OPPOSE Censorship and Banishment as conflict resolution strategies
SUPPORT Free Speech, Nonviolence, and Universal Inclusion
(aren't these the principles of Progressives and Greens?)
Please write to my friends Rachel Treichler and Wilton Vought
and ask that my 3 panels/workshops be offered.
...and say a little prayer for peace and healing.
Here's the story:
I was recently invited to present at the NY Green Fest 2009
by organizer Rachel Treichler. She asked if I would speak
on a media panel, or on any topic.
Since media democracy work is no longer my primary focus,
I asked to speak on self-transformation topics, which
I have been studying deeply for about 2 years.
I suggested:
- A panel on "The Spiritual Basis of Activism".
My 20 min. contribution: "Fear or Love?" would be based on
the Yoga - Buddhist - Vedanta perspective.
- A 40 min. guided Vipassana-style meditation
(breath-body focus, present-moment awareness)
with a short talk about why meditation is important
to maintain health and happiness.
- A workshop on the Basics of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
This will help activists become better negotiators and communicators.
All seemed like a "GO", until suddenly, I was "un-invited"
by Rachel Treichler, the same person who had invited me!
This means not only: Don't present, but also
PLEASE DON'T COME AT ALL!
Apparently, Wilton Vought threatened to boycott
the event if I showed up!
Rachel apparently didn't question Wilton's bizarre demand
(e.g., asking what happens to Wilton if I show up?
Does he break out in hives?) and agreed that
Wilton's contributions are much more valuable than mine,
his demand was reasonable, and therefore I should
be "un-invited".
Additionally, Wilton has attempted to get my posts moderated
or censored from other fora (PEACENET) and I have been,
without cause or notice, silently unsubscribed from the
BroomeCountyNYGreens listserv, which I presume is
administered by my friend Wilton. Note Well: and this
time it's not for something I said... but for something I MIGHT say!!
Preemptive censorship, prior restraint.
This seems like a violent, coercive, fear-based response.
Isn't the Green/Progressive way though conflict
supposed to be by engagement and process and nonviolence?
This is all nothing new to me. Such a repeating pattern.
I so wish to change it.
How ironic: as I have sought media-access
and free speech for all people, and attempted to advocate
my version of Green/Progressive values, I have been banished from
nearly every open, public, or progressive forum!
- Banned from the WSKG Community Advisory Board for
"having an agenda" (i.e., more local programming, more progressive
programming, Democracy Now on TV and "the big station", etc)
- Banned from WHRW (SUNY Binghamton station)
for allegedly failing a test I wasn't required to take.
The questions were about FCC rules, specifically about obscenity,
a topic which I am published and a subject-matter expert.
What was I doing which was so subversive?
I give voice to local people fighting power (like some anti-WalMart folks),
and also a very "radical and subversive" show on Yoga philosophy.
- Banished from the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition
listserv, for suggesting that for an organization with "Sustainability" in the name,
taking the position of *not opposing* the Marcellus Shale drilling was idiotic,
and for admonishing the person who said it for wasting an opportunity
of talking to the press. "If you can't speak strongly for the
rights of nature, why don't you shut up, stand aside and let someone
speak who can?"
(OK, perhaps unskillful, not NVC, etc., but it was my honest expression
at the time. Don't we have free speech in this country? Isn't this expression,
apart from the anger, more aligned with the purpose of the organization?)
- Banned from the Binghamton IMC.... (a group I started) ...
... and others...
Being a good Buddhist and yogi, I have no ego-involvement in being a speaker at Green Fest.
It was an opportunity for me to present some information which has transformed my life,
allowed me to find happiness. I would have loved to use this opportunity to give this information
to a state-wide audience and hopefully, help people, empower people, with
information which can help them be free from their suffering.
The thing which is holding my attention most now is to understand:
1: What impulse in Greens and Progressives, who allegedly are all about free speech and
universal inclusion, allows them to jump to using violent tools like
DEMANDS, BANISHMENT, and CENSORSHIP
without apparent internal conflict?
