America’s Racial Karma

“I am a drop in the ocean, but I’m also the ocean. I’m a drop in America, but I’m also America. Every pain, every confusion, every good and every bad and ugly of America is in me. And as I transform myself and heal and take care of myself, I’m very conscious that I’m healing […]
The Current Conflict in Israel and Palestine

Dr. Iris Dotan Katz and Tani Katz, from Tel Aviv on The Current Conflict in Israel and Palestine Our hearts are heavy as we bear witness to the ongoing conflicts in the beautiful Holy Land. Our hearts and minds are torn to see what the perrenial dukkha is doing to the land, its people, and all […]
The Cheap Perfume of Not Racist and the Dharma of Antiracism

“Race is the child of racism, not the father.” ~Ta-Nehisi Coates By popular demand, we are happy to present Part 2 of the conversation on the Sanitized Stench of Genocide in the U.S. This time, Audel Salazar, who participated in Part 1, will be a co-presenter with Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde. In this presentation and […]
Be the Refuge: Insights from Asian American Buddhists

More than two thirds of U.S. Buddhists are Asian American. But you’d never guess this from mainstream representations, which all too often whitewash the racial and cultural diversity of American Buddhist communities. This event introduces Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists (2021), which centers the contributions of Asian Americans to Buddhist […]
Black and Buddhist and the Sanitized Stench of Genocide in the U S

In this conversation, Ayo will talk about what it means to be an African-American Buddhist leader. Joined by Willie and Geoff, she will address the opportunity to heal the consequences of genocidal ideation with respect to brown and black bodies. There will be ample time for audience participation. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., Th.D., is the […]
One Million Truths

One Million Truths features the testimonies of Black Americans who speak of their experiences with race in America. Mark Eckhardt, as a Black American and Zen priest, came up with the idea for One Million Truths during the George Floyd protests, not long after writing a social media post on MLK Day. His passionate post documented […]
Slavery by Another Name (2012)

Slavery by Another Name is a 90-minute documentary that challenges one of Americans’ most cherished assumptions: the belief that slavery in this country ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. The film tells how even as chattel slavery came to an end in the South in 1865, thousands of African Americans were pulled back into forced labor […]
Q&A Session for Native American Bearing Witness Retreat 2022

A Q&A Session for Native American Bearing Witness Retreat 2022 Wolakota Makasintomni Awachekiyapi Praying for Sacred Harmony and Worldwide Peace Zen Peacemakers International has been conducting retreats following the principles of Not Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Taking Action in Auschwitz, Rwanda, and the Black Hills since 1996. This program is a continuation of this rich […]
Q&A Session for Auschwitz-Birkenau Bearing Witness Retreat 2022

In preparation for this in-person retreat, ZPI Executive Director Geoff O’Keeffe and Retreat Staff will hold an informational Q&A meeting.
Lessons from Alabama

Lessons from Alabama May 2022 Zen Peacemakers’ Bearing Witness to Racism in America Retreat Four Posts with Four Photos By Ellen Krause-Grosman #1: May 8, 2022 “What happened here in Alabama was a human rights issue not a civil rights issue. In this case the marginalized community was black.” Timarie, a local racial and […]