THE DESTRUCTION OF BUDDHISM

April 29th, 2009

I had gotten pretty immune to the never ending stream of “patriotic” billboards and posters along Galle Road, Sri Lanka’s Main Street. Soldiers in jungle gear, faces smeared with war paint, huge assault guns held in ready position, with lots and lots of bullets draped on them – the jewelry of death.

Because I turn off the propaganda of war (in whatever country I’m in), I almost missed this poster: a little larger than usual, and with more implements of violence (jet fighters, helicopters…). But, the thing that got my attention was its position: right in front of a huge statue of the Buddha.

My first reaction was: “I didn’t see that.” Maybe my mind conjoined two very separate images — after all, most of Galle Road is a blur to me, after traveling this main traffic artery for over a dozen years.

A few days later, I drove back by. This time, I asked my driver to stop. And I took some photos. And a movie clip, in case someone accuses me of Photoshopping (a verb, akin to plagiarizing).

Buddha and War Poster

Buddha and War Poster

The war poster caption reads: "Now we have a country for our selves, There is now a tomorrow for you, son." "We salute you!"

The war poster caption reads: "Now we have a country for our selves, There is now a tomorrow for you, son." "We salute you!"

I am not a Buddhist scholar. I haven’t formally studied the religion. But, from the little that I know, I believe the Buddha would unequivocally condemn the violence being done in his name in Sri Lanka. If that statue could move, it would get up and tear down the poster that glorifies and revels in violence. If that statue could cry, it would.

All around the world, I see people all too willing to hijack and subvert their most precious spiritual beliefs, to satisfy their lust for blood and their lust for power.

This isn’t about a minor deviation from a minor aspect of a hard to understand religious dogma. It is a major violation of one of the core tenets of one of the world’s most important faiths.

But that’s not the bad part: what turns my stomach is the near-silence met by this travesty.

The Life Of Buddhism

For most of us in the world, when we think about the term “Buddhism” we picture the smiling face of the Dalai Lama. Indeed, for many of us, his stance of nonviolence in the face of Chinese aggression is the epitome of what Buddhism looks like, as practiced. The Chinese aggression made the Dalai Lama a world-class figure, and Tibetan Buddhism known throughout the world.

The Dalai Lama: The Face of Buddhist Practice

The Dalai Lama: The Face of Buddhist Practice

The Dalai Lama ACTS like being “Buddhist” is more important than being “Tibetan”.

The Death of Buddhism

When I ask you to think about the term “Buddhism” you probably DON’T think about Sri Lankan Buddhism.

Recently, I was in the Midwest, doing a presentation on Sri Lanka before an audience of a few dozen people. To exemplify the Sri Lanka military, I downloaded a few photos of the proud Sri Lankan soldiers in their snappy uniforms, marching. One woman raised her hand and asked, “I thought Sri Lanka was a Buddhist country. Where are the Buddhists?”

To answer, I blew up the picture of the Sri Lanka soldiers, focusing on the hand of the soldier in the foreground. Around his wrist was a telltale white band. I told her, “These soldiers ARE the Buddhists. This band is the cord each one of them received when he went to the Buddhist temple to get the blessings from the monks, before marching off to kill human beings.”

Sri Lankan Soldiers

Sri Lankan Soldiers

The Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval

The woman burst into tears. “I thought Buddhism was DIFFERENT!” she said between her tears. “I thought Buddhists actually PRACTICED what they talked about!”

A rude awakening.

Just like Christianity, Islam and everything else, Buddhists are just as likely to fall prey to powerful men who want to re-write the rules to suit their own agenda. Because the Buddha’s message: “Do no harm to any sentient being” is so clear, it makes the re-write so ludicrous and the attempts at manipulation so blatant and repellent.

But, if the re-write of “DO NO HARM” into “KILL OUR ENEMIES” is so obviously WRONG, what causes millions of otherwise sane and devout Sinhalese to buy into this, to revel in war and violence? More importantly, what causes them to go along with this attempt to conflate their ethnic identity with the OPPOSITE of their religion?

The Burning Buddha

One of the most durable terror symbols in the modern world is the “Burning Cross” of America’s Ku Klux Klan. In their heyday, the symbol of the Burning Cross struck fear among millions of America’s black citizens. It stood for the widespread practice of lynching, torture and intimidation — violence done openly and with impunity. Terrorism, pure and simple. Terrorism in the name of Jesus.

The KKK: America’s Home Grown Terrorists

The KKK: America’s Home Grown Terrorists

In the light of this cultural terrorism, it’s hard to remember that the Cross represents the doctrine of Jesus, a doctrine of love, nonviolence, inclusivity, and acceptance. Jesus said that there were only two laws: (1) Obey God, and (2) Love your neighbor as yourself. (He actually went further and declared that we should LOVE OUR ENEMIES. I think Jesus and the Buddha would have really gotten along well with each other!)

Into this philosophy of love, nonviolence and inclusivity, the KKK added a superseding Commandment: “Hate and kill those who look, act or think DIFFERENT from you.” In the doctrine of Jesus (as re-written by the KKK), white skin was more important than any other consideration, including ANYTHING Jesus said to the contrary.

Fast forward 100 years. Take this doctrine of cultural arrogance to a different continent and a different culture. Have it based not on the color of skin (everybody in Sri Lanka is some shade of brown) but on language and cultural behaviors.

The Recipe for Cultural Arrogance:

1. Start with an unhealthy inferiority complex. (In the case of BOTH Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka, I believe the inferiority comes from centuries of colonization.) ANYTIME you see a resort to violence (a man punching his wife, or one country punching another), inferiority lies somewhere in the mix.

2. Add anger and a misplaced need for revenge (or, the need to “prove” oneself).

3. Place your CULTURE above your RELIGION. (Better still: confuse and conflate the two.)

4. If available: add a legitimate goal. The desire to live free from terrorism and the threat of violence is a legitimate goal. BUT, this goal can be attained NONVIOLENTLY. Indeed, it is the ONLY way it can be attained. Don’t believe me? Ask the Buddha.

Cultural arrogance lies at the intersection of bad nationalism and bad religion.

Bad Nationalism

Now, nationalism or ethnic identity is not by itself a bad thing. I am very proud of my culture and my history and heritage as an African-American. And, I know many other Americans are proud of their ethnicities also. But, the key point is this: I don’t need to put anyone else down in order for me to feel good about myself. The need to be “better-than” another person (on the grounds of culture, religion, gender or anything else) is the hallmark of a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX. Secure people are not arrogant. Arrogant people are not secure.

The mixture of a feeling of inadequacy, coupled with the external need to be “better-than” some other group, is the recipe for what I call “bad nationalism”. By “bad nationalism”, I mean a “national” identity that hyper-inflates the stature of one group within a nation, at the expense of all others.

Remember: the people that Adolph Hitler and his Nazis put into concentration camps and exterminated – the blacks, the Jews, the Gypsies, the homosexuals – were ALL GERMAN CITIZENS. Under the Fascists, true “nationalism” – the German nation – was not important. A false notion of “racial purity” – the Aryan ideal – took its place. Bad nationalism.

The Sri Lanka “nation” consists of THREE major ethnic groups, not ONE (Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim). The Sri Lanka “nation” consists of FOUR major religions, not ONE (Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian). The Sri Lanka “nation” speaks THREE languages, not ONE (Sinhala, Tamil and English).

As any American can tell you, practicing inclusivity and political and cultural pluralism is not easy. In our relatively short history, America has gotten it wrong more often than right. But, since the Sixties, we have been firmly committed to the path of inclusivity. And our entire country has benefited from our adherence to the goal of “E Pluribus Unum” (“Out of Many, One.”) Even those who fight against the concept of inclusivity are its beneficiaries.

Forging one nation in Sri Lanka will be messy. It always is. It will involve compromise and sacrifice. No one will get everything that they want. But, in the end, all Sri Lankans will be better for it. And Buddhism will thrive on the island, without the need for protectionist laws against religious conversion.

Bad Religion

Religion can be a beautiful thing. I have had the privilege and the honor to participate in spiritual ceremonies from virtually every major wisdom tradition on Earth – from Eastern Orthodox Christian ceremonies in the far North to Maori ceremonies in the far South. And everything in between – including Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim ceremonies in Sri Lanka.

The thing that makes a religion beautiful, the thing that creates MEANING within the religion, is that the ceremonies each REPRESENT something. The actions and rituals represent something in this world and also represent something in the Transcendent realm. The wisdom teachers (of all faiths) left us a set of moral principles to guide our lives and our societies.

However: when you take the meaning out of the religion, when you scrub away the moral principles, then you are left with a handful of rituals that have no MEANING attached to them. This is what I call “bad religion”. Bad religion is full of rituals but devoid of meaning. It’s like a hungry man sitting down to a dinner of plastic food. He can put it in his mouth, chew and swallow, but he’s still empty. Your Spirit cannot be fed by a religion that is almost exactly OPPOSITE to the principles taught by the Buddha.

The philosophy of the Buddha has been feeding the world for over 2,500 years. The culturally arrogant “anti-Buddha” philosophy has been spiritually starving Sri Lanka for awhile – long enough for Sri Lanka to have one of the world’s highest suicide rates AND one of the world’s highest alcoholism rates. This is what happens from spiritual stomachs full of plastic.

