Author Topic: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation  (Read 18555 times)

Offline bls926

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2010, 03:21:25 am »
From the PeaceJam website . . .

http://www.peacejam.org/home.aspx






PeaceJam Events

2012 Revealed with Rigoberta Menchu Tum
http://www.peacejam.org/events/2012-Revealed-with-Rigoberta-Menchu-Tum-320.aspx
 



Quote
NOTE: In order to register for this event through our website, you must register an account on peacejam.org. Register an account by clicking the "register an account on peacejam.org" button to the right. If you do not want to do this, please order tickets from us by phone by calling 303-455-2099.

Join us for a powerful day of blessing and initiation from leading Mayan Spiritual Elders and Rigoberta Menchú Tum. This truly unique and powerful event will explore the true meaning of 2012 from the Mayan perspective and offer participants the opportunity to learn how to be a "Light Bearer" in these trying times, as well as the opportunity to attend workshops led by Mayan Spiritual Teachers from Guatemala.
 
In order to register for this event through our website, you must register an account on peacejam.org. Register an account by clicking the "register an account on peacejam.org" button to the right. If you do not want to do this, please order tickets from us by phone by calling 303-455-2099.

This event will take place in Boulder at Naropa University's Nalanda Campus and is open to all ages.

General Admission Tickets are $195 and can be purchased through this website.

VIP Sponsorship Tickets can be purchased for $495 by calling the PeaceJam office and speaking to Ryan Hanschen at 303-455-2099.

Click Here to Download an Event Flier
 
Event Type: Official PJ Event
 
Start Time: Thursday, July 08, 2010 at 8:30 AM
 
End Time: Thursday, July 08, 2010 at 4:30 PM
 
Event Fee: $195.00
 
Location: Naropa University Nalanda Camppus 6287 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, Colorado
United States
80302

 

This is as much PeaceJam, Engle, and Menchu as it is Naropa, maybe more.

Offline bls926

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2010, 03:27:22 am »
Advertised in Denver Westword


Event

PeaceJam Presents Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Thu., July 8, 9:00am-4:00pm
Naropa University Nalanda Campus

Price: $195, $495 VIP

http://www.peacejam.org

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and other leading Mayan spiritual leaders participate in a ceremony of blessing, initiation and day of workshops.


Location
Naropa University Nalanda Campus
63rd St. and Arapahoe Ave.; Boulder CO





Offline bls926

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2010, 03:48:31 am »
YouTube - PeaceJam: 2012 Revealed
- 57 sec - Jun 4, 2010
Join PeaceJam for a powerful day of blessing and initiation from leading ... This event will take place in Boulder at Naropa University's ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nt3T3y-Taw - more videos »

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2010, 08:07:01 pm »
It seems to me the best way to get to the bottom of this is to ask questions to Peacejam itself. I doubt Naropa would give a straight answer, and their whole history says they frankly don't give a damn what NDNs think. Menchu is a legislator (congresswoman?) in Guatemala, but I doubt contacting her office there would be easy.

Peacejam has a thread on this I encourage others to speak up at. I'm going to post a message there myself.
http://www.peacejam.org/index/topics/2012-Revealed-with-Rigoberta-Menchu-Tum-1544.aspx

You'll notice there's one person who mentioned some kind of exchange program they were on and Menchu was happy to explain Mayan worldviews, but nothing like ceremony. There's one clueless guy who says "Give us the Mayan secrets!" but he may be joking. It looks like some of the youth groups associated with Peacejam are being urged to fundraise so they can go there, much like youth groups fundraise to go to NASA or thye Smithsonian and so on.

I don't see any sign of Nuagers flocking to this. Or really any mention of the Mayan elders names. Perhaps Naropa is behind them. If so, how can we even be sure they actually are Mayan elders and not imposters like Carlos Barrios or Hunbatz Men/Carlos Mena Toto?

ETA: Here's what I posted at Peacejam.
--------
Hello, my name is Al Carroll. I'm a Native historian and activist. I'm one of the mods over at New Age Frauds Plastic Shamans (NAFPS). We investigate concerns about imposters who pose as Native medicine people and elders, as well as those New Agers who exploit Native traditions for profit.

We have some very strong concerns about this event with Rigoberta Menchu and unnamed Mayan elders. You can see our discussion here.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2744.0

Obviously Peacejam does quite a bit of good work, and Menchu is justly honored for her landmark and courageous work as a human rights activist and leader of her people.

For those reasons, we wonder why Peacejam and Menchu would associate with an institute with such an ugly history of exploitation and abuse as Naropa? Naropa has hired imposters who posed as Native healers and elders. It was abusive of the civil rights of Natives who objected to such travesties.

Our second concern is why is this event seemingly being marketed like a New Age seminar of ceremony selling? Why the pandering to New Age misconceptions with terms like "Mayan secrets" and "lightworkers" and "2012 revealed"? After all, the whole hype about the supposed end of the world in 2012 because of some alleged Mayan prophecy is patently false, and being sold by dubious characters like Hunbatz Men and Albert Villoldo and Halleman.

