June 23, 2021
Dear Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma Communities,
We are happy to provide this biweekly update on the Compassionate Reconciliation Project.
This past Thursday, June 17th, we facilitated our first monthly Q & A Session for the Compassionate Reconciliation Process (CRP). We are grateful to the 18 individuals that participated for their thoughtful questions and presence throughout the session.
The purpose of our communication this week, a few days earlier than or normal bi-weekly communication, is to let everyone know some details of what these Q & A Sessions are all about, while also providing information regarding our next session, currently scheduled for Monday, July 5th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT/7pm – 9pm ET. (Register here.) We recognize that each month, the timing will likely not be feasible for every time zone. We will continue to alternate the timing in hopes that everyone who wishes to attend a session will have that chance over the coming months.
Purpose: The Q &A is an opportunity to address questions among Kundalini Yoga/Sikh Dharma community members about Just Outcomes’ involvement in the CRP.
The current moment in the community is deeply felt for a vast number of community members. As the Compassionate Reconciliation process continues to unfold, an important part of the process will be to create opportunities where everyone in the community is invited to engage on the issues, personal experiences and perspectives in an environment of compassionate listening.
In our experience, creating this type of container for conversation takes careful preparation and intention on the part of both participants and facilitators. However, we want to be clear that this kind of engagement with each other is not the purpose or intention of the monthly Q & A sessions. Rather, the Q & A sessions are designed solely for information-sharing about the project.
Guidelines: Because of the sensitivity of the issues involved in this work, we ask that all Q & A participants abide by a few simple guidelines in our conversation.
- Speak mindfully: This means coming with awareness of words and phrases that could trigger others, and an awareness of your ‘airtime’ in the group
- Respect for all individuals and groups: we request that any mention of individuals or groups, whether they are present or not present during the Q & A, be done without undermining their dignity or reputation.
Format: Based on questions submitted in advance of the session (through registration), our team will begin the session with some general introductions and then we will address a few of the more common questions we have received. After that we will open the session to questions from the group. We will be taking questions based on the ‘raise hand’ function in Zoom, in the order that they appear. To ensure we get to as many questions as possible, we are asking each person to limit the framing of their question to a maximum of 3 minutes.
Language: We are working on having interpreters available for this session. In the registration link (below) we are asking participants to indicate if they are in need of interpreters. We will inform participants if we are unable to meet this need prior to the session. This is a priority for us, and will continue to strive to provide this in future Q & A Sessions.
Registration for the July 5 Q &A: Please indicate your interest in participating by registering here.
Yours in kindness, compassion, and gratitude,
Catherine Bargen, Matthew Hartman, Cara Walsh, Aaron Lyons, and our extended Just Outcomes Team
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