-Austria, Culture Change
Tai Pimputkar, New Haven, CT, US-East, Healing and Learning
Sybren Post, Amsterdam, Europe-Nederland, Healing and Learning
Diederik Prakke, Arnhem, Europe-Netherlands, Governance Structures
Tessa Racine, Dechen Chöling, Europe-France, Healing and Learning, Culture Change
Betsy Railla, Denver, CO, US-West, Governance Structures, Community Building
Janet Romaine, Boston, MA, US-East, Governance Structures
Teri Rowe, Eugene, OR, US-West, Culture Change
Robert Salskov, Seattle, WA, US-West, Governance Structures
Heike Scharpff, Berlin, Europe-Germany, Culture Change
Alexis Shotwell, Ottawa, Canada-East, Culture Change
John David Smith, Portland, OR, US-West, Governance Structures
Stephen Starkey, Chicago, IL, US-East, Governance Structures
Ute Steiner, Munich, Europe-Germany, Governance Structures, Community Building
Matthew Stephens, Austin, TX, US-West, Community Building
Michael Stephens, Pioneer Valley, MA, US-East, Governance Structures
Bob Stevens, New York, NY, US-East, Community Building
Ruby Stocklin-Weinberg, London, Europe-UK, Healing and Learning, Culture Change
Jan Frans Sturm, Dechen Chöling, Europe-Netherlands, Healing and Learning
Tracy Suchocki, Boulder, CO, US-West, Community Building
Sofija Terzic, Stockholm, Europe-Sweden, Culture Change
Ivan Tröscher, Cologne, Europe-Germany, Culture Change, Governance Structures
Fred van Welsem, Deventer, Europe-Netherlands, Governance Structures
Susanne Vincent, Auckland, New Zealand, Culture Change
Ronald Vine, Hamilton, ON, Canada-East, Culture Change
Diane Whitcomb, Boulder, CO, US-West, Healing and Learning, Governance Structures
Nora Wiser, Gainesville, FL, US-East, Culture Change
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