Those with the guns, planes, cluster bombs and “patriotic” billboards say that they act to “preserve Buddhism”. (This argument has the same reasoning – and the same lack of morality – as the Christian “just war” doctrine.) What those gripped by cultural arrogance and the blood-lust cannot understand is this: NOTHING CAN DESTROY BUDDHISM, EXCEPT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IT CAN BE PRESERVED BY VIOLATING ITS PRINCIPLES.

The Way of the Buddha is the way of loving-kindness, compassion and nonviolence. In its essence, it is the exact opposite of what the current Sri Lankan government is practicing in the Vanni right now. You can either be a peace-loving Buddhist, or you can be a war-loving chauvinist, BUT YOU CAN’T BE BOTH.

Or, maybe you can. Maybe, in this crazy, upside-down world, the Buddha of the 21st Century condones, supports and blesses the guys with the biggest guns, the guys who wage the best battles. Instead of sitting in meditation, maybe this new Buddha will be seen carrying an assault rifle – and a bottle of Arrack (why not? If you violate one principle, why not violate them all?)

THERE IS HOPE

The “good Sinhalese” are out there. The people who are offended by the war posters are in hiding on the island. While writing this article, I received an email from a Sinhalese friend:

I am happy you are away from this blood bath and craziness. Most of us are trapped in this hell. I feel shame to be a so called Sinhalese and live in this world. But, a little bit of remaining Faith and Hope helps me to bear this heavy burden of shame.

Even in the midst of this insanity, I still have hope. This is not just a stubborn refusal to face facts. This is my way of looking at facts through a long lens. The one thing that the past 100 years of organized evil has taught us is this – BLOOD-LUST ONLY WORKS IN THE SHORT TERM. People eventually come to their senses. In my country, it took us 8 years to wake up from our most recent trance, to retrieve our democracy and our Spirit from the hands of those who wanted to rule the world and were willing to trample underfoot both our Constitution and the lessons of Jesus to achieve their goal. It took about that long for the “good Germans” to realize the horrors that the Nazi government was perpetuating in their name.

Right now, it is very dangerous for people in Sri Lanka to stand up and speak out. The blood-lust is high. The war drums beat. Political disappearances are at an all-time high. In Sri Lanka, dissent is dangerous.

But, people will eventually wake up. Even as the statues of the Buddha are desecrated with the images of war, it is important for us to remember that a statue is a statue… the place the true Buddha resides is in our hearts. And that’s the place we need to keep clean and clear, as we wait for the blood-lust to spend itself.


May all beings be well.

May all beings be secure.

May all beings be happy.

Peace,

Sharif Abdullah

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REPORT FROM THE FIELD – SRI LANKA

March 26th, 2009

[This is my first report from this visit to Sri Lanka. The situation over here has become very dangerous – people are being attacked and killed for speaking out. Because of what is in this report, I want to make it clear that the thoughts expressed herein are MINE and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of Sarvodaya and/or its leadership.]

Howdy –

In a recent article, the fair and objective “International Crisis Group” (ICG) laid out the problem of the continuing war in Sri Lanka and its devastating consequences for civilians trapped by both sides in the fighting. (Please review this article by Lakhdar Brahimi at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6013&l=1. For a recent “Conflict Risk Alert” on the Sri Lanka humanitarian crisis by ICG, click here: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5974&l=1.)

However, calling on the parties that have been so committed to violence to end their mutually destructive campaigns is a plea that will fall upon deaf ears. It will not be heard.

Both the Government and the Tamil Tigers have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to injure or kill civilians in order to achieve short-sighted aims. I see no evidence that this will change. The over 70,000 war dead in Sri Lanka were not killed by accident – they were killed by INTENTION. That intention to commit acts of violence, on both sides, continues.

BLOOD-LUST – AMERICA AND SRI LANKA

The Southern part of Sri Lanka is currently gripped by blood-lust. The drums of war drown out all reason. This is similar to what gripped America at the start of the Iraq War. And, like the Americans, once the blood-lust wears off and the Sinhalese people see the true cost of this war, they will question whether what was gained was worth our young men and women, our treasury and our souls.

The war in Iraq bankrupted America. It is the leading cause of our catastrophic economic free-fall to the bottom. We are seeing a tidal wave of soldiers returning from Iraq with broken bodies, broken spirits and broken souls. Drug abuse, suicide, broken families, post-traumatic stress — we are paying the price for our arrogance. This is the price of yielding to the blood-lust. After the orgy comes the hangover.

The war in Sri Lanka is bankrupting this country, financially and spiritually.

The blood-lust of the South is mirrored by maniacal martyrdom in the North. Sitting on ever-shrinking territory in the North, the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) appear gripped with a fanatical fatalism – a willingness to not only martyr themselves, but also sacrifice up to 150,000 of their fellow Tamils. Under the guise of “protection”, they imprison these trapped innocents, turning them into unwilling pawns, negotiating points and human shields.

THE PROBLEM OF POWER

Unfortunately, this situation is not unique. The deplorable situation for civilians here in the Sri Lanka War Zone is played out all around the world. On every continent, governments have shown themselves to be at odds with the people they allegedly govern. People like Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Al-Bashir in the Sudan or Kim Jong-il in North Korea are but three examples among many, examples of leaders willing to sacrifice their own citizens as pawns in a mad chess game. Increasingly, government is the problem, not the solution.

THE PARADOX OF “AID”

In this context, international helping agencies often become the enablers of government violence, greed and waste. Here in Sri Lanka, the government attempts to borrow over a billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after spending over a billion dollars on war and violence.

For their part, the LTTE has collected hundreds of millions of dollars from the worldwide Tamil diaspora. Instead of investing these funds for the uplift of the Tamil people, they invested in ever-increasing war and violence.

Both government and insurgent share the same attitude:

“We’ll buy what we want (war, violence, corruption), and beg for what we need (food, water, shelter and education for our citizens).”

The reason I call this a “paradox” is this: what does a compassionate person do, when faced with human need? Yes, governments in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Sri Lanka and elsewhere OUGHT to feed their people, but DON’T. It falls upon strangers to do so. And, these same compassionate groups become targets of criticism and violence when they point out that they are doing what the governments will not. (The Sri Lankan Defense Minister recently lashed out at international aid groups. For his comments, click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7961088.stm.)

THIS MUST CHANGE.

But how? How do you change a government (or an insurgency) that has no intention to change? How do you change more than the personalities – how do you change the SYSTEM of governance itself?

In the past, the answer to this question was simple: get guns and wage a violent revolution, a struggle for “liberation”. History teaches that the violent insurgents become the next violent government, willing to oppress its own citizens.

Something that I state often in my conflict resolution classes: “Whatever tool you are willing to use against your “enemy” is the same tool you will eventually use against your “friend”.”

If asking government to change doesn’t work, and violence is out of the question (for spiritual, moral and practical reasons), what do we do?

CRAFTING A WORLDWIDE SOLUTION – BUILDING THE RELATIONAL SOCIETY

The basic problem is that our “leaders” act as though they are not in RELATIONSHIP with their citizens. They act out of EXCLUSIVITY.

We can ask them to change. (The success rate on that is not high.) Or, WE CAN CHANGE OURSELVES.

Right now, people around the world are creating a new, alternative governing and economic structures. Rather than relying on our past “-isms” (either “capitalism” or “communism”), people are waking up to the need to create NEW, human scale institutions, grounded in universal principles of love, compassion, sharing, humility and inclusivity. These new forms are not threats to the existing forms of governance – they are supplements.

Around the world, people are looking for ways to deepen democracy by including previously excluded voices (including ethnic and religious minorities, as well as socially/culturally unpopular groups). People are learning that exclusion and domination of others is the recipe for violent reaction. People are learning that, by coming together, we can harness the power most overlooked by traditional governments – the power of the human spirit.

Around the world, people are building new institutions of economic relationship. We are learning that practicing a “relational economics” yields results that are not only economically fair but also spiritually satisfying. People are learning that there is more to life than money.

My job, here in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, is to observe, strengthen and catalyze these transformations.

We humans are awakening to some fundamental realities:

  • Our “Motherland” is the entire Earth, not one little tiny corner of it.
  • Our “Family” is the entire human species, and all other species, combined. There are no “Others”.
  • Our “task” is to carry out the teachings of our wisdom teachers (including Jesus and the Buddha), to NOT CAUSE HARM TO ANY SENTIENT BEING, ESPECIALLY HUMAN BEINGS. Our wisdom teachers have told us that there are ALWAYS alternatives to violence. But, it is hard to hear this when the blood-lust is ringing in our collective ears.

The Commonway approach focuses on the long term. In the current context, we are reduced to asking the parties not to do what’s right, but to do the least amount of harm as they follow their own selfish interests.

Twenty years ago, we watched the collapse of Communism as a political and economic entity. Now, we watch the collapse of Capitalism. I firmly believe that the Commonway approach represents the next evolutionary step in human governance and represents a deepening of democracy and the creation of a relational form of economics.

LOST HORIZON

In closing, I quote “Father Bero”, the mythical “high lama” from the 1930’s classic movie “Lost Horizon”. (If you haven’t seen the restored version of this film, it’s time to update your Netflix cue!) I quoted this text in a message from Sri Lanka two or three years ago – it’s still relevant.

