The Albuquerque Insight Meditation Center (AIMC) Ethics and Reconciliation (EAR) Advisory encourages a culture of mutual respect and reconciliation within our community and with Teachers. EAR Advisory’s function is to support AIMC Sangha members who are experiencing interpersonal or organizational conflict. EAR Advisory’s primary role is to provide confidential consultation to anyone with conflicts and grievances that constitute ethical concerns.
The health of our community is not measured by the presence or absence of conflict, but rather by our willingness to find effective, responsible and compassionate resolution of interpersonal tensions when they arise. Because the process of reaching resolution is often difficult, the EAR Advisory offers resources and support for finding a reasonable resolution or compromise in situations of conflict.
EAR Advisory may function:
- as a sounding board for an AIMC Sangha member(s) concerns;
- as a source of questions to facilitate deeper personal reflection;
- as a source of advice on how best to resolve the conflict; and/or
- to facilitate useful discussion between parties in conflict.
EAR Advisory consists of two AIMC Sangha members and a Teacher consultant. They are appointed by the AIMC Board of Directors and have experience relevant to EAR’s purpose and function.
Any contact of the EAR Advisory is voluntary and confidential. No Sangha member may insist that another member has to use the EAR.
Any AIMC community Sangha member may approach an EAR Advisory member for consultation. The EAR Advisory member will then notify the other EAR Advisory member, and they together (in consultation with the Teacher when appropriate) will determine how EAR Advisory can best be of service to the parties concerned, and when appropriate, the AIMC community as a whole. A concern for our community might be to address the “burnout and responsibility overload” that too often occurs with Sangha leaders or volunteers, and that may then result in losing a Sangha member forever. Other procedures, such as outside mediation, may sometimes be recommended.
EAR Advisory is briefly paused; members will be listed when it’s active.