Triratna News

Ecodharma Launching New Pan-European Training Centre

On Wed, 29 March, 2017 - 10:45
Aryanisha's picture
Aryanisha

As Europe faces serious social, political and ecological challenges, the Ecodharma Centre are offering a strategic Buddhist response. Since 2008, the Ecodharma Centre in Catalunya, has been innovating courses and retreats that combine inner and outer transformation. They bring Buddhism into relationship with environmental and social activism. This year they’re their expanding that work through a new pan-European training centre. It’s called the Ulex Project.

“We’ve spent years developing a dharma-inspired approach to activist training, on courses such as our Engaged Buddhist Training or Sustainable Activism courses” explains Guhyapati, founder of the Ecodharma Centre. “We’ve had a lot of success. But looking around at the rise of intolerant and far right politics in Europe, as well as the fast closing window for meaningful action on climate change, we sense an increasing need to get this work out to more people.”

This week the team launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the final renovation of the new centre. “We’ve been given an amazing building which we’ll open as a training centre in October 2017,” says Guhyapati. “We’re raising €40,000 to get the centre open. It’ll give vital support to activists and organisers addressing some of the most important issues of our times.”

The programme of training will be grounded in what Ecodharma call Integral Activist Training. The approach is rooted in the values and practices of Buddhism, but offers training within a secular framework. “We’ve opted for a secular framing to reach more people,” says Guhyapati. “The Ecodharma Centre already allows us to share our understanding in Buddhist terms. Ulex is an attempt to translate the richness of our learning into a language and approach that can have a wider impact. We think it is crucial to find ways to extend the power of the dharma way beyond Buddhism – especially today!”

To help finance creating the new centre, visit the Ecodharma team’s crowdfund appeal.

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Responses

dharmabandhu's picture

That’s great news , wishing you all much success and inspired Dharma activism!!

parami's picture

Wishing you well with the course, Guhyapati and all.  Sounds great

love, Parami