Sangha Spotlight: Ruth Folchman & Lore Detenber, August 2021
Ruth Folchman; Lore Detenber
On Wednesday, August 25 from 7:00-8:30pm ET, via Zoom, IWM will hold a Town Hall (in place of a Dharma Talk). Held on IWM's public zoom link.
Our working group to explore alternative sangha structures, led by Ruth Folchman (Practice Leader) and Lore Detenber (Beloved Community Builder member and White & Awakening in the Dharma co-facilitator), will discuss some of what they have been learning about possible models for sangha governance. We hope everyone will come to listen, share ideas, and ask questions.
In advance of the Town Hall, we asked Ruth and Lore to share about their experiences with this process. Their responses are below.
Our working group to explore alternative sangha structures, led by Ruth Folchman (Practice Leader) and Lore Detenber (Beloved Community Builder member and White & Awakening in the Dharma co-facilitator), will discuss some of what they have been learning about possible models for sangha governance. We hope everyone will come to listen, share ideas, and ask questions.
In advance of the Town Hall, we asked Ruth and Lore to share about their experiences with this process. Their responses are below.
Q: Can you share when and how your journey of learning about possible models for sangha governance began?
Ruth: I have a long and deep interest in governance and administrative structures, and awareness of how good intentions alone do not ensure good or even "good enough" outcomes. (I worked with anti-poverty programs: enough said?) Back when I worked for the Federal government, we often published "effective practices" reports to support information sharing among state/local government and community programs. It's helpful to know what others with shared values have tried and found useful. What an opportunity to learn from others on this same spiritual path, but having different history/personalities/geography/demographics/resources...
Lore: In recent years, conversations in the IWM group called Beloved Community Builders have included questions about how a community Dharma center like ours might take a critical, loving and honest look at ourself in terms of white supremacy culture - ways that we might unknowingly replicate structures of dominance and not-seeing. I've wondered how other centers are approaching similar questions and how different governance and decision-making structures can support or hinder a fully welcoming and aware "beloved community."
Ruth: I have a long and deep interest in governance and administrative structures, and awareness of how good intentions alone do not ensure good or even "good enough" outcomes. (I worked with anti-poverty programs: enough said?) Back when I worked for the Federal government, we often published "effective practices" reports to support information sharing among state/local government and community programs. It's helpful to know what others with shared values have tried and found useful. What an opportunity to learn from others on this same spiritual path, but having different history/personalities/geography/demographics/resources...
Lore: In recent years, conversations in the IWM group called Beloved Community Builders have included questions about how a community Dharma center like ours might take a critical, loving and honest look at ourself in terms of white supremacy culture - ways that we might unknowingly replicate structures of dominance and not-seeing. I've wondered how other centers are approaching similar questions and how different governance and decision-making structures can support or hinder a fully welcoming and aware "beloved community."
Q: Can you share a brief overview of what this process has looked like for you?
Ruth: It took us a while to develop our shared understanding of the goals of this initiative, working with Board members and a few key others to anchor our evolving sense of what to research and how to do it. Once we decided to privilege real-time interviews with a smaller number of Sanghas, rather than an online survey blast, the path became clearer. We're so happy after each interview, as we build the base of learning. And it is heart-warming, how generous so many have been with their time and energy. And so much extraneous learning: Google Forms! Recording audio and transcribing!
Lore: Early last Spring there was an IWM town hall where the board invited involvement in the changes going on with leadership and structures. I mentioned to a board member after the meeting my interest in interviewing or surveying other sanghas for ideas about how we might proceed. I was connected with Ruth who had apparently also expressed interest in researching other sanghas. I was quickly catapulted from the realm of just thinking about and talking about this into actually doing something! It was a little overwhelming but the teamwork that Ruth and I developed from the start was steadying and helped to build confidence that we could offer something useful to IWM. So far, Ruth and I have each done 3-4 interviews with leaders of other sanghas/community Dharma centers and we're working to get that information into forms that are useful to discuss.
Ruth: It took us a while to develop our shared understanding of the goals of this initiative, working with Board members and a few key others to anchor our evolving sense of what to research and how to do it. Once we decided to privilege real-time interviews with a smaller number of Sanghas, rather than an online survey blast, the path became clearer. We're so happy after each interview, as we build the base of learning. And it is heart-warming, how generous so many have been with their time and energy. And so much extraneous learning: Google Forms! Recording audio and transcribing!
Lore: Early last Spring there was an IWM town hall where the board invited involvement in the changes going on with leadership and structures. I mentioned to a board member after the meeting my interest in interviewing or surveying other sanghas for ideas about how we might proceed. I was connected with Ruth who had apparently also expressed interest in researching other sanghas. I was quickly catapulted from the realm of just thinking about and talking about this into actually doing something! It was a little overwhelming but the teamwork that Ruth and I developed from the start was steadying and helped to build confidence that we could offer something useful to IWM. So far, Ruth and I have each done 3-4 interviews with leaders of other sanghas/community Dharma centers and we're working to get that information into forms that are useful to discuss.
Q: What is something you have appreciated or enjoyed from this learning process? Is there anything that has surprised you?
Ruth: Each Sangha has had something that was remarkable to me: an amazing website, mentoring and training offerings, location decisions, collaborations, governance structures. I've really appreciated how variable the elements of sangha are, in terms of what possibilities are for how to do things. And what I've enjoyed the most is the opportunity to work with Lore: she is AWESOME!
Lore: Something that I've appreciated is how Ruth and I take this work on as our practice. We start each meeting with a check-in and often refer to how we're relating to this work from the perspective of Dhamma and Sangha. It's very nourishing and fosters investigation in unexpected ways that I'm really enjoying.
I realize that I'm talking about the process here and not the content of what I'm learning from the interviews. So, I guess readers will have to show up on the 25th to hear a little about what we're learning from the interviews.
Ruth: Each Sangha has had something that was remarkable to me: an amazing website, mentoring and training offerings, location decisions, collaborations, governance structures. I've really appreciated how variable the elements of sangha are, in terms of what possibilities are for how to do things. And what I've enjoyed the most is the opportunity to work with Lore: she is AWESOME!
Lore: Something that I've appreciated is how Ruth and I take this work on as our practice. We start each meeting with a check-in and often refer to how we're relating to this work from the perspective of Dhamma and Sangha. It's very nourishing and fosters investigation in unexpected ways that I'm really enjoying.
I realize that I'm talking about the process here and not the content of what I'm learning from the interviews. So, I guess readers will have to show up on the 25th to hear a little about what we're learning from the interviews.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share?
Ruth: I really hope this project supports our pivot to a more collaborative partnership with all the members of our Sangha who are interested in engaging in dialogue about how we nurture community and organize ourselves.
Ruth: I really hope this project supports our pivot to a more collaborative partnership with all the members of our Sangha who are interested in engaging in dialogue about how we nurture community and organize ourselves.