Dear Conversationalists,
My heart goes out to all experiencing the heartbreaking tragedy and sweeping global protests spurred by the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the countless others who came before them. It is time to answer the call to end systemic racism once and for all. There is no place for racism either now or in a Golden Civilization.
Freedom is something that a Golden Civilization promises each of us. We require both economic justice and social freedom, the ones that are fundamental to democracy, freedom of assembly, press, and speech. And others, such as freedom from corruption and war.
Here in the United States, protests have been on-going, and the media continues to share messages of violence and rioting more than of peace and solidarity and of the vision we all long for of the Golden Civilization. It is time to do more.
I hope you will consider taking action during this time, in whatever ways feel comfortable, starting with listening, empathizing, and learning from others. I encourage you to amplify the voices of black and brown people, share your own story, and gather people in your community to share experiences. Open dialog is such a healing tool. It’s understandable that you may feel uncomfortable with the messages we are surrounded by or fearful of saying the wrong thing, but I implore you to listen, empathize, and speak your truth. Remember your mindfulness practice, it can be a great tool for listening and empathy. It is no longer sufficient to settle on being not racist, we must band together to dismantle the systemic racism that is deeply rooted in our institutions by being vocally anti-racist.
We know racism is not simply an American phenomenon and are profoundly moved by the expressions of concern by those outside the United States. Please continue to share your support. We need it.
I hope that the structure of the Golden Civilization Conversations can be of help to you as we grapple with how to engage in these difficult but necessary dialogues. I can say with full confidence that in every Golden Civilization Conversation I have led, every group has called for diversity, respect, equity, an end to racism along with other inclusive ideals. The Golden Civilization community is already so energized about making the world a better place, I only hope this letter might bolster your confidence that We Can Do This, because We Must.
Much aloha,
George