All of us at the Temple of Understanding are heartened by the amazingly well-attended Women's March in DC and the hundreds of Sister Marches that occurred in cities in the US and internationally on January 21.
TOU's Grove Harris attended the DC march. Click to see more photos:
We at the Temple see prayer, meditation, self-care, and change of consciousness as the foundations of just, sustainable action. If your faith calls you to an activist path, we recommend this excellent guide to effective organizing:
Grove Harris represented the Temple of Understanding at this High Level Forum at the United Nations on January 17. One of the presenters was Eric W. Treene, Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.
Grove took the opportunity to share Chicago Police Diversity Training Videos with Mr. Treene. These online videos include an overarching one on Security, Diversity, Respect as well as brief videos on the following traditions:
New UN Secretary General
António Guterres has decades of experience in migration and refugee work. His resource "
Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders"
draws upon principles and values of welcome that are deeply rooted in major religions including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. It is expected to be used worldwide to foster support for refugees and other people displaced in their communities.
"Some things just aren't right versus left. They're right versus wrong.If we're going to have a political Pentecost in America, we've got to reclaim moral and Constitutional language that helps people see what's really going on."
We stand with the water protectors at Standing Rock. Though the easement has been granted for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, it's crucial to stay involved and aware of continuing opportunities to unite.
2017 TOU UN Summer Internship: Acceptances Pending
We are in awe of the candidates for our next UN Summer Internship program. Supporting youth development and leadership is a source of pride and hope. Applicants for the 2017 program will receive their decision letters by February 20.