“What madness there is, what blindness, what unintelligent leadership! A scurrying mass of bewildered humanity, crashing headlong against each other, propelled by an orgy of greed and brutality.

A time must come when this orgy will spend itself, when brutality and the lust for power will perish by its own sword.

When that day comes, the world must look for a new life, a way of life based on one simple rule: be kind.

When the strong have devoured each other, the Christian ethic may at last be fulfilled, and the meek shall inherit the earth.”

(Father Bero, the High Lama in “Lost Horizon”.)

[Reminder: the “Christian” ethic is also the “Buddhist” ethic, the “Muslim” ethic…]

THE NEED FOR MORAL LEADERSHIP

Just as America is emerging from its orgy of violence in Iraq, finding itself depleted and soul-scarred, Sri Lanka one day will do so.

Americans turned to Barack Obama as a leader who was not tainted by the blood-lust, who had the courage to speak out, even when it was not popular to do so. Similarly, Sri Lankans will be searching for such leadership, once the blood-lust fades.

Once people start seeing clearly again, I believe that the people themselves, Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim together, will create a Society of the Spirit, for a world that works for all.

Peace,

Dr. Sharif Abdullah

Executive Director

Commonway Institute

PS: What’s the “Dr.” all about? No, I haven’t been taking courses from a “university” I found on a matchbook cover. I am resolving a conundrum that has been with me throughout my international travels.

In America, recipients of the juris doctor degree are generally referred to as “attorney”, not “doctor”. However, since I no longer practice law, referring to me as “attorney” is misleading.

In other parts of the world, a person with a doctorate (which I have) who teaches at the graduate level at a university (which I do) is referred to as “doctor”. And, I have it on the highest authority (Wikipedia!) that even in the US, holders of the “terminal” degree of juris doctor can and do refer to themselves as “doctor” when they are teaching.

Here in Sri Lanka, as in most of the world, referring to someone by their professional title is both respectful and clarifying. (It takes a lot of explaining as to why I have a doctorate and I teach, but I don’t refer to myself as “Dr. Sharif”.)

So, I’m doing this for clarity, not for ego. Those of you who know me personally can still refer to me as… Your Highness. (Don’t forget to genuflect…)

If you want to check out the Wikipedia article on the subject, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor.

PPS: As usual, please feel free to re-post this as you see appropriate.

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Watch Your Language!

March 6th, 2009

Remember the movie “Titanic”? There’s a scene where the bearded captain looks out from the bridge and sees the bow of his “unsinkable” vessel dip below the water. Imagine him at the radio, reporting that the vessel was experiencing a “downturn”!

That’s how most news media and politicians refer to the present economic transformation. A “downturn” implies a temporary condition – we just need to get through this stretch, then everything goes back to “normal”. We can resume our wasteful, toxic, greedy, unsustainable, selfish lives, once we get to the “upturn”. Just sit back and wait…

Does this look like a "downturn"??

Does this look like a "downturn"??

Like the bow of the Titanic, this economy is simply not going to magically rise above the waters. And nor should it. I have been warning for over THIRTY YEARS that we were headed for this moment. Now, it’s here. Now that this moment is here, we know what needs to be done.

Because the makers of the Titanic believed the ship to be “unsinkable”, they did not put enough lifeboats on board. Because the captains of our economic ship believe(d) it to be unsinkable, they did not put ANY lifeboats on board!

That’s the bad news. The good news is… we actually have time to design and build our own lifeboats! There’s lots of usable materials lying around. Some of us have been working on the lifeboat designs for quite awhile. (My book, “Creating a World That Works for All”, is almost ten years old!)

So… a word to add to your talking/thinking about the economy: TRIAGE. In an emergency, where there are lots of injured people and only a few aid providers, doctors work out a system of who gets the limited resources.

  • Those who will die without immediate attention get treated first.
  • Those who are only slightly wounded, or those whose maladies are not life-threatening, get treated next to last.
  • Those who are on the brink of death get treated last.

In our economic triage, we should add another category: those that really OUGHT to die! (Now, you can’t get away with THAT when dealing with humans!) The billions of dollars in life-support is NOT aimed at human casualties, but at non-human (inhuman?) institutions… some of which (in my humble opinion) are destructive of the Earth and our human niche on this planet. For example: General Motors was a bad idea 20 years ago… now that its about to die, why bother putting them on life support?

The billions that are aimed at keeping these dinosaurs alive should go to the millions of workers who are caught in this economic transformation. It would be money well spent.

Peace,

Sharif

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Notes from the Field: Sri Lanka – December, 2009

January 15th, 2009

Howdy—

I’ve been working on this update for weeks! Every time I think I get it finished, the news changes! Here is my most thorough update, as of 15 January 2009.

Situation Update:

The current situation is (unfortunately, as usual) a mess. For those who may not remember, a brief recap:

• The war formally started in 1983. (However, the seeds of war were sown by centuries of colonialism, coupled by independence without a clear, inclusive idea of what it meant to be “Sri Lankan”.)
• After nearly two decades of fighting, in early 2002, the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) signed a cease-fire agreement, opened borders and otherwise began to act like they were human beings.
• The ceasefire held (with minor violations) until around 2004, when the Eastern LTTE commander, Colonel Karuna, broke away from the main LTTE group to start his own group. (They have since joined the government as a political party – complete with their guns and still recruiting child soldiers.)
• The situation further deteriorated. 2006 saw widespread fighting, with both sides ignoring the ceasefire agreement, until it became essentially meaningless.
• In the last Presidential election, the LTTE threw the election to hard-liner Mahindha Rajapakse (over Ranil Wickramasinghe, the one who brokered and signed the ceasefire agreement). The LTTE did this by preventing large numbers of Tamils from going to the polls, often at gunpoint.
• Rajapakse returns the favor by launching an all-out war against the Tigers. In January of this year, GOSL formally broke the ceasefire agreement and announced that they were going to wipe out LTTE “once and for all”. Government sources stated that the flag of Sri Lanka would fly over the Tiger’s capital city of Killinnochchi before the end of the year.

It’s been 12 months. And, the GOSL flag flies over Killinnochchi, which has been reduced to a rubble-filled ghost town. And, just yesterday, I saw in the BBC that government troops have seized the entire Jaffna peninsula.

While this has been going on, LTTE has been filling up body bags with government soldiers. The Tigers have used the monsoon rains, their knowledge of the terrain, and the psychology of time all to their advantage. Right now, their backs are against the wall, their former territories shrunken to one coastal district, with over a quarter-million civilians living in dire conditions.

Some Predictions

What happens next? My advice to Sarvodaya’s leadership (based on what I’ve been hearing from the field) is that one of two things will happen:

1. GOSL will achieve its military aim: LTTE will be eliminated as a fighting force. GOSL will achieve total control over the North through military means and thus end the war. My prediction of this scenario occurring: 3% possibility. (I would say “zero”, but I have to leave room for miracles.) I base this on simple history: no government, no matter how well funded or motivated, has been able to militarily defeat an entrenched insurgency. Period. There is no likelihood that the Sri Lankan government can do what the US government (Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq – we’re slow learners) and the Israeli government (West Bank, Lebanon, now Gaza) could NOT do is simply impossible.
2. GOSL will not defeat the LTTE through military means. Even as GOSL takes Killinnochchi, the war will continue on, as a guerilla action, into the indefinite future. The war will drag on, perhaps shifting from a conventional war to a more classic guerilla war. Prediction: 100% possibility.

(Remember: These are SHARIF’S PREDICTIONS, and should not be seen as Sarvodaya’s predictions or policies):

Because of their promise to “end” the war, the government has been able to whip up support in the South for a military solution to the war. They have promised that it would be quick, decisive and effective. There has been tremendous support among the Sinhalese people (and even some support among the Tamils) to “get this over”. (And, the “International Community” – the ones who sell the guns – has turned a blind eye to the entire matter.)

Part of that support came from controlling how the government shaped the war media:
• Banning journalists – foreign and domestic – from visiting the war front,
• Censoring the “Tamilnet” website (now available in Sri Lanka only through proxy sites) and
• Supporting (directly or indirectly) a “war” on journalists, who have been beaten, kidnapped and killed in recent times.

The most recent casualty in that “war” on journalists was Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor of “The Sunday Leader”. In a chilling post mortem editorial, Mr. Wickramatunga names his murderer — the government Sri Lanka. (I believe his editorial “And Then They Came for Me” is a MUST READ. Please click on this link to go to the Sunday Leader article: click here.)

* * *

The Rajapakse government, and its military offensive, has been popular in the South. The New Year’s Day announcement of the fall of Killinnochchi was greeted with firecrackers and cheering in the capital city, Colombo.

I think the cheering and the firecrackers are premature.

A decade ago, I was in Sri Lanka when the Tigers routed the government soldiers from their fort at Elephants Pass, then raced up the Jaffna Peninsula, almost taking (re-taking) the city of Jaffna from the government.

My feelings upon hearing that the Government seized Elephants Pass are the same as when I heard that the Tigers seized it 10 years ago.

Immense sadness.

Because… once the adrenalin and euphoria of violence dies down, once the military parades are concluded and firecrackers put away, we will see what we have always seen – violence accomplishes NOTHING but more violence.

