Professor Rhonda Magee has been working for years to bring a social justice dimension to the contemplative studies field. Her own contemplative practices are based in her Christian heritage and supported by deep study and practice in the Buddhist tradition, as well as her Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. She teaches law at the University of San Fransisco and has worked with people across the country who are interested in bringing social justice into their work as lawyers.
Magee was recently at the Garrison Institute as part of the teaching faculty for the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute. She presented on ways to approach bringing contemplative practice to teaching, researching and doing social justice work. In this video she speaks about the complexities of social identities, structural violence, and how contemplative practices can help people connect across real and perceived differences.
Such a wonderful approach to social justice.
Such powerful insights! Having just recently completed my research with BOCES children, I can say first hand that identity based suffering that is layered across personal, interpersonal and systemic origins, has devastating consequences for youth. There is a tremendous need for programming materials in mindfulness based stress reduction, alongside programming that promotes social literacy. Both these avenues need to be presented in tandem to support these children.