Ouyporn Khuankaew, co-founder of IWP
Ouyporn Khuankaew and Ginger Norwood are two Buddhist feminist activists based in Thailand who co-founded the International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP) in 2002. Through IWP, Ouyporn and Ginger and a wonderful team of other activists offer workshops on anti-oppression feminism, collective leadership, gender and diversity, nonviolent direct action, and peacebuilding.
In the winter of 2011, I was honored to spend some time at IWP (located north of Chiang Mai), and have a deep appreciation for the work that Ouyporn and Ginger are doing to support activists from all over Asia. Just a few weeks ago, Ginger graduated from Upaya’s Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program here in Santa Fe, so our connections with each other literally span the globe.
This summer, IWP is launching a new training program called BEST — the Buddhist Education for Social Transformation Project. BEST is an innovative yearlong certificated course focused on transformation of individuals, communities, the environment, and the world. The program is open to anyone seeking a Buddhist perspective in his or her approach to personal development, social justice and social change work.
I’m very excited to share this news with you for two reasons.
> First — If you are an activist based in Asia or if you know someone who is, the BEST training is now open for applications. The course is open to people of all identities, welcoming of all genders and sexual identities, spiritual/faith traditions and beliefs, ages, ethnicities, education levels, professions, etc. First priority will be given to activists living and working in the Asian region. The deadline for applying is May 1, and you can find the application material on this page.
> Second — I’m very excited that Ouyporn and Ginger have invited me to teach at BEST during the opening session this July. BEST has limited funding which is prioritized for supporting program participants. I don’t have enough resources to make this trip on my own, so I am asking for help to cover transportation to Thailand so that I may support this great program and teach a workshop on “The Mandala of Socially Engaged Buddhism.”
You can find out more on my fundraising page here: http://igg.me/p/221329/x/510470
I would be deeply grateful for any support you can offer, and my biggest thanks to those of you who have already made a contribution to this travel fund! And thank you also for helping to spread the word about BEST to others who may be interested.
palms together,
Maia
The Jizo Chronicles 
Dear Maia;
I am not in a position to help financially but want to wish you the best with the project. Also, I met Ouyporn when I was at INEB in 1995-6 and have huge respect for her. Please give her my warmest regards.
And let me know if/when you could take a side trip to Cambodia.
love,
beth
Dear Beth,
And I have a huge respect for YOUR work as well! For readers who may not know, Beth is the founder of the Cambodia AIDS Project. You can find a link to the project if you look at the sidebar on the right, under the “Socially Engaged Buddhism websites” sections.
I would love to take a side trip to Cambodia to visit… will let you know if that becomes a reality!
palms together,
Maia
Pingback: Support the Compassionate Earth Walk | The Jizo Chronicles