December 2019 Updates from the Shambhala Process Team
The Process Team Steering Committee (SC)
The PTSC is in the process of developing a summary of PT work carried out in 2019, which will also include recommendations for the next year. Several PTSC members are expected to step down and new structures will be needed in order to continue the work of the PT. We are gathering information to determine what has worked well, as well as lessons learned, for any potential Year 2 iteration of the PT. Our aspiration is that this will guide the Board and PT toward establishing structures, roles, and activities to meet our strategic aims, which include:
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- To guide the Shambhala community toward creating a healthy culture and to help repair and restore trust.
- To offer a process that facilitates the implementation of the code of conduct in a way that benefits the whole community
- To harvest and report back to the Shambhala community, including Shambhala leadership, the themes and learnings that emerge from surveys and other methods, to help set future priorities for community process
- To offer spaces, processes, and other skillful means that support deep listening and dialogue around topics of importance to the evolution of the Shambhala community.
- To actively invite the voices of non-dominant cultures into ongoing dialogue about the future of the Shambhala community to ensure that all voices are included and heard.
- To model an approach to governance that emphasizes dialogue and listening as a way to encourage this approach within the wider community
In December, the PTSC sent a letter to the Sakyong requesting to initiate a dialogue with him regarding the work of the PT, in particular in relation to his process of reconnection with the community. We asked him to consider joining us in a constructive, community-led process that could help all parties heal from past harm and repair the ground of trust together, so that we may transmute the difficulties of the past into a thriving Shambhala of the future. We believe it is part of our mandate as the Process Team to help design this process, in conjunction with the Board, the Sakyong Potrang, and the Shambhala community.
The Code of Conduct Task Force
The Code of Conduct Task Force is pleased to announce that the draft version of a new Code of Conduct policy and procedure for Shambhala has been accepted by the Board as a basis for community discussion, refinement, and implementation. In November, the Shambhala Board appointed CoC Task Force members to work as the Code of Conduct Support Group (CCSG) for one year. More information about the CCSG members can be found here.
The CCSG is tasked with developing a plan for community involvement and integration of the proposed Code of Conduct and setting up new Code of Conduct structures. The draft proposed includes:
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- Code of Conduct
- Child Protection Policy
- Policy to Address Sexual Misconduct
- Anti-Discrimination Policy
- And organizational complaint procedures for dealing with reporting and resolving misconduct locally, regionally and internationally.
Please click here for a full update, as well as translations into español, Nederlands, and français.
The Theory U Planning and Implementation Team
The Theory U u.Lab 1x course ended on December 12th, and now many of us who participated are moving into u.Lab 2x projects in February, where a variety of teams will be developing prototypes to benefit individual Centres and Groups and the wider sangha. Thank you to everyone who participated in 1x; to all who may be interested in joining in the future, we look forward to working with you!
The Survey Working Group (SWG)
The Survey Working Group spent the last several months working intensively with different parts of the Process Team to develop a major survey of the community. Different sections explore people’s individual situations, their relationship and experience with their local center, and their relationship and experience with the international Shambhala organization. All current and former community members will be invited to participate. We expect the survey will be open for most of the month of January, with preliminary results available to the community by Shambhala Day.
The Charter Working Group
The Charter Working Group has been focused on helping to facilitate the development of strategic aims (defined as an ongoing main activity in support of Mission and Vision) from active working groups across the PT. We are also helping to coordinate a process of developing defined working group objectives for a second year of proposed PT activity, based on these strategic aims as well as progress made to date. Our hope is that this strategic planning effort can help form the basis of a collectively agreed charter document for Year 2 to help ensure clarity and alignment in regard to the PT’s ongoing efforts and focus after Shambhala Day 2020 in support of a thriving global community.
The Governance Working Group: Finance and Legal Sub-Group (FLWG)
The FLWG has continued to meet biweekly. During this last quarter we established a goal of creating a manual of existing and new finance and legal documentation of policies and procedures and suggestions for Center/Group Leaders. In the coming months, we will begin forming sub-groups with subject matter experts throughout Shambhala to explore specific areas within finance and legal with the intention of developing proposals as they pertain to finance and legal matters.