Love, Compassion and Other Outrageous Forms of Activism
Session Type(s): Panel
Training Tag(s): Organizing & Movement Building, Arts & Culture
Starts: Friday, Jun. 8 10:30 AM (Eastern)
Ends: Friday, Jun. 8 11:45 AM (Eastern)
Activists tend to be motivated by a powerful, inclusive sense of connection to all beings and the planet. Yet guilt, frustration, weariness and internal conflict can remove us from the sense of purpose we need to work for the long haul. When activism is disconnected from a deep understanding of interdependence, we may unintentionally create some of the very conditions we are fighting against—persecution instead of justice, hatred instead of compassion. The vital source of reconnection to a larger vision was called “the love that does justice,” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi called it “satyagraha,” or truth force. The Netroots offers an unparalleled opportunity to create a community of change that is aligned with our deepest values of a more just and sustainable world. This panel will explore in-person and online tools for resilience of body, mind and spirit to help support a sustained, transformational activism.
Love, Compassion and Other Outrageous Forms of Activism
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Storified by Netroots Nation · Fri, Jun 08 2012 13:51:41
Moderator
Carla Goldstein
Carla Goldstein, JD, is Omega Institute’s chief external affairs officer and co-founder of the Omega Women’s Leadership Center. An attorney with 25 years of experience in public interest advocacy, she has contributed to more than 100 city, state, and federal laws, and has worked extensively in city and state government on issues related to women’s rights, poverty, public health, and social justice. As a pioneer in spiritual activism, she advocates for a holistic approach to social change. She is a commentator for WAMC’s show, 51%, writes a column and serves on the advisory board for Feminist.com, and serves as an Advisor to Women Without Borders.
Panelists
Mallika Dutt
Mallika Dutt, founder of global human rights organization Breakthrough, is one of today’s most innovative, admired, and effective leaders in cultural transformation. Dutt has reinvented the delivery of social and behavioral change through a mix of stirring multimedia campaigns, smart social media, cutting-edge pop culture and authentic on-the-ground community engagement. Her entrepreneurial style and ability to pinpoint the leading edge of the cultural arc has inspired millions to take bold action, motivating them to challenge deeply entrenched norms and attitudes, and bring the ideals of dignity, equality and justice into their own communities.
Through Breakthrough, Dutt puts technology in the hands of people and communities, inspiring them to share their stories of transformation, bringing empowerment, enlightenment and opportunity to a new generation of leaders emerging from the margins.
Leslie Salmon Jones
Leslie Salmon Jones is an Alvin Ailey trained professional dancer, certified holistic personal trainer, wellness coach, yoga instructor, seasoned public speaker and founder of Afro Flow Yoga™. She works with clients to create a well-balanced life. This includes developing mastery over physical, emotional and mental well-being. She has served as a board member for the organization, Free Arts for Abused Kids, NYC, the United Nations Association of New York (UNA NY), while continuing to act as a facilitator and mentor for various outreach and empowerment programs in Boston and New York. Leslie understands the importance of incorporating wellness into all aspects of life and attributes her strong foundation and core values to her mother, Beverley Salmon, former nurse and grassroots politician, and her father, Dr. John Douglas Salmon, Canada’s first black Chief of Surgery, both civil rights activists.
Sharon Salzberg
I am a meditation teacher and writer, devoted to bringing together inner transformation and working to make this a better world. I was born in NYC, spent time studying in India, Burma, Nepal and Tibet, and have lived and voted in Massachusetts since 1976.I have worked with children, teachers, active duty soldiers in Iraq, staff at various VA hospitals, firefighters, executives, politicians, and really, anyone who is interested. The core of my
work is challenging the ways we are taught to view ourselves and others, and learning the power of connection. I’ve been teaching for almost 40 years, and have written 7 books. My most recent book, Real Happiness, was a New YorkTimes bestseller.