Shambhala’s Kalapa Council has engaged the services of ‘An Olive Branch’ to support the sangha’s healing and reconciliation in the wake of complaints raised about ethical misconduct on the part of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and others within the community. Formed in 2011, as a project of the Zen Center of Pittsburgh, ‘An Olive Branch’ has developed expertise in providing help to organisations in turmoil after a beloved teacher has been accused of misconduct. They introduce these services in the document linked below. The first two important elements of ‘An Olive Branch’s aid will be:
- The co-creation of a new Ethics Policy and Grievance Procedure (which is already in development)
- The settlement of a Listening Post and Advocacy Service for individuals who want to report sexual or physical misconduct. The Listening Post is expected to be operative as of early September, as soon as the new ethics policy and grievance procedure are approved
More information:
An Olive Branch: Introduction to Shambhala Community (pdf) – July 20, 2018
An Olive Branch: Website