Jean Houston on the Fallacy of Self Mastery by Amy Edelstein “I would never use the word ‘mastery’! I thought I’d tell you that right away. . . . To me, it smacks of galloping chutzpah!” This was Dr. Jean Houston’s response at the very beginning of our interview, before I had even begun to explain what we meant by “self-mastery” and why … Read More
Creating Human Security in an Insecure World: Mary Robinson
An Interview with Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (1997-2002); President of Ireland (1990-1997) Originally published by Women’s Review of Books, Wellesley College Mary Robinson may well be the most tough-compassion, pragmatic human rights advocate of recent times. Appearing last December as the key moderator for the State of the World Forum’s Commission on Globalization Meetings in Mexico City, … Read More
Helen Suzman: Politician, Social Revolutionary & Change Maker
“I didn’t take any risks!” was perhaps the most provocative thing politician, social activist, and radically independent thinking Helen Suzman could have said to me. In case you are not familiar with her history and accomplishments, the late Helen Suzman, member of South African Parliament for thirty-six years, was the sole Progressive Party member in opposition to the apartheid regime … Read More
Dr. Jose Cabezon on Gay Buddhist Ethics & Gender Identity
This article was originally printed in EnlightenNext magazine. On June 11, 1997, in San Francisco, gay Buddhist activists met with H.H. the Dalai Lama to take the revered Tibetan Buddhist leader to task for his position that gay sexuality was in violation of Buddhist sexual ethics. In his bookBeyond Dogma, the Dalai Lama cites Buddhist rules that classify homosexual activity … Read More