On Feb. 20, Devon Matsumoto (President) and KC Mukai (Content and Outreach Coordinator) from The Young Buddhist Editorial gave a presentation at the BCA National Council Meeting held virtually over Zoom.
There were more than 100 participants from a wide range of locations, temples, and sanghas. We were thrilled to be met with much enthusiasm from the workshop attendees, and we appreciated all the insightful questions.
The Young Buddhist Editorial is a platform for the expression of young Buddhists and a safe space where young Buddhists can foster growth, community, and interconnectedness while creating a dialogue between young Buddhists and other generations of Buddhists.
At the National Council meeting, we felt we did just that in being able to converse with experienced members and ministers of the BCA in their interest and excitement for our organization. The workshop began with an introductory presentation about how YBE started, our vision and mission, as well as some of our current and past projects, followed by a Q&A portion.
Our workshop participants were curious about YBE’s approaches to diversity, representation, and inclusion. While we currently consist of primarily Japanese American Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, we recognize that this is one of our areas of growth.
“YBE hopes that as we grow, we begin to reflect the diversity of Asian Americans from South, Southeast, Central, and East Asian backgrounds as well as those of various mixed-race Asian, queer, and socioeconomic identities without tokenizing and marginalizing others,” Matsumoto said. “Ultimately, we hope that YBE can become a cultural and religious place of refuge for Asian American Buddhists and Buddhists of marginalized identities.”
The Young Buddhist Editorial would like to extend its gratitude to the members of the BCA and the wider community for approving our candidate-affiliation status.
We appreciate your support in YBE’s mission to providing a platform and space for young adult Buddhists. It is very important to have youth voices at the table, and we hope that our energy and commitment to the Dharma will continue to be a source of inspiration for generations to come. We look forward to a thriving and productive relationship between YBE and the BCA!
We would like to also give thanks to our mentors and supporters who have encouraged and inspired YBE’s growth. Your continued support truly means alot to us as we continue our mission and vision for young Buddhists everywhere. Additionally, thank you to the BCA tech team for assisting us in our presentation in the virtual format.
For more information about The Young Buddhist Editorial and our platform, the webpage is youngbuddhisteditorial.com, or you can follow YBE on Instagram @youngbuddhisteditorial.