The arrogance of violence. You can hear it in the triumphant voice of President Rajapakse, the way you could hear it in the voice of (soon to be former) President Bush, after his famous jet-fighter landing on the aircraft carrier, getting out and announcing “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq. Violence not only makes one arrogant, it makes one blind to the realities on the ground.

The realities are these:

• Violence will drag on as a guerilla war.
• The financial cost of the continuing war will destroy the Sri Lankan economy.
• The LTTE (or another group like them) will come back.
• Killinnochchi and Elephants Pass will switch hands again. And again.

As the war drags on and the economy worsens, the Sinhalese majority could “turn” against the war as dramatically as the American populace turned against the Iraqi war, when that conflict turned out to be not quick, decisive or effective.

Just like the war in Iraq has bankrupted America, the ongoing war in Sri Lanka threatens to bankrupt that society, for all ethnic and religious groups.

Moral Bankruptcy
Even more important than financial bankruptcy is moral and spiritual bankruptcy. Sri Lanka is as nominally “Buddhist” as America is “Christian”: revere the founder, but ignore his teachings. Both the Buddha and Jesus made nonviolence a central tenet of their teachings. And, both “Buddhists” and “Christians” conveniently ignore that, as they rush headlong into the downward spiral of ever-greater violence.

There is a price to pay from continued violence. The price is financial: the dollars that go to pay for guns, bullets and bombs are not available for schools, hospitals and jobs. Around the world, governments need food handouts from the UN because they waste their money on the armaments of war.

But, there is another, far greater price. There is a psychic, spiritual wound in the heart of Sri Lankan society. Regardless of all the rationales and fancy foot-work from the priests (Buddhists over there; Christians over here), deep down inside, the soldiers know that what they are doing is WRONG. The Buddha said that one should not cause harm to “any sentient being”. (Last time I checked, “humans” were “sentient beings”.) Jesus was even more explicit: “Love your enemies”. (In America, many “Christians” translate that to “Kill and torture your enemies”.)

Ignoring the words of these master-teachers hurts at the soul level, as deeply as a bullet. Just because the person encouraging you to ignore the Buddha or ignore Jesus calls himself a priest and is wearing orange robes or has a cross around his neck… the truth is the truth.

What is the evidence of this “soul pain”? Though Sri Lanka professes to be a “Buddhist” country:

• Sri Lanka has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
• Sri Lanka has one of the highest alcoholism rates in the world.
• Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of civil violence in the world.

Bowing to the orange-robed monks is an interesting outward display of piety. But, many of those monks see violence all around in their society, yet do nothing to prevent it (or worse, encourage and glory in it). Jesus said, “The meek shall inherit the Earth”. But, until we do, we’ve got to put up with the gleeful arrogance of the “righteously” violent.

Sarvodaya’s Response
Under either of the above scenarios, Sarvodaya has a role to play – for the unfortunate civilians caught up in the conflict, and for the citizens (Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Christian) who wrongly believe that anything can be resolved through violent means.

Sarvodaya’s First Response: Humanitarian Aid
Sarvodaya’s humanitarian role is already in gear. Sarvodaya is one of the few organizations able to get relief trucks through the fighting to the beleaguered refugees in the North. Estimates of refugees range from a low of 100,000 to as high as 300,000 people, ill-fed and sleeping outside during the rainiest part of the Sri Lankan year. Needless to say, this is a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. (The Sri Lankan government is in total denial around this. Same as MOST governments that cause harm – including my own.)

Sarvodaya’s Next Response: The Transformation of Society
Beyond addressing the humanitarian crisis, Sarvodaya continues to work toward the ultimate resolution of this type of conflict: the transformation of the system and structure of “government” itself. To move from “government by the elites” (the most common form of government in the world) to “government by my village”. Regular people, at the village level, can work out their own problems, if given half a chance. By establishing “grama swaraj” (independent village “republics”), the interest and ability to engage in violent conflicts diminishes.

A Common Vision
The ultimate key to the success of “grama swaraj” lies in Sarvodaya’s ability to help the people articulate a common set of visions, values and principles. Sri Lanka has never had a unifying set of principles that defines and unites all Sri Lankans, over and beyond divisions of race, ethnicity, religion, class and caste. Until now. Through a Sarvodaya-facilitated process, the “Vision Declaration” has been developed and spread to tens of thousands of people, in all walks of life, in thousands of communities, all over the island. And, it has met with near-unanimous approval at the village level, serving as a foundational political statement of the basic problem and a vision for a common solution. (To read the English version of the “Vision Declaration”, click here.)

Do-It-Yourself Bailout: How Sarvodaya Is Responding to the Financial Crisis
It is weird that there is little impact in Sri Lanka of the US and global meltdown. YET. I think it’s like the tsunami many years ago – the earthquake happened hours before the wave actually struck the coast. People are very aware that the meltdown is happening, but it seems to be happening on another planet. Hard to create a sense of urgency. The idea that America may be economically melting down is just – inconceivable.

In Sri Lanka, inflation rates are high, people are feeling pinched… but that was happening before the US meltdown.

Sarvodaya intends to put in place a multi-faceted approach to the pending crisis. But: more on that in a subsequent entry!

Peace,

Sharif

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Obama Voters: The Task is Not Yet Done

January 15th, 2009

MEMORANDUM

TO: THOSE WHO VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA
FR: SHARIF ABDULLAH
DT: TODAY
RE: CREATING AN “OBAMA MOVEMENT”: THE TASK IS NOT YET DONE.

Congratulations. With your vote, you have achieved something that has never been done before in history (on multiple levels). Next week, on January 20th, take a moment to savor this truly transformative moment in history.

Then, on January 21st, stop savoring. You’ve got more work to do.

I believe that you voted for Barack Obama because you truly wanted change in our society. I believe Obama when he said that YOU, that each of us, is responsible for making this change happen.

So, let’s get started.

We can wait for Obama to get around to thinking about societal transformation, or we can act on our own collective vision. (I personally think that “The Boss” is going to have his hands full for a long while. I think the financial collapse/ transformation is going to take up a lot more of his attention than most of us realize right now. I believe this crisis is MUCH WORSE than anyone is letting on right now.)

So, it’s time to act on our vision. But, first, we need to HAVE a collective vision.

What is the vision of our society, as we enter the 21st Century? Where will that vision come from? The Left? The Right? Or, will the vision be forged in a heart-felt dialog of the whole?

Most of us haven’t taken the time to think about a vision and comprehensive, sustainable strategy. We rely on outmoded concepts of decades (or even centuries) ago. We get all worked up over concepts like “Progressive” or “Conservative” – the men (!) who came up with those concepts never experienced life in the 21st Century.

Narrow Issues or Broad Vision?
I am frankly disappointed by what some Obama supporters have been putting up on the Obama website (www.change.gov). He has been asking for ideas and input to the “Citizen’s Briefing Book”. Some of the ideas are “good”, many are “mediocre” and almost none are “visionary” or “transformative”. Going through scores of comments, most of them were about “gay marriage” or “legalizing marijuana”. Regardless of my personal feelings on either subject, neither of these narrow issues will get us to a society that works for all.

I am also less than interested in supporting or opposing any particular legislative agenda or bill. Congress is not going to solve our problems… we are. I am not concerned about “Health Care” or “Transportation” or “Social Security”. I am concerned about the values, vision and direction of our society.

We’re not going to LEGISLATE our way to a transformed society. We are not going to float to safety on a raft woven together out of narrow “Progressive” (or “Conservative”) issues. We need a broad, inclusive vision. In the words of Lincoln: “As our cause is new, we must now think anew and act anew”.

Our Beginning…
It’s time for us to develop a vision for our future. It’s time for some follow-through. In this time of new beginnings, it is time for YOU to begin.

So, what do you do, starting on 21 January? Here are three steps (a nice easy number to start with).

1. Let Go
2. Search for a Common Vision
3. Dialogs for a Common Future

1. LET GO.
You can’t reach the far shore by holding on to the familiar. Letting go of the familiar can feel frightening, but it can also feel exhilarating. Not letting go means that you are trapped within the bars of your own prison.

In some tropical societies, people eat monkeys. They trap them by cutting a small hole into a gourd, dropping in a piece of fruit, staking the gourd to the ground, and waiting. A monkey will come by, stick its hand in for the fruit and try to withdraw both its hand and the fruit. The trapper simply walks up, sticks the squealing, struggling monkey into a bag, then off to the stew-pot. At any time, the monkey can escape by simply letting go of the piece of fruit. It is not trapped by the gourd – it is trapped by its greed and desires. The monkey is trapped by its inability to let go.

What traps you? Where do you need to “let go”? Here are 2 suggestions:

a. Let go of “Progressive” and “Conservative” labels
b. Let go of “Normal”

a. Let go of “Progressive” and “Conservative” labels.
These labels represent old thinking that Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson would be comfortable with. These figments of our imagination used to carry meaning and weight – now, they are just lazy ways of thinking. These labels of separation provide a false identity and an equally false sense of community. They get in the way of us figuring out what we need to do, together, as we face this turbulent 21st Century. Having a nice sounding, convenient “lazy” label means that you don’t have to answer the difficult questions:

• What the key values that you hold in common?
• What is your common vision of a sustainable future that works for all (including people who don’t like you)?
• What are you willing to sacrifice to realize this envisioned future?

