SDI DEIJ Statement From the Board
by Cindy Lee and Rev. SeiFu Anil Singh-Molares
On Behalf of the SDI Board of Directors
The Board of Directors identifies Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) as one of the key initiatives for Spiritual Directors International (SDI). We strive to be an organization that embodies radical inclusion through welcoming and celebrating the identities of every member, staff, and board member. To embrace this commitment, SDI as an organization has zero tolerance for discrimination, intimidation, sexual harassment, racism, harm, violence, or abuse based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, abilities, citizenship, age, religion, or spiritual tradition.
As an organization of spiritual companions, we especially respect a diversity of religious, spiritual, and wisdom traditions including the religiously unaffiliated. Thus we have no tolerance for any forms of religious harassment or violence. We especially seek to honor Indigenous peoples, knowledge, and spiritual traditions by honoring and caring for the land in which we all live. We recognize that we live in times of ongoing suffering, conflict, and violence, and as an organization we consider how we might respond to the injustices of
our times through our shared practices of contemplative presence and spiritual companioning.
Our ongoing commitment to DEIJ includes:
- Providing programs and events from a diversity of peoples and perspectives.
- Facilitating safe and non-harmful environments in all of our communal gatherings by upholding community guidelines based on listening, compassion, and respecting human dignity and differences.
- Forming committees and gatherings to actively listen to our members that represent different constituents of SDI.
- Inviting and equipping our members to incorporate DEIJ values and actions in their own practices of spiritual companioning.
- Increasing international access and equity to SDI offerings and benefits.
- Decolonizing the practice of spiritual companioning by recognizing the dominance of western
normativity in our practices, and expanding our practices by learning from and recognizing the many
global expressions of spiritual companioning relationships. - Our commitment to justice is to regularly assess our systems, policies, and power to protect the
rights and human dignity of SDI members in SDI offerings.
As a board we commit to regularly assessing our organizational policies, finances, and HR practices with a commitment to DEIJ and to attend to the well-being and retention of staff of diverse identities.
In the event that an act of harm occurs by an individual or by our organization as a whole, we will take steps of accountability and repair by inviting the parties involved into dialogue and mediation.
