Search
Close this search box.

Secular Activism and the Sacred: a Common Ground

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

What is the place of activism in contemplation? How might spiritual practices influence our advocacy for a just and sustainable world?

On February 28, One Earth Sangha hosted an online webinar featuring our own Lou Leonard, head of the World Wildlife Fund’s climate program, and Zen teacher Kritee (Kanko), a senior climate scientist at Environmental Defense Fund. We explored what it means to be advocating for science and policy in secular civil society while walking the Buddhist wisdom path, how these two dimensions of daily life can inspire and ground one another.

The recording of this webinar, available as a video or audio-only, is offered freely. We invite your generosity, or dana, to support the work of One Earth Sangha.

100% of your donation is tax-deductible and will go to One Earth Sangha via our sponsoring institution, the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
Whatever you can give is deeply appreciated!

Audio Only:

 
The recording of this webinar is offered freely. We invite your generosity, or dana, to support the work of One Earth Sangha.

100% of your donation is tax-deductible and will go to One Earth Sangha via our sponsoring institution, the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
Whatever you can give is deeply appreciated!

Picture of Sensei Kritee Kanko and Lou Leonard

Sensei Kritee Kanko and Lou Leonard

Kritee (dharma name Kanko), is a Buddhist Zen teacher, climate scientist, grief ritual leader, and social permaculture designer. She is cofounder of Boundless in Motion Sangha, a meditation community in the Buddhist lineage of Cold Mountain Zen. She is also a founding board member of Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, a center that brings meditation in nature together with dharma teachings for ecological action, as well as Frontline Farming, an advocacy group that lifts up people of color and women farmers and focuses on food cultivation, education, policy change and justice. As a senior scientist in the Climate Smart Agriculture Program at Environmental Defense Fund, she is helping to implement environment and climate-friendly methods of small farming at large scales in Asia with a three-fold goal of poverty alleviation, food security and climate mitigation / adaptation.

Lou is a life-long environmentalist who has worked to advance laws, policies and practices that promote care for the Earth and the people and communities that call it home. Lou discovered the dharma as part of his search for balance and support in the face of the difficult emotions that arise as we dedicate ourselves to healing the world and promoting social change. He’s worked in government, civil society, academia, and the private sector, including serving as Senior Vice President at World Wildlife Fund where he led the climate change program for over a decade. Lou currently serves as Dean of the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment at Chatham University supporting students of all ages who are training to advance climate and food justice. Lou is deeply grateful for the refuge he has found in the dharma and the teachers who have helped him find it.
Share this EcoDharma
facebook
twitter
email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.