I am neither “Progressive” nor “Conservative”. (I’m also not a Whig, nor a Tory, nor any other outmoded conceptual label.) I am a MENDER. What does that mean? It means that I am committed to catalyzing a society with INCLUSIVITY as our highest value. I am committed to working with EVERYONE ELSE who shares this value. I am committed to working FOR all other beings – whether or not they share my values or my vision. I am committed to fixing this Mess – regardless of who created it.

I am committed to a world that works for all.

The Lifeboat:
Assume that you are in a life boat with 50 people. There’s enough food and water on board for about half that number. It’s leaking. Ten of the folks on the boat are committed “Progressives”. Ten are committed “Conservatives”. And 30 are just watching television, or wondering when someone is going to come along and feed them.

How would you organize the lifeboat for the good of all? What tools will you use? Do your labels of “Progressive” or “Conservative” mean anything in the context of a leaky lifeboat?

If you are sitting in a leaky lifeboat without enough food or water for all the inhabitants, the first thing you work on is NOT “gay marriage” or a “flat tax”. Note: I am not saying that either gay marriage or a flat tax are inherently bad ideas. I’m just saying that, if your house is on fire, you don’t worry about vacuuming the rugs. And, if you are vacuuming the rugs, it’s because you don’t believe that the house is on fire.

b. Let go of “Normal”.
We must let go of concepts like “emergency” and “crisis”. These concepts imply that there is a “normal” we are trying to get back to, once our “emergency” is over. For example: our present financial crisis is not a problem that we need to “fix” and then we can go back to “normal”. We need to see this for what it is: a major collapse and restructuring of our basic economy, a restructuring of how we choose to relate to each other.

Twenty years ago, “Communism” collapsed. It went from being the second most powerful political economy to being an historical footnote. And good riddance.

Now, it’s “Capitalism’s” turn. And good riddance. These man-made structures, based on fundamentally flawed consciousness (“I am separate”) must pass away, if we are to achieve a world that works for all. It’s time for a NEW POLITICAL ECONOMY.

We saw what happened to Communism. We could have spent our time preparing. We had 20 years to put a new economy together, test-drive it, put together seeding experiments… we had 20 years to prepare for a soft landing. We squandered that time. ALL OF US squandered our lead. Many of us wasted time in an orgy of financial gluttony. Others wasted time pointing fingers, blaming others, various conspiracy theories, feeding the fires of fear. And now, we still have the task in front of us… with only a few months to spare.

For the past decade, I have had the honor of working toward a new political economy with Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne and the rest of the Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka. We’ve been working to blend the VISIONARY with the PRACTICAL, for a new direction – beyond war and violence (“Progressive” values) and toward small government and personal/community responsibility (“Conservative” values). (More on this in a subsequent blog.)

2. Search for a Common Vision.

Our Founders articulated a simple but immense Vision: out of the shadows of monarchy and feudalism, the Founders envisioned a society where all humans were equal, and had rights that no human could alienate, because no human provided them. I still find the boldness and straightforwardness of this vision truly amazing.

However, because of their personal shortcomings and weaknesses, the Founders never enacted that vision. Instead, they created a world where the “rights” of humans with different colored skin or different genitalia could be alienated on a whim. A democracy of, by and for privileged white males. The turbulent and often tragic history of the United States has been scarred by their inability to enact their vision.

It’s time to move a collective vision forward again. All of us, together, must start the task of articulating our common vision, common values and common goals. All of us, as humans on this planet, must start the task of articulating a common vision for humanity.

A Vision of the Spirit
Our common vision must be infused with Spirit. (No, I am NOT talking about “religion”, or who gets to utter what prayer at which Inaugural function.)

As an Obama supporter, I know you’ve felt that Spirit. I know you felt the promise of our times in the weeks preceding the election. I know you felt that Spirit on Election Day itself, as we witnessed spontaneous outpourings of joy all across the country and across the world.

And… I know that the last few weeks have been a bit of a let-down, as we watch Obama being slowly gobbled up by the Beltway Bureaucracy. On Tuesday, 20 January, Obama stops being a free agent and starts exercising his Constitutionally mandated (and limited) role. But, remember: WE ARE STILL FREE AGENTS! We can, we must, and we will envision and enact a collective, Spirit driven future. As Obama is the SYMBOL of change; we shall be the AGENTS of change.

3. Dialogs for a Common Future
The dialog movement in America is alive and well. Dialogic processes at the local level are how people have begun to reach out to their neighbors. The role that government, the Church and social organizations played in the past, the dialog movement performs now. Its how people have begun to clarify what is important. Its how people have revived the lost arts of conversation, discourse and finding common ground.

And no, I’m not talking about “talk radio”, the equivalent to shouting into a darkened room.

Now, it’s time we started “dialogs with teeth”. Dialogs with meaning. Dialogs as though our future depended on each other. I see dialogs on:

• Food, Water & Energy Security
• Forging a Common Vision (the precursor to a long overdue Constitutional Convention)
• Elements of a New Economy
• Our universal moral/spiritual principles.

It’s our country. It’s our moment. We sit in the potential of a movement. Let’s get to work! Starting on January 21st, 2009, let’s work to make that potential real!!

Peace,

Sharif

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Two New Tele-Seminars for January-February, 2009

January 14th, 2009

“CATALYZING OUR RELATIONAL WORLD” (Building the Lifeboat)”

and

“A TELE-GATHERING FOR COMMONWAY MEMBERS”

Five Week Series Beginning the Last Week in January, 2009
Commonway Institute is offering two separate tele-seminars, beginning the last week of January, 2009.



Series One (Tuesdays): “CATALYZING OUR RELATIONAL WORLD” (Building the Lifeboat)

The Tuesday Night series offers a comprehensive, “content-rich” offering. This five-part offering is a very practical roadmap on how we get to a world that works for all. In the face of a global collapse (financial, ecological, social…), how do we build the “lifeboat” that will get us through the turbulence of our times?

In the Tuesday Night series, we will move from a brief understanding of the need for change and the dimensions for change, to the values, visions and practical steps that must be taken in our turbulent times. (For more information, including an outline of content, click here:)

Content: The Tuesday Night series is based on Sharif’s practical experiences in the US, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. This material forms the centerpiece of Sharif’s newest book, a work-in-progress tentatively entitled “Catalyzing Our Relational World”. Participants will get a valuable preview of the content of this book.

Date/ Time: Series One will begin on Tuesday, 27 January, 2009 and will continue to 24 February, 2009. Time will be from 6:00-8:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time. (Archived versions will be available on the Web for those who must miss sessions.)
Each session will be presented live by Sharif Abdullah from 6:00-8:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time. (Archived versions will be available on the Web for those who must miss sessions.) (For more information on Series One, click here.)


Series Two (Wednesdays): “A Tele-Gathering for Commonway Members”

The Wednesday Night series will be the opposite of the content-rich Tuesdays. Wednesdays will be “process-rich”.

In the past, some Commonway members have suggested that they need more time to process the materials presented in workshops and seminars. There has also been interest in Commonway members getting to know each other better, and to see if such conversations can spark local actions.

Format: In each of the five Wednesdays, Sharif will briefly present a topic or theme, then will facilitate a conversation among the members. (The topics may or may not relate to the content of Tuesdays sessions.)

Series Two will begin on Wednesday, 28 January, 2009 and will continue to 25 February, 2009.

EACH TELE-SEMINAR IS OFFERED ONLY TO COMMONWAY MEMBERS! This is one of many member benefits, available only to those who are registered and paid members of Commonway.

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN! Becoming a member is easy. Your annual dues can be made in installments of as little as $10/month. Your dues support Commonway’s mission to create a world that works for all.

REGISTER Even though the Tele-Seminars are included in Commonway’s membership, it is still necessary to register. If you intend to participate in the Tele-Seminars (either or both days), please reply to this email or send an email to sharif@commonway.org, stating your intention to participate. You will then receive phone bridge numbers and passwords by email. If you are NOT yet a member, please join by clicking here.

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Sharif Abdullah to Receive “Martin Luther King Lifetime Achievement Award”

January 14th, 2009

Greetings;

In December, I was honored by my friends and collaborators in Sri Lanka with Sarvodaya’s “Vishvamitra” (Friend of the Universe) Award, in recognition of my work with Sarvodaya over the years.

Now, I am again being honored: on Monday, 19 January, 2009, I am scheduled to receive the “Martin Luther King Lifetime Achievement Award” here in Portland.  The awards are given annually by The World Arts Foundation.

The awards ceremony takes place at Highland Church Center at 2:00 pm. (The overall program is scheduled to begin at 11 am.)  The address is 7600 NE Glisan St., Portland.  In the spirit of Dr. King, admission consists of $3.00 donation or three cans of non-perishable food to be given to local food banks.

If you are in the Portland area, please come!

Peace,

Sharif

PS:  Because of problems with my email lists, I’ve got a backlog of contacts!  I have one more coming your way in the next day or so, including updates on the situation in Sri Lanka.

