Spiritual Activism

I am a humanitarian and a passionate, long-term advocate of human rights.

And, like many before me including the Buddha himself, I see social justice as a living expression of Yoga and of the Dharma.

When our commitment to inner peace is sincere, it naturally leads us to advocate for outer peace – for on a fundamental level there is no separation. There is no ‘us and them.’ There is only our common humanity and our common desire for freedom, happiness and peace. We’re all in this together.

Therefore an injustice to some, is an injustice to all.

And whether we act or do not act, we are always contributing to the collective consciousness.

If we wish to make a positive contribution towards the greater good of humanity, then our moral compass must be attuned to wherever there is injustice and our hearts must be committed to taking mindful, embodied and skilful action to counter injustice.

“The human race is suffering from its ego-born narrow-mindedness. Discrimination exists, based on religion, colour and nationality. As long as these man-made divisions exist in our society, there is no hope for peace or happiness. True freedom means loving all and hating none, including all and excluding none. For cultivating the true human within, we have to reach out to the hearts of our fellow human beings. Political treaties and alliances are of little value. Removing differences and moving from diversity to unity are the essence of real spiritual practices. This process has to occur at every level of our individual and social lives. There has to be a desire in every human heart to overcome mutual differences that have been artificially imposed by selfish political, social and religious leaders.” ~ Swami Rama

We can also harness the inspiration from great leaders like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, who integrated spirituality and activism. All three fought for social justice with an insistence on truth and non-violence.

On this premise, I am called to educate, teach and to promote human rights, as well as to be a bridge for greater human understanding. I am committed to calling-out injustice and to taking action, both individually and collectively, on behalf of oppressed and minority groups, both locally and internationally – and this brings humility and great meaning to my life.

Beginning your spiritual activism journey

The spiritual activism journey begins on an individual level.

Regardless of your nationality, religion or upbringing, it’s important to look honestly at your social privilege and power. It’s necessary to learn about your cultural history and conditioning to identify how you contribute to human suffering and injustice. To do this, you must be willing to listen directly to the hearts and voices of any ‘others’ from diverse cultures, religions and circumstances, to hear their stories and to question the narratives you have been taught to believe.

And you must be willing to feel uncomfortable and to do the inner work.

For example, living in Australia, I recognise that I am part of a privileged, middle-class, predominantly white society who live with material comfort. Prior to my 30s, I was ignorant to white privilege and the true impacts and suffering effects of white settler colonialism on Aboriginal people. For a few years I felt utter shame and anger about the unconscious racism I carried. Integration has been key. In more recent years, getting to know Aboriginal elders and learning the truth about the ‘White Australia Policy’ and the horrendous Aboriginal massacres, genocide and the stolen generation, has enabled me to feel informed, as well as motivated to speak up and to take action.

I get that it’s convenient to ‘turn a blind eye’ to the devastating human impacts that racism, colonialism, capitalism and imperialism, continue to have in our modern world. But as we know in Yoga, ignorance is not bliss!

So how about you? Chances are if you’re reading this, that you’re interested in being an advocate for human rights and justice.

What are the universal human rights?

Human rights are based on principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect, that is shared across continents, cultures, religions and philosophies. They are about being treated fairly, treating others fairly and having the ability to make genuine choices in our daily lives.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and has been translated into over 500 languages. It sets out 30 Articles outlining the basic rights and freedoms that are the same for every man, woman and child across the world, from birth to death, that no one can take away.

For example, Article 1 states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

The UDHR includes:

• Ethical Rights – the right to dignity, self-determination, sovereignty, liberty and security; to not be held in slavery; to not be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
• Legal Rights – the right to have freedom from detention; freedom from inhumane treatment in detention; to seek justice; to have a fair trial and to have legal representation.
• Social Rights – the right to education; to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; to movement within your country and to return home; and the right to privacy; and the right to non-discrimination based on gender, marital status, sexual orientation and race etc.

It is worth noting that women delegates from various countries played a key role in getting women’s rights included in the UDHR. Hansa Mehta of India and Eleanor Roosevelt were instrumental in changing the phrases from “all men” to “all human beings.”

Article 29 states that we all have a responsibility to the people around us and that we should protect their rights and freedoms.

Human rights issues to get involved in

In 2024, Amnesty International reports “there is a stark betrayal of human rights principles by today’s leaders and institutions” – therefore the urgency for citizens like you and me to play our part in social justice has never been greater.