Dear Ones,
By now, many of you would have heard about the letter that a group of women has released around their personal relationships with Pancho. It was very troubling to read, and challenging to process, given the dimensions of exemplary service that we've witnessed from him over the years. We have posted a response from ServiceSpace here. To ensure that others feel safe, we've asked him to keep a distance from our offline and online spaces -- and also leave India, as soon as a flight is available.
Many people feel quite angry and betrayed by Pancho's actions; others, including vocal women leaders, are opposed to the approach of public shaming and other-ing of Pancho. Yet others are still processing, and go through different cycles of denial, anger, sadness, and acceptance, with each passing day. So many of us are trying to hold all these ends of the spectrum, in alignment with values that we've practiced over the years.
It is important to know that Pancho was connected to many organizations and communities, like ours. Many groups openly held fundraisers and events for him, as recent as his time in Mexico. While we have never promoted anyone as a "spiritual leader", it seems that people in other contexts might've seen him like that.
More proactively, we approach this situation with a learning mindset. As we continue to grow, how can we keep our spaces safe, especially for women? What processes can be put in place to report any inappropriate behavior so it is addressed promptly? How can we encourage men to be more sensitive to these issues? Can we craft a code of conduct that works for voluntary systems of interaction?
Over the next couple of weeks, we will continue various dialogues to tap into our collective sense and keep moving forward with love.
A few days ago, when my mom first heard about this, her first response was to fast for the well-being of all. Similarly, Jasky wrote: "I am going to bow in repentance -- to help cultivate, in some small way, a wholesome field for Pancho and all the women."
Love,
Nipun
By now, many of you would have heard about the letter that a group of women has released around their personal relationships with Pancho. It was very troubling to read, and challenging to process, given the dimensions of exemplary service that we've witnessed from him over the years. We have posted a response from ServiceSpace here. To ensure that others feel safe, we've asked him to keep a distance from our offline and online spaces -- and also leave India, as soon as a flight is available.
Many people feel quite angry and betrayed by Pancho's actions; others, including vocal women leaders, are opposed to the approach of public shaming and other-ing of Pancho. Yet others are still processing, and go through different cycles of denial, anger, sadness, and acceptance, with each passing day. So many of us are trying to hold all these ends of the spectrum, in alignment with values that we've practiced over the years.
It is important to know that Pancho was connected to many organizations and communities, like ours. Many groups openly held fundraisers and events for him, as recent as his time in Mexico. While we have never promoted anyone as a "spiritual leader", it seems that people in other contexts might've seen him like that.
More proactively, we approach this situation with a learning mindset. As we continue to grow, how can we keep our spaces safe, especially for women? What processes can be put in place to report any inappropriate behavior so it is addressed promptly? How can we encourage men to be more sensitive to these issues? Can we craft a code of conduct that works for voluntary systems of interaction?
Over the next couple of weeks, we will continue various dialogues to tap into our collective sense and keep moving forward with love.
A few days ago, when my mom first heard about this, her first response was to fast for the well-being of all. Similarly, Jasky wrote: "I am going to bow in repentance -- to help cultivate, in some small way, a wholesome field for Pancho and all the women."
Love,
Nipun
Reflections
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