2: What is it about ME and what I have to say which is so repulsive,
so repugnant, so vile, so dangerous, that people would violate their own
alleged moral principles to silence me, banish me, exclude me, ostracize me?
Lastly, (and while I still have access to THIS forum!!!)
I would like to share with you something I have been working on:
Do you want to leave in a World of Peace?
Do you want to be healthy and happy?
Do you want to be free from your misery and suffering?
Most greens and progressives would say "yes",
but many don't know what to do to make this happen,
and are caught up in strategies which don't seem to work.
I have found the answer!
After a suicidal crisis about 2 years ago,
I decided to investigate the causes of suffering,
and to find if there were proven strategies which work.
The answer is YES!
The general problem of suffering vs. happiness was solved 2,500 years ago
by a guy sitting under a tree. I believe the answer he found to be universal,
as I have encountered this same basic technique and principles,
apparently independently developed, by nearly every human culture
on every continent.
But I understand "universal" sounds like fundamentalism and is distasteful
to many. So let me say this: I have found a great healing from this information,
and I freely offer it to you to investigate and try this out for yourself:
These links all go to the same place:
- http://bit.ly/mindmodel
- http://tinyurl.com/mindmodel
- http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2009/05/buddhism-yoga-nvc-general-semantics.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29275533@N06/3518879514/sizes/l/in/set-72157617964047512/
My three presentations (hopefully) at NY Green Fest 2009 all in some
way connect to this chart. I call this chart the
Grand Unified Theory of Body-Mind Consciousness.
This chart chiefly integrates concepts from
Buddhism, Yoga, and Nonviolent Communications.
This chart illustrates why the Louise Hay healing model works (healing self),
as well as Ho'oponopono healing model (healing others/relationships).
All of these techniques involve inner-work to solve every problem,
even problems which seem to be "out there".
(finger pointing out -- then noticing three pointing back :)
By this chart, I can see that to heal conflicts, disease, suffering,
one needs to find a way into the "Cultivated Calm Allowing" block:
Patience - Forgiveness - Gratitude - Faith - Surrender - Acceptance
Compassion - Generosity - Contentment - Equanimity - Repentance
Today, I am sending my friends Rachel and Wilton (and all sentient beings)
loving-kindness and compassion.
I wish Rachel and Wilton (and all sentient beings) happiness.
I am offering forgiveness and repentance for my role in this conflict.
I am offering gratitude for the wisdom this experience will bring me.
I am praying for engagement of all parties, and
I am setting an intention for a peaceful resolution
to this and all conflicts.
--
Bill Huston
Binghamton NY
Phone: 607-321-7846
Email: WilliamAHuston at gmail
Bio: http://binghamtonpmc.org/bio.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1133803981
Blog: http://WilliamAHuston.blogspot.com
Myspace: http://myspace.com/MrMouthyMan
3 comments:
Bill, I wish you the best in trying to break through the barrier that the Green Party has put up. But from my perspective, the Green Party has lost touch with progressive values. So I hope you don't equate them too much with progressives!
~Kurt
I just discovered you and your work, inspiring to see, how you are trying to combine your newly found NVC and spiritual values with your activism and radio activities. I have somewhat of a similar background, tekkie, 54, and also to some degree interested in "alternative politics", and having a long time foundation of meditation, and NVC, but not so much used to being "public". You seem like a "multidimensional alter ego" of mine. same mixture but different proportions. :-) Do you know Marshalls concept of "having fun with your jackals?"BTW, which software do use for creating these nice "mindmodels"? I appreciate your "realness", meaning not being "perfect" with NVC etc. But having good intentions.
Big D: The one thing I don't like about Blogger is there is no nested comments and no way for me to contact you privately. I have no way of knowing if you will read this or not... so hoping that you do...
Well, I do see a lot of ego involvement in what I wrote there :) How does one abandon ego when it feels like "I" have been so mistreated?
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I use Visio. Find my latest mind model diagrams at http://bit.ly/mindmodel
Also, I've changed the NVC diagram quite a bit. I now locate "Needs" inside the cognitive mind. Check the Wikipedia article on NVC to see it. Send me an email and I'll explain more on my issue with NVC Needs... Best -- BH
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