Look at Us Now!
I recently attended the South, Central, and West Asian Workshop led by Azi Khalili, International Liberation Reference Person for South, Central, and West Asian-Heritage People.
When I first joined RC, twenty years ago, there was no International Liberation Reference Person for South, Central, and West Asian-Heritage People, and we did not have workshops for these constituencies. Azi decided to lead the work—and look at us now! Over seventy people from countries around the world attended the workshop. We now have many strong and deep relationships. We have the conditions for gaining fresh perspectives on our distresses, discharging, and reclaiming our power. For twenty years I have seen Azi act powerfully to make a home for us and herself in RC. Seeing up close how she has fought for her mind and led us all these years has inspired me to act powerfully in my own life.
Azi talked about how we get to trust our minds and trust the intelligence of those around us as we address the big world crises. My father had heavy distresses, caused by poverty, colonization, and religious persecution. He grew up in a U.S.-backed police state (Iran under the Shah) and did not trust anyone. He treated me with great suspicion, as if I might be plotting against him. For my own safety I had to give up on being close to him, and I was left discouraged about the trustworthiness of those around me. At the workshop I worked on how I’d had to give up on trusting my father’s mind and was able to discharge a lot of grief about how badly hurt he is.
Azi offered a big picture of our people’s historical hurts to help us remember not to blame ourselves or our families. We need to keep working on early discouragement so we can keep trying new ways of bringing people together and interrupting the patterns that threaten our collective survival.
I feel hopeful when I think of each person at the workshop and consider the combined impact of our minds as we work to make the world a more livable place.
USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of South, Central, and West Asian-heritage people
(Present Time 205, October 2021)