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Memo to Obama: Forging Our Common Way Ahead

November 11th, 2008

MEMORANDUM

TO: BARACK OBAMA

FR: SHARIF ABDULLAH

DT: TODAY

RE: SOME ADVICE ON FORGING A COMMON WAY AHEAD

Yes, congratulations, you made history, yada, yada, yada. Not to diminish your amazing accomplishment, but since you’ve heard it all so many times by now, I won’t dwell on it (although, if you and I had a few hours, I COULD!)

No, I would rather not take up your time on that. I have a few pieces of advice for you. If I had five minutes of your time, the following is what I would say to you directly.

But first, who am I to be offering you advice? I have been exploring our need for a value-driven, inclusive and sustainable society for decades, including as Founder and Executive Director of Commonway Institute. The title to my second book sums up my philosophy and my life goal: “Creating a World That Works for All”. I offer my accumulated experience to you.

ADVICE #1: REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

This part goes without saying: while you are in fact the first African-American President (Elect) of the US, that is an IDENTITY, it is not the core essence of who you are. One day, even being President will be a past accomplishment. You, however, will still be you.

You are the first President (Elect) of the 21st Century – I expect you to act like it. (We obviously aren’t going to count the last 8 years. We are now seeing the close of the last Presidency of the 19th Century). As the first 21st Century President, you will set the model for all of the other Presidents to follow. Aim high.

Bill Clinton was a very admirable bridge between the 20th and 21st Centuries. There are many advisors around you who would like to copy those times. Don’t listen to them. Your arc must be higher.

ADVICE #2: BARACK OBAMA – CATALYST IN CHIEF

In our days of fear and ignorance, many Americans needed a “Commander in Chief”, the father figure to command and control their lives. Now, we have just elected you, our first “Catalyst in Chief”. We don’t need you to “lead” or “command”. We know that the federal bureaucracy is virtually ungovernable and incomprehensible. (Of course, we do expect you to do your job and govern as best as a human being can.)

We most need you to display the skills that you demonstrated so well during the primaries and election: the ability to inspire, to engage and to motivate an entire movement of people to act.

It is indeed comforting that your heroes are similar to mine. I too am inspired by the words and deeds of Abraham Lincoln. He presided over the US when it underwent its most painful transition (to date). Now seen as one of our greatest Presidents, he was HATED by half of the country – the half that could not face the future, the half that could not live up to the vision laid down by the Founders in the Declaration of Independence.

I remind you of Lincoln so that you can remember to inspire – even though many of our fellow citizens would rather revile you than listen to you. Right now, they CAN’T listen to you – they can’t get past the color of your skin. However, they too will change. They too are caught on the arc of history. They will forget their hate – it simply is not sustainable. We can wait them out – time is on our side.

ADVICE #3: DON’T LET THE WEASELS GET YOU DOWN

You are a man, a model and a symbol. You symbolize and personify our quest for a new vision for our society, a vision that is hopeful, practical, inclusive and sustainable.

You need advisors who hold all of the above qualities, who can think outside the box.

I know that you have many “real-world” political advisors surrounding you – they are needed, they are necessary and you could not effectively govern without them. But, don’t let them be your sole source of advice – we didn’t vote for you so that you could fill the White House with the old political crowd (Democrats or Republicans).

You need advisors who can think outside the box (who actually don’t even recognize that there IS a box!) Balance your team with visionaries, ones with some dirt under their fingernails from doing real work in the world. There is a real difference between a visionary with achievements versus a visionary with just dreams. You need doers, not just talkers.

ADVICE #4: YOU ARE NOT A “CENTRIST”

Neither the “Right” nor the “Left” have the vision for an America that works for all. Both the Left and the Right have flawed, myopic, partial viewpoints. But, paradoxically, both the Left and the Right hold key elements to the future of this country; they hold parts of the solution. Neither side should be dismissed out of hand.

Your job is to get the dinosaurs to play well together. Only together can those Left-Right viewpoints be transcended, harmonized, and resolved into one greater image.

You know that the traditional “Democratic” and “Republican” parties are outmoded and out of step with 21st Century realities. You know that your campaign for the Presidency has ignited a passion for politics (with the small “p”) that the major parties cannot understand, let alone harness. You know that you can harness this energy.

Your job is not to sit between these two warring camps. Your job is to sit ABOVE them. You are not a “centrist”. You are a “trans-centrist”. Let’s elevate the conversations beyond the uninspiring rhetoric that has been such a turn-off for many in the electorate. (I quote in my book a line from the movie “Slackers”: “Withdrawing in disgust is not the same thing as apathy”.) Your candidacy hit the “on” switch for tens of millions of us. And, you can help keep us turned on.

Of course, you will have to drag the mainstream media, kicking and screaming, into this new viewpoint. They still can’t comprehend what your victory means for America. Yesterday, CNN was reporting on how “black” churches were celebrating your election, completely missing the fact that there were at least a few “white” churches that were just as celebratory. They can’t see it. You can. WE can. And the media will, too… eventually.

ADVICE #5: YOU ARE THE LEADER OF A MOVEMENT

As you correctly stated, your job as President doesn’t start until mid-January. (Do not deny Bush the opportunity to further lower his poll ratings or to increase his historic position as the worst president in modern history. It’s his karma.)

However, you are not just “President” — you are also the leader of a movement. That job started decades, perhaps centuries, ago – it has just reached a powerful nexus point.

I started in this movement to save our human family and our planet 45 years ago (yes, you were 2 years old). The movement will continue when both of us are dust. This movement is the legacy that we leave to your daughters and my grandsons.

Unless there is a transformation in how we interact with each other, with our neighbors, with the Earth and with the Divine, those young ones have no future. Once we make these transformations, the future for our children and grandchildren is limitless.

Your role in the movement is obvious: KEEP IT MOVING. The politicos will want the people to sit down, shut up, and “leave it to the pros”. RESIST THIS. The movement for an inclusive, sustainable and loving society will not wait. Leading this movement is the single most important thing that you can do as President. It far exceeds any piece of legislation, any Executive Order, any policy initiative of your Administration.

Although you take the Oath of Office in January, you can stimulate and catalyze this movement RIGHT NOW. Don’t wait for the Inauguration – put us to work.

ADVICE # 6: TAKE THE FIRST STEPS

What you can do, right now, is catalyze a community, regional and national dialog on the fundamental issues facing us as we enter the 21st Century. (Given your present world stature, this dialog could be global.) Ask us: what can we do, on the local level, to address our social, political, economic, ecological and spiritual mega-crises?

This dialog would NOT be: “What must government do for us?” (You are about to find out how little government can actually do!) But, by bringing the conversation to the local level, you can catalyze building the most powerful people’s movement America (and the world) has yet seen.

So, what are these first steps?

1. Dialogs on Food, Water and Energy Security. Every community should know where its food, water and energy come from. Every community should launch discussions on how they can achieve sustainability on the local and regional levels. From these dialogs, each community should develop plans for local sustainability for food, water and energy.

2. Dialogs on the Future of Economics. All of our media-driven discussions on our economics have been focused on fear and insecurity. Most of our “rescue” attempts are aimed at reviving a system based in waste and greed. It’s time to re-define economics, to focus on hope, vision, and the realities human beings in the 21st Century.

In my work with Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka, we are experimenting with something we’re calling “relational economics”. The economics of people who are in actual relationship with each other. Economics not controlled by individuals, corporations or by the State. Economics at the community level. (A side piece of advice for you: to stimulate a community-based relational economics, your stimulus packages should be based on community, not on individuals or governments.)

4. Dialogs on Healing. How do we heal our society? After years spent in a wrong-headed and meaningless war, the men and women in our military are hurt, bruised, confused, angry and sick. After decades of divisiveness, our politics is fractured and visionless. Our legacy of slavery and American-style Apartheid continues to haunt us. The pending economic collapse hangs over our head like a crushing weight. We must atone for the pain and damage we have caused the Earth.

In the face of this, healing is necessary. We all share the pain and we all can, through the exercise of compassion, share in the healing. Asking us to engage in healing dialogs can serve as a start to this long-term process.

5. Dialogs on Our Vision for Our Society. According to Thomas Jefferson, our present Constitution was meant to last only one generation. He believed that every generation should re-write the Constitution.

We are long overdue.

We obviously cannot start with a Constitutional Convention – that would be suicidal. Most Americans have spent so much time as “consumers” instead of “citizens”, we no longer recognize the principles that lie at the foundations of our society. (This is why President Bush could get away with using the Constitution like toilet paper – most of us didn’t know what was in it to begin with.) We are going to have to start over again – to teach ourselves to become the intelligent, informed citizenry that Jefferson and the other Founders envisioned.

We can start with an interactive national dialog on “American Vision and Values”. According to the Bible, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29: 18). You can catalyze a dialog process with teeth – the people need not perish.

ADVICE #7: DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE.

I strongly encourage every person who works with me to have a daily meditation practice. It is the best (perhaps only) way to stay focused on the long haul, to not get caught up in the swirling madness of our times. It is the best way to stay true to our common mission: to create a world that truly works for all beings.

Peace,

Sharif Abdullah

PS: Incidentally – if you are interested in my help with any of the above, please do not hesitate to call.

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“DOW JONES MUST DIE!!”

October 13th, 2008

[This is the second of four installments examining the roots of our financial, moral and spiritual crises, along with suggesting solutions.]

