Conference 12-16 October
Buddhism and Social Equality

 General context and issues relevant to the conference

The spirit of equality and respect for human rights is embedded in the teachings of the Buddha. Despite his noble birth, he never made use of  this against the lower castes and never approved of discrimination of any kind. He expressed this attitude by abandoning all his social advantages and living a simple life equally with his disciples.  He insisted that people can be classified only by deed and advancement of merit, not by birth. Moreover, he made it clear that all people are born equal in terms of their capacity for Buddhahood. He established a caste-free, women-included, other faith-friendly community, the sangha - a challenge to his contemporaries.

Many of his disciples in the modern time understand the problems of inequality and ignorance of human rights and human dignity, and try to cultivate skillful means in working with these difficulties. Buddhists have the capacity to play a creative role in tackling prejudice and discrimination in terms of ethnicity, caste and class, sex, religion, political ideology, etc. Such discrimination only causes violence and division among humankind regardless of religious affiliation.

The 2005 INEB conference will be held in India, where the caste system has been producing suffering for hundreds of years to a great number of people previously called and treated as untouchables, and more recently generally termed Dalits, millions of whom have converted to Buddhism in the last 50 years. In addition, other forms of suffering stemming from inequality and disregard of human rights are present there such as economic disparity, gender discrimination, inter-faith disharmony, etc. The conference is a critical platform for Buddhists to reaffirm their commitment to equality, human rights and the dignity of human beings.

Objectives of the conference

  • To explore Buddhist teachings as guidelines for actions for social equity, social and cultural rights
  • To look at initiatives and exchange knowledge regarding social equity and human rights from Buddhist perspective.
  • To investigate how INEB (a spiritually based people's movement) members can effectively tackle issues of social inequality and cultural discrimination.
  • To strengthen the INEB network of social activists and concerned intellectuals who are working for social, economic, culture and minority rights.

Advisory board of the conference

  • The Venerable Samdong Rinpoche (Head of The Tibetan Government in Exile)
  • Prof. Sulak Sivaraksa (Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute, Thailand)
  • Dhammachari Lokamitra (The Jambudvipa Trust, India) 

Subject to be covered:
The theme of the conference is "Buddhism and Social Equity". It will cover the following subjects.

  • Presentation on situations of social inequality, economic injustice, human rights, minority rights, e.g. in Tibet, Myanmar, Shan State, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India (Dalits), women, etc.
  • Discussion from Buddhist perspectives to try and understand causes and to explore solutions.
  • Discussion on skillful and nonviolent means, and the role of Buddhist NGOs in working with these issues
  • Discussion on cooperation and networking among members and with other faith-based NGOs to tackle the problems.

Expected outcomes:

  • Knowledge on human rights and social equity from Buddhist perspective.
  • Action plans for Buddhist organizations to address the issues by non-violent means both at local and international levels.
  • INEB members to continue studies on issues of human rights and social equity, and the application of Buddhist principles in working with them.

    To download workshop schedule click here