New Buddhist Coalition for Democracy launches, issues Call to Action

The other day I received an email regarding the Buddhist Coalition for Democracy, “a newly formed national organization of Buddhists from multiple lineages created in response to the ongoing threat to democracy.” The Coalition had crafted and issued a Call to Action — found in its entirety below — and was seeking signatories. But information about the group was scarce, so I reached out to Seth Zuihō Segall, who is Zen Priest at Pamsula Zen of Westchester and identified as a coordinating committee member for the BDC. As he kindly explained:

“We’re a nascent organization — less than a month old, and are just beginning to put our website together. We’ve held two general membership meetings via Zoom — the first had 60 members on the call, the second 89 members, and our mailing list presently has 180 names on it.  Members hail from all over the United States. The most highly represented lineages right now are Zen lineages, the Secular Buddhist Network, and Shambhala. We are now in the phase of reaching out to Buddhist teachers, scholars, and practitioners from all lineages to broaden our base. We are also in the process of organizing our internal and external communications and our committee and organizational structure.

“We have a coordinating committee of ten members who constitute a temporary organizational entity. No one has elected us—we’re just the group that helped found the organization or expressed an interest in joining.”

The BDC, Segall added, “can imagine partnering with other organizations, and sponsoring both regional and national meetings and actions” in time, and is reaching out to explore partnership with other civic, religious, political, and legal organizations.

The BDC’s initial Call to Action is reproduced in full here, including how to join your name to it.

A Buddhist Coalition for Democracy: A Call to Action

As Buddhists, we recognize our profound interconnectedness and the prime importance of universal compassion and loving-kindness. We affirm the need to listen to differing viewpoints with openness and equanimity and to respond with wise minds and caring hearts. We aspire towards a society that values all of its members and believe democratic values, institutions, and processes are the best means for realizing it. As Buddhists, we are called upon to witness, respond to, and resist the ongoing systematic destruction of norms and institutions that allow free societies to flourish.

We have witnessed the firings of institutional watchdogs and the appointments of political extremists.

We have witnessed the politicization of the Justice Department, the willful defiance of court orders, and attempts to muzzle the free press and curtail academic freedom.

We have witnessed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts outlawed and the freezing of monies allotted for scientific and medical research.

We have witnessed democratic allies abandoned and new alliances forged with dictators.

We have witnessed foreign aid suspended and the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and social safety net endangered.

We have witnessed regulations that protect our food, air, and water eliminated.

We have witnessed the illegal firings of tens of thousands of federal employees whose valuable work contributed to the general welfare.

We have witnessed the deportation of legal residents without due process, plans to detain immigrants in concentration camps, and the persecution of the trans community.

We are witnessing the emergence of a kleptocracy run by oligarchs, for oligarchs, and aligned with oligarchs worldwide.

We are the Buddhist Coalition for Democracy, a newly formed alliance of Buddhist sanghas and individuals representing multiple traditions and lineages. We welcome alliances with other civic, religious, political and legal organizations that share our values. We feel called upon to respond collectively to the ongoing destruction of democratic principles, institutions, norms, and the rule of law, and to the demonization and persecution of vulnerable groups. As Buddhists, we are called to witness the suffering of the world and to mindfully, wisely, and compassionately respond to it. We represent a broad coalition of members with differing perspectives and political philosophies—radical, progressive, liberal, centrist, and conservative—who share a common love for a thriving democracy and are committed to ensuring its survival.

Basic Principles:

1) We believe in the structures, norms, and laws that enable free societies to flourish: free and fair elections; the separation of powers; a free press; freedom of speech, religion, and association; the rule of law; an impartial justice system; and a military committed to preserving and protecting the Constitution.

2) We believe no one should be discriminated against or subjected to cruelty on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion, country of origin, political beliefs, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

3) We believe in the inherent dignity and fundamental rights of every individual as affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

4) We believe everyone should have access to the necessities of food, shelter, clothing, a living wage, a decent education, and quality health care.

5) We believe government officials should speak truthfully, avoid conflicts of interest, and not govern to enrich a select few.

6) We believe society flourishes best when free inquiry and creativity are promoted and supported in medicine, science, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts.

7) We believe the planet is imperiled by climate change, ecological destruction, and

biodiversity loss and that governments are responsible for protecting it.

Resolutions:

Given the above principles, we resolve to:

1) Bear witness to suffering.

2) Compassionately support victims of discrimination and persecution.

3) Partner with civic, religious, political, and legal organizations seeking to defend

democracy and the rule of law.

4) Encourage and support political officials and community leaders to resist attacks on the rule of law and democratic governance.

5) Educate about the dangers of autocracy, oligarchy, and kleptocracy.

6) Resist and refuse to collaborate with harmful policies and practices.

7) Embody and maintain right speech, nonviolence, and loving hearts as we act to defend democracy and protect the vulnerable.

8) Practice an ethics of care, asking of ourselves and others: “What is needed? How can we help?”

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The Buddhist Coalition for Democracy calls on all Buddhists to join in safeguarding democracy and protecting the vulnerable.

• Please join us by providing your contact information so you can stay informed about future meetings and actions: [email protected]

• When you contact us, please let us know if you would like to become a signatory to this Call to Action.

Please respond for the benefit of all sentient beings.