“DOW JONES MUST DIE!!!”

Okay, that’s more inflammatory and over-the-top than I usually go for. But, for reasons stated below, it may be inflammatory but it’s also true.

First of all, “Dow Jones” is not a person, never was. (And, it was never “alive”, so I can’t really call for its “death”.) It is a company started over 100 years ago by three guys, Charles Henry Dow, Edward Davis Jones and Charles Milford Bergstresser in a small basement office in New York. (Dow Jones early history is fairly interesting…)

Charles Dow…

… Edward Jones…

… and the other guy.

It is an arbitrary average of 40 selected stocks, out of the thousands of companies represented on the New York Stock Exchange. It was created back in the horse-and-buggy days, when no one had the ability to track all of the stocks traded on the exchange. (Nowadays, you could track all of the trades in real time, with no more computing power than what’s in your iPhone.) The Dow Jones Average assumes that this small cross-section of stocks reflects what is happening in the market as a whole.

The people who run this average select the stocks of the largest, most profitable and most wildly successful corporate entities in America. The Dow Jones Averages is made up of corporations that are household names: AT&T, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Exxon-Mobil, General Electric, McDonald’s, Pfizer, Wal-Mart. From time to time, some organizations are taken off (American Cotton Oil Company) while others migrate on (Microsoft).

So, the largest, most inefficient, wasteful, socially and ecologically damaging corporate giants become the benchmarks for “success” in this society. Collectively, the ONLY thing these corporations are good at is… making more money.

Well, that is, up until recently. As we watch the Dow Jones Averages plummet and the financial credit markets face total meltdown, some of us realize that the ENTIRE world economy isn’t going down – only the parts of the economy that are inefficient, wasteful and ecologically damaging… EXACTLY those parts that are measured by Dow Jones!

Unfortunately, when these dinosaurs die, it isn’t quiet or pretty. We see them now, thrashing around, taking down hundreds or thousands of other organizations in their death throes, and making miserable the lives of millions of people around the world.

We are being told that “the global economy” is troubled because these 40 companies represent “the Market”. They do. But, WHAT market? The mainstream media, the business colleges, the Wall St. types all pay attention to ONE type of “market”, and that market is very well represented by the Dow Jones Averages. But, it’s not the only market, and (from the point of view of regular human beings) is not the most important one.

In an article I wrote back in 1989, I identified FIVE different markets, all tangled together in a global financial stew:

THE BLACK MARKET (The Rats): Illegal, immoral and destructive. Drug sales; armed robbery; trading in stolen goods; cops taking kickbacks; counterfeiters; illegal weapons sales; dumping toxic chemicals for profit. The Black Market is completely intertwined in all of the other markets, as George Bush the First found out when, as Vice President, he tried to block the flow of drug money into US banks. Within weeks, banks in Florida almost went under. The anti-money laundering laws were relaxed, so that the drug dealers and the banks could go back to doing business. The Black Market thrives on despair and depression; it breeds immorality and social ruin.

THE GRAY MARKET (The Roaches): Dubious legality and at times negative effects. “Survival economics”. Neighborhood junkyards; unregistered child care centers and food preparation. Unlicensed street-corner vendors and musicians. Illegal tree cutting in most parts of the world. People who paint themselves and act like statues for tips. The guy trying to squeegee your windshield during a traffic stop. While the Gray Market is largely ignored by the mainstream, it is the LARGEST of the five different markets, comprising the majority of people on our planet. Ignored by entities like the World Bank and the IMF, the Gray Market is how people LIVE. Over half of the humans on this planet, over THREE BILLION HUMANS, live on $2.00 per day or less. This is the Gray Market.

THE WHITE MARKET (The Rabbits): Legal and largely neutral. Restaurants, offices, taxis, manual laborers, managers… What most of us think about (and work in) when we think about “the economy”.

THE RED MARKET (The Dinosaurs): Super-legal (they own the system and make the rules); Industrial Age wastefulness of resources; inefficient, unbalanced, poisonous. Buckminster Fuller called this “the global casino”. Incomprehensible buying, selling and trading of largely fictitious “assets”, with little or no regulation. The Red Market, based on greed and corruption, feeds off of the White and Gray Markets. The Red Market, exemplified by the Dow Jones Averages, is endangered and soon to become extinct. Those who created the Mess cannot even understand the problem, let alone fix it.

THE GREEN MARKET (The Gazelles): Ecological, positive, adaptive, responsive, decentralized, healing, worker-owned and community-owned businesses. Examples include green energy; organic and sustainable food production; bio-damage remediation and the entire emerging sustainable, “green” business sector. This is the market of the future. Our collective future lies in moving the billions (of people and dollars) currently in the Gray Market into the Green Market.

Hyping the Red Market:

Those who are the proponents of Red Market economics have done a great job in convincing you that the Red Market is the ONLY market, and that its demise means that YOU will die, YOUR retirement is on the line, and the entire world will come to an end if you don’t pump your hard-earned tax dollars into CPR for dinosaurs.

You have choices. You can choose to react out of fear and panic. You can believe that the same people who told you that Iraq would be a breeze can be trusted when it comes to the Red Market economy. Or, you can do something different.

If we can’t trust the government (Republicans or Democrats), then who can we trust? The answer is very, very simple. So simple, in fact, we completely overlook it.

We must trust each other.

My friend Meg Wheatley, in her two EXCELLENT books, “A Simpler Way” and “Turning To One Another”, outlines the path we all must follow. Our future lies in community. The measure of “wealth” in the future will NOT be how many digits are in your bank account; “wealth” WILL be measured by how many communities you connect with. Developing community through self-reflection, talking and listening with others, followed by action that is human-oriented and community-scaled… this is our pathway to survival.

For decades, we have placed our faith in all of the things our wisdom teachers told us NOT to believe in. We have placed our faith in money, in banks, in corporations, faith in big government and big business. Our current economic and political systems RUN on this faith. They cannot exist without it.

It’s time to change the paradigm. It is time for new leaders to step forward, armed with a radically different vision of what “success” means in America. It is time to identify leaders who hold a vision of a world that works for all beings. Leaders who have shed the blinders of old theories like “capitalism” (which I believe is dysfunctional) and “communism/ socialism” (which is equally dysfunctional, just in a different direction).

From where will these leaders emerge? That answer is simple, also. We each can/will/must be those leaders.

It is time for us to divest ourselves from mutual funds, investment banks, hedge funds… Our mantra must be: if (personally) you can’t control it and you don’t understand it, you shouldn’t be invested in it. Period.

It is time to invest in your community. Invest in your bio-region. Invest in your continent. Invest in your planet. You have a choice: you can invest in Red Market “Dow Jones” companies that make money (correction: made money in the past), or you can invest in companies pledged to make a better world (and hopefully make money, too).

It is time for your investments to be MORAL. Your investment strategies must place “making money” SECOND to other, more important considerations. Assume that your immediate neighbors, your children and grandchildren are sitting in your circle as you are making your investment decisions. Assume you are telling them, “I am investing in XYZ Company so that the world will be a better place for you”. (Yes, this includes those crazy neighbors you don’t really get along with. They may have the best ideas. Your survival is linked with theirs.)

In these turbulent times, we must have trust and we must have faith. It’s all a matter of trust and faith. (What do I mean by “faith”? That’s in next week’s message…)

Peace,

Sharif

[PS: Next week: the financial crisis is a crisis of faith and spirit.]

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Notes from the Field: Sri Lanka, August, 2008

October 7th, 2008

UPDATE FROM SRI LANKA:

[This was sent out as an email to people on the Commonway list; however, because of a technical problem, few actually received it...]

There is never a dull moment around this place. Ongoing war, student riots, the SAARC summit meeting… I don’t know where to begin.

Perhaps I should begin where every Sri Lankan who knows me starts: “Obama!” The world’s most popular man weaves his magic on this island… and he hasn’t even been here. People I don’t even know hear that I’m an American and come up to me with the one question: “Can he win?”

Not, “Is he a good man?” or “What are his views on foreign affairs?”. From the world’s point of view, the US election is already over – they have their President. (We call the US President the “Leader of the Free World”. Ironic that the world can’t vote for him or her.)

My answer? The election has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. That illusory division does not define what is going on with the “Obama Effect”. The November election pits two amazingly well-matched candidates against each other: The Past and The Future.

John McCain is a most worthy representative of The Past. He has all of the “tested under fire” credentials (and white hair) that you want in a candidate who represents America’s Past. In a time of fear and uncertainty, many people want a steady hand on the rudder and clear eye toward a safe harbor.

Barack Obama is the epitome of The Future. Someone who transcends all of the old alliances and political configurations (to the chagrin of those in his own party). Someone of the Internet Age. Someone who believes that America’s strength does not lie in her past, but her future. Someone who not only understands, but literally transcends race (to the chagrin of those in the old “Civil Rights” establishment). In a time of hope and rapid change, Obama has his eye – and his enthusiasm – set firmly in the future.

So, we get to witness John Kennedy duke it out with Ronald Reagan. Which one will win? It depends whether, on election day, American voters are more hopeful than fearful. (Perhaps I should characterize it as “Voting by Fear” and “Voting by Hope”.)

