Wednesday
Featured StoriesZiji Collective Gathers in Mexico
by Rianne Pelleboer
Mexico City, that’s where the magic is happening this year.
Young Shambhalians will gather there in May to enjoy a weekend of sharing experiences and then dive deeper into a leadership training at Casa Werma. People from all over the world will fly to Mexico–or rather from all over North America. Up until now, no European has managed to find the means to attend, and we would like to change that.
The Ziji Collective
The Ziji Collective is a youth movement inspired by the Shambhala vision of an uplifted human society and dedicated to manifesting that vision in the world through the transformative power of collective action. We believe that social change is possible and that basic goodness is at the heart of that transformation.
Empowered by the Sakyong during the 2014 Ziji Summit in San Francisco, we seek to have the courage and confidence to embody basic goodness. Under the banner of ziji (brilliant radiance), we gather to share ideas, host art events, and spark initiatives that further the vision of creating enlightened society.
We see the strength and potency of the Shambhala teaching and feel that it is time to carry that vision out into the world, into society. First and foremost, we are the next generation of Shambhala guides, hosts, teachers and center directors. We organize youth nights and allow young people to come together and practice, but we see that as only the beginning.
The Sakyong has entrusted us to experiment with extending out the vision of the Great Eastern Sun beyond the confines of Shambhala, based on Shambhala principles, and thus to help bring about enlightened society. To accomplish this, we need training and support.
An International Effort
Last year the Ziji Collective organized their first Global Summit in San Francisco. Over 80 young leaders showed up, representing the full array of our international sangha. People came from Brazil, Mexico, Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. There were also representatives from all over the states, including Oregon, Washington, Boston, Tennessee, Alabama, Colorado, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. All came to share their dreams and inspirations, to practice together and learn from each other.
The Bay Area, where Ziji Collective was created, is the epicentre of the Zijiverse but that doesn’t mean it ends there. This year we will meet in Mexico, acknowledging that Shambhala is truly an international community. Such diversity brings about obstacles, for example scheduling meetings across so many time zones, but when regarded properly it can be our strength. It’s the warrior’s path to work with the obstacles and find our common ground. We can use the star of our Zijiverse, which is basic goodness, to illuminate all of the groups orbiting with it.
What we bring
The Mexicans bring their cultural pride and passionate personalities, the Americans bring their openness, organizational skills and ketchup, and what do the Europeans bring? Currently nothing. But wouldn’t it be great to have someone who speaks at least 3 of the 230 languages spoken on the European continent?
What would we bring? A little caution for authority, a strong feeling for fairness and equality, and of course: Nutella.
What we need
An astounding amount of young European leaders showed up at last year’s meeting in San Francisco with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, but we fear that money is an obstacle for many to fly to our Global Summit and Leadership Retreat in Mexico this year. We will start on the weekend of May 15th for our second Global Summit and will then travel to Casa Werma for a Leadership Retreat with in-depth leadership training.
Wouldn’t it be great it we could have at least one person to share this experience with young leaders on the European continent? We hope to fund a scholarship, and we need your help to make sure more continents are represented. We want the sun of our Zijiverse to spark and radiate out across the globe!
We’re already almost halfway toward the $1177 need to fly a Ziji leader from Europe. Please help us to reach our goal with whatever support you can offer:
http://theofferingbowl.com/index.php/petitioners/571-ziji-european-scholarship
Rianne Pelleboer is a member of the Ziji Collective from the Netherlands where she organizes youth nights in Utrecht. Now she serves on the Ziji Global Council as European representative.