Worst of all, why does this event seem to be marketed as offering a blessing for a high price, hundreds of dollars per person? Pay to pray is deeply offensive to the overwhelming majority of Natives, including Mayans. If true, it would be a crass exploitation of Native spiritual traditions.

Finally, who are the Mayan elders supposedly giving out a blessing for cash? We have a hard time believing actual Mayan elders would do this. There are more than a few characters posing as Mayan spiritual leaders (eg Hunbatz Men). Naropa's involvement only makes us wonder.

Again, this is no criticism of Peacejam's generally good work, but we hope you will deal with these deeply troubling issues. Would you sell a meeting with Bishop Tutu as "Come get a blessing from a Christian minister for 300 bucks! Learn real African secrets!"

Offline nemesis

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2010, 09:42:50 pm »
I know next to nothing about PeaceJam, however I notice with interest that one of their partner organisations is the Art of Living Foundation, a controversial group considered to be a cult by some.  

a few links
http://www.diwala.com/233/is-sri-sri-a-fraud-fraud-things-certainly-look-that-way/

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/the-the-great-great-sri-sri-ngo-ngo-scam-scam/

http://guruphiliac.lefora.com/2008/04/12/me-and-sri-sri/

It seems to me that Peacejam is not terribly discerning about who they work with.





Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2010, 06:42:09 am »
I see that Dawn replied to your post Al, and she provided her phone number so you can call to have your questions answered. Why didn't she just answer them on the board there so everyone can see? Maybe she thought it would distract or something, and I suppose anyone could call her and ask for the answers.. just, if a few people call, well, why answer multiple times when she could just answer once for all to see.
press the little black on silver arrow Music, 1) Bob Pietkivitch Buddha Feet http://www.4shared.com/file/114179563/3697e436/BuddhaFeet.html

Offline bls926

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2010, 07:11:52 am »
I called the PeaceJam office this evening and spoke with Kate. The Mayan Spiritual Elders who are participating in this event are Don Pedro Yac Nonj and Dona Faviana Cochoy Alva. (Since these two are Mayan, I'm not sure why they're using Spanish titles.)

I told her that I understood charging admission to the event, but questioned why VIP tickets were $300 more. What do you get for that $300? You get to meet the Mayan Spiritual Elders and receive a special blessing? She replied that everyone would get to meet Don Pedro and Dona Faviana; they would be conducting some of the workshops, along with Rigoberta Menchu. However, those with VIP tickets would get to spend additional time with the Elders and receive a blessing. I asked her if she knew what that was called; she didn't understand what I meant. My reply, "Charging $300 for a blessing . . . That's called selling ceremony. It's wrong. You should never pay to pray." She stated that she was sorry I felt that way and added that I wasn't the first person to say that. I told her I was sure they'd hear it again and again as it is never okay to sell ceremony.

I expressed my disappointment in what they were doing. From everything I've seen, PeaceJam is a worthwhile organization, working on a good cause. They will lose credibility; they will no longer be seen as legitimate. Selling ceremony is never okay. She said that was never their intention. I said, maybe not but that's what you're doing. You know what they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It doesn't matter what your intentions are, it's the outcome that matters. When you charge $300 for a blessing, you're selling ceremony. I told her they really needed to think about what they were doing.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2010, 07:29:57 am by bls926 »

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Dawn Engle > Executive Director > PeaceJam Foundation
« Reply #22 on: June 26, 2010, 03:38:26 pm »
This was my response to Dawn. Hopefully not too late. Time's been taken up quite a bit with grading exams.

------------

Hello Dawn,

I would prefer we NOT discuss this matter by phone.

It's been my experience this is what is generally done to try and sweep a matter under the rug, avoid any discussion in public.

I instead hope you answer my concerns here, on the board, in full view for everyone to see.

Another member of NAFPS, Bonnie, apparently did speak with a Peacejam member/employee named Kate.

Bonnie confirms that Kate admitted they have faced other, similar objections to this event for its seeming ceremony-selling.

The two Mayan elders Kate mentioned are Don Pedro Yac Nonj and Dona Faviana Cochoy Alva. What I found online confirms to me that they are not imposters. That certainly is good to know.

However there is still the very disturbing matter of how this meeting is being marketed. It is being pushed as Pay to Pray, ceremony selling, which is very offensive and disturbing to Natives, including Mayans.

The advertising uses New Age buzzwords with nothing to do with Native or Mayan traditions, "lightworkers" etc. Really, how hard would it be to change that? How hard would it be to make it clear the money is for the meeting and NOT to sell a blessing?

There's also the disturbing association with Naropa, who have a history of promoting imposters and contempt for Native traditions. That should not surprise anyone, given that Naropa was founded by one of the more notoriously abusive gurus.

And another member of NAFPS pointed this out to me, that Peacejam is also associating with another cult, Art of Living Foundation, founded by cult leader Sri Sri Ngo.

The wording of your advertising is something that can be changed quickly and easily. The association with two abusive institutions, one of them an outright cult, is something Peacejam hopefully will come to grips with. Seemingly there is some serious problems with oversight.