People are motivated by BOTH fear and hope. (Remember: inclusivity means seeing things from both/all sides.) After the people of Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union in their nonviolent “Velvet Revolution”, at election time, they almost returned the Communists to power! Why? In times of uncertainty, people look for the familiar – even if it means familiarly oppressive and authoritarian. Then, rather than rely on themselves, they can complain about “the government” again. People go back to abusive governments like women go back to abusive husbands.

[Which one SHOULD win? In keeping with current IRS regulations and in light of Commonway’s nonprofit status, I have no stated official position.]

SAARC CONFERENCE

If you were President of a country ravaged by war, high inflation, political and social instability, what would you do? HAVE A PARTY!! Invite seven of your buddies (and their huge entourages) over for the weekend. Block off the capital city, throw in 30,000 soldiers for security, and you’ve got the “South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation” Summit held the first weekend of my arrival in Sri Lanka. The government spent tens of millions of dollars on a meeting that could have been accomplished with a conference call.

The economy here is REALLY bad.  Even I have noticed the 30% inflationary pinch at the grocery store.  Thousands of university students have rioted, because, after their years of study, there are simply NO JOBS.  Right above my head as I write this, there are hundreds of young men sitting in Sarvodaya’s meeting halls… learning Korean.  Sri Lanka’s biggest export isn’t tea… it’s the young men and women of the country, sent overseas for menial and degrading jobs digging ditches and scrubbing toilets, in places like Saudi Arabia and South Korea.  (The hundreds of young men chanting in Korean above me do NOT have jobs waiting for them in Korea: they are learning Korean in these classes (government-run, not Sarvodaya) for the right to APPLY for the limited Korean jobs, after taking and passing language tests.)  For those who don’t get jobs, they sit and wait… or go to Colombo and riot.

If I had been President, I would have told my fellow heads of state: “As much as I would like to host you, my people just cannot afford this unnecessary expense right now. Give us ten years – we’ll plow the money we would waste hosting SAARC into peace and prosperity for the entire island. Then, ten years from now, we would like to throw you a HECK of a party!”

But, that’s not what heads of state do. Big airports, dams, Olympics and summits – this is the stuff that feeds an ego as big as a country. (I left out the biggest ego-feeders: wars and shiny new weapons.) What do the “people” get out of all this? Nationalistic bragging rights… until the check falls due.

A WAR UPDATE

The war in the North is going full blazes. A staggering 125,000 refugees in the North alone. I’ve heard heart-breaking stories of people selling all of their possessions just to stay moving ahead of the latest battle zone, of tens of thousands of men, women and children sleeping under trees and finding food wherever they can. It is a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. The aid organizations (including Sarvodaya) cannot adequately respond to the challenge, in light of the current government disfavor of charitable organizations (they claim that the helping organizations gave too much help to the Tigers).

Even reading between the propaganda-filled lines, the Government is currently playing the winning hand. President Rajapakse and the military head, General Fonseka, are both confidently predicting the demise of the Tamil Tigers “as a conventional military force” by the end of the year. From a strictly military point of view, the campaign is impressive. At the rate they are going, it might be even sooner before the Government flag flies over Killinnochchi, the Tigers de facto capital for over two decades.

But, I’ve learned over the years not to count the Tigers out too prematurely. They have managed to pull some amazing rabbits out of their hats… I’m not taking any bets on this outcome.

The key to the Government’s boasting is the phrase “as a conventional military force”. With the Government’s huge advantage in numbers and equipment, it’s a wonder that the Tigers were EVER a conventional military force, able to mount – and win – set military engagements involving artillery and other heavy weaponry, along with sophisticated logistics and their own “air force” of ultra-light aircraft, a first in the insurgency business.

Yes, the Government can “win” against the Tigers conventional forces, just as the US government knew that it could defeat Saddam Hussein’s army. But, as we are learning in Iraq, defeating the conventional forces is a LONG way from “winning” the war.

When Killinnochchi falls, the Tigers turn into a true “insurgent” force: everywhere, nowhere and invisible. While the Sri Lankan flag may once again fly over Killinnochchi, the levels of violence will escalate. While the Sri Lankan army gets bogged down trying to provide services to administer a hostile population where they don’t speak the language (does any of this sound familiar?), the Tigers will be free to mount an insurgency – a true guerilla war. The Government may find itself missing the days when it actually knew where the Tigers were…

I keep saying this: it is impossible to “win” an insurgent war. No one has been able to do it. NO ONE. (Right now, in Iraq, the US forces are literally paying the insurgents not to attack us. This unbelievably short-term strategy will end just as soon as the checks stop.) The only way to end such a war is through a nonviolent, negotiated settlement. (To which the Sri Lanka Government replies, “We will negotiate with them – as soon as we defeat them.” Stay tuned to see how that logic train plays out…)

SARVODAYA – THE NEXT 50 YEARS

This year is the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Sarvodaya movement here in Sri Lanka. The organization has been involved in a year-long process of celebrating, introspection and envisioning the next 50 years.

As difficult was conditions were 50 years ago, the world has changed in some amazing and frightening ways. We are being called to “think anew and act anew”. I have been involved in several major strategy sessions with Sarvodaya’s leadership, examining the path for Sarvodaya over the next 50 years of its operation. Stay tuned…

A Tour of the East:

I spent the last 3 days touring the war-scarred East of the island.  (The war is too hot in the North for me to visit.)

The East is one big military encampment. There are soldiers EVERYWHERE. I simply lost count of the number of checkpoints we went through (30? 50?). Now that the Tigers have been routed from the East, the government forces are in the process of occupation. (The government prefers to call it “liberation”. And, they seem surprised that their heavy-handed presence hasn’t generated throngs of flower-waving, grateful citizens.)

From Child Soldiers to Sarvodaya Trainees:

I met with about 100 young people at Sarvodaya’s sprawling Batticaloa Farm complex. They were receiving training for woodworking, aluminum working, masonry, computer skills and motorcycle repair.

Many of them were former “child soldiers” of either the Tigers or the TMVP (previously known as the “Karuna Faction”). Sarvodaya provides a safe haven, practical skills… and a time to be CHILDREN. While at the farm, after their classes were over, I watched a spirited game that looked like a hybrid of cricket and baseball. There appeared to be 50 or so kids to a side, and it looked like they were making up the rules as they went along. At one point, when the batter wasn’t able to hit the ball, the pitcher walked 10 feet closer, to give him a better shot. They seemed much less interested in winning than in having fun.

A Sarvodaya Village:

My life and experiences over here are SO DIFFERENT from what I experience in the US.  Yesterday, I was talking to 50 women, sitting on the dirt floor in a village of mud huts, women who had never experienced electricity; the only 4 wheeled vehicles they had seen belong to aid workers.

It’s difficult relating to lives so utterly different from my own. At one point, I asked them about their village’s needs. They were very specific: electricity. When pressed further, they were still very specific: lighting on the public roads at night. (At night, the open areas are crawling with two kinds of danger: cobras and men with guns. Both are deadly if you aren’t in the light.)

I pressed further, inquiring about electricity for households. An emphatic “yes” – they wanted lights in the home, so that their children can do their homework after dark – and to watch out for indoor cobras, that move in during the rainy season. What else do they need household electricity for? They looked at each other, and said, “Nothing.” How about refrigeration or cooking? They looked at me as if I said, “How would you like your own private spaceship so you can visit the Moon?”

(A sidenote: Years ago, with their hard-earned rupees, they purchased small solar collectors through SEEDS, Sarvodaya’s economic development arm. These collectors had enough juice to power 4 or 5 LED lamps wired throughout the house. During the fighting with the Tigers, while they were displaced from their village, the security forces came in and stole the solar collectors, along with everything else moveable, like bicycles. (They were very clear that it was the government forces.) I am proposing a village-sized electrical generator, one that a few rogue soldiers won’t be able to walk off with.)

And Yet Another Refugee Camp:

I stated very emphatically before I left on my Eastern tour: “No refugee camps!”  I just can’t bear to look at another.  I wanted to see economic activities in this visit, and to make presentations to Sarvodaya district staff on global challenges, inclusivity and peace.

So, toward my last day there, the District Coordinator said that we were going to make a presentation for “IGP’s” (income generating projects).  Right.  So, I hop in the truck and we drive straight into a refugee camp!  I said, “I thought we were going to see IGP’s.”  He said, “No, IDP’s (internally displaced persons)”  And, worst of all, it’s a “photo op” moment where I’m to make a speech and hand-deliver food aid to a handful of refugees, before climbing back into my air-conditioned vehicle.

At that moment, I thought about Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “…we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground.” The warlords (on both sides) want to erect monuments to themselves and to the glory of killing. The real monuments must go to those who involuntarily suffer the effects of those wars.

What is there to say? What do you say to a group of people you hadn’t planned to talk to, in a place none of us wanted to be? I said:

“I have visited dozens of refugee camps, from Jaffna to Ampara and everywhere in between. I don’t want to be here. But, more than that, I don’t want YOU to be here. I know that you would rather be in your homes, not listening to me and waiting for a handout of food.

“I hope and I pray and I work for the day when there are no refugee camps, anywhere in the world. Until that day comes, until you can return to your homes, please accept this gift of food as a sign that you are not forgotten.”

Peace,

Sharif

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