My political standpoints
“We will do our best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may make difficulties for us or threaten our safety.” (Part of the ninth of the fourteen mindfulness trainings)
Basics
Accept reality
To change things we have to see them as clearly as possible. Not project our own views on it and get out of our own bubbles. This is what i mean with acceptance of reality.
Reflect normativity
Our way to look at the world is so shaped by patriarchy, white supremacy, ableism, heteronormativity and other concepts of oppression, that i think it's necessary to actively work on those topics.
Transform skillfully
Seeing the violence and injustice in the world is difficult. To change systems to something healthier we need the capacity of resilience and the skills to work on our emotions and in our communitys.
A little more detailed
I am glad to have found a way of Buddhist practice, that is trying to take a stand against injustice. This way is engaged Buddhism in the plum village tradition. But it isn’t always easy. Getting in contact with the own suffering can be very time consuming and as many political movements for social justice work with stuff we don’t consider helpful, it is tempting to fall into normative narratives about society.
So there is still a lot of work to do, understanding the ways systems of oppression shape the way we experience the world and taking a stand against social injustice, even if it means we could probably get in danger or face repression from the state. There are rays of hope, in form of rainbow Sanghas and Buddhist conversations about oppression. As beautiful examples check out: Lama Rod Owens, the book “transcending- trans Buddhist voices” or Rainbodhi. (see more at links)
And as there is so much wisdom and knowledge in political movements for social justice, I really hope they and buddhism can continue to influence each other and work together for a world with less suffering.