Respecting the Humanity of Prisoners

July 25, 2015 @ 10:00 am
July 26, 2015 @ 12:45 pm

An encounter with the stories, poems, art, and witness of Wisconsin prisoners and their families, where we will explore and discover that which reveals their humanity and hopes.

 

In solidarity with the prison reform work of MICAH and WISDOM, we'll take some time to see our inmates with eyes of compassion and clarity as they express their feelings, experiences, and dreams through a collection of letters, poems, essays, and artwork.

Since 1998, the Milwaukee Zen Center has offered programs currently active in 13 DOC institutions, led by 9 teachers from a variety of Buddhist traditions, a quarterly newsletter edited and written by inmates that circulates to about 100 inmates, and has published “Buddhas Behind Bars,” a book containing the autobiographies of 3 long-term inmates. We’ll draw on this trove of sharing by prisoners, testimony from former prisoners and family, and letters and artwork recently submitted.

The event takes place on Saturday, July 25, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the First Unitarian Society on Ogden and Astor. All are welcome. We especially invite members from all religious traditions in the Greater Milwaukee community.

The Buddhist Peace Fellowship was born in the crucible of the Vietnam war, and continues to represent compassion and peace in an age of repression and violence. The Milwaukee Chapter members are drawn from throughout the wider Milwaukee area, and it is a member of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee