Psyche and Politics, Evening #2:
To Be Political Is To Be Spiritual
Kathleen O'Malley , Ph.D.
The words of Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (elected in 1960;,assassinated with CIA complicity, in 1961.) capture the essence of my beliefs. When approached by people who wanted to "help" his ravaged country he said "if you have come to do good, we don't need you; if you've come because you know your liberation is tied to ours, welcome."
Intially inspired by the social teachings of the Catholic Church, and later by Buddhism, I have come to recognize that to be spiritual is to be political. Peace and justice work is integral to my spiritual path. I believe our liberation is inextricably linked to that of every other sentient being.
Since 2001 I have traveled to Iraq, Palestine, and Iran areas of war and conflict — as a member of peace teams. While there, we work to reduce violence and promote the resolution of conflict through non-violent means. This has included documenting human rights violations, assisting families of people who have been detained, walking children to school when they are in danger of being shot. U sing story telling as a means of stimulating thought and reflection, I will discuss my work and experiences using active non-violence approaches in areas of conflict and/or war.
