To join an upcoming Well-Being Project conversation, visit Shambhala Online.
To see summaries of initial conversations, view this folder.
About the Shambhala Well-Being Project
This year, a working group of Shambhala Board members, Shambhala Global Services staff and the Shambhala Process Team is initiating the Shambhala Well-Being Project, a system to track the well-being of our community in five areas:
- Path, teachings, practices, programs and studies
- Governance, leadership, communication and interconnections,
- Economy, resources and assets,
- Care, conduct and protection, and
- Culture and community well- being.
The Well-Being Project aims to develop greater community self-awareness built on accurate data—not on assumptions or wishful thinking—and to enhance our understanding of how these five areas are interconnected.
As a start, we are thinking through what well-being would mean for us in each area. This is where we want your help. We want to hear from anyone with a connection to Shambhala, past or present, newer and longtime practitioners.
The Well-Being Project Team
The Well-Being Project is a new Shambhala Board-sponsored initiative, led by a working group made up of Shambhala Board Members, Process Team Members, and Shambhala Global Services Team Members.
The Working Group members are:
- Mark Blumenfeld
- Peter Nowak
- Faradee Rudy
- Susan Skjei
- John David Smith
- Janet Bronstein
- Susanne Vincent
- Sherab Manoukian
Well-Being Project Details and Timeline
The Shambhala Well-Being Project will have three phases:
- To identify meaningful indicators of the well-being of our community. This will help us think about what we care about, what is important, and how that is translated into our relationships and our actions.
- To begin measuring these indicators. This will encourage us to be openly inquisitive about what is actually happening in Shambhala, separate from any preconceptions we may have.
- To share the findings regularly, in public and on an on-going basis. This is in tune with the guiding principles of our Shambhala Code of Conduct: accountability, transparency, inclusivity and care. As we all become familiar with our well-being status, we will have the basis for continually deepening and enriching our culture and structure.
The three steps above will be in place by Shambhala Day 2022.
| Initial Discussion & Decisions on Outline / Scope of Project | End of March |
| Board Approval of Project | End of April |
| Focus Group Invites Sent | Mid-May |
| Focus Groups Complete | Mid-June |
| Board Announcement To Community on Project | No later than 3rd week of June |
| Community Conversations | Mid-July |
| Indicators Feedback Process | End of July |
| Indicators Selection Process | Mid-August |
| Board Review of Indicators | Mid-September |
| HoP Annoucement | Mid-September |
| Data Gathering & Analysis | End of November |
| Another Round of Feedback | End of December |
| Dashboard Development and Board Input | Mid-January |
| Board Review of Dashboard | End of January |
| Dashboard Launch and Announcement to Community | Shambhala Day 2022 |