Equity & Interdependence

Social Justice
We believe that justice and equity are at the core of mindfulness and compassion. We define justice as Dr. King articulated, “power correcting everything which stands against love.” We define equity as both the social condition in which everyone has the freedom and resources to live whole and balanced lives, and the process by which an unjust society rebuilds itself to create that universal freedom.
iBme’s programs aim to guide teens and young adults in their development of self-awareness, compassion, and ethical decision making, empowering them to apply these essential skills to their lives and communities.

Staff Training
Our staff, board, and retreat teams bring years of personal mindfulness practice to their roles, modeling authenticity, compassion, and respect. While our retreat teaching teams are diverse, more than 50% people of color and representing many different identities, our administrative staff and board are overwhelmingly white, cisgendered, and able-bodied.
Regular equity and diversity training has given us the opportunity to see our social privilege and deepen our awareness, and has allowed us to confront our hegemonic ways of understanding the world and our places in it.
Community Resources from iBme Teachers & Participants
Rashid Hughes »
Mentor
Listen to Rashid’s podcast on ‘What it means to be free’ in response to the murder of George Floyd. To learn more about Rashid’s work, visit rashidhughes.com
Rosie Aguayo »
Teen Retreat Alumni
Rosie created the Teens Against Bullying Club to bring a sense of unity on campus. One goal is to find healthy alternatives to cope with feelings through mindfulness education. Learn more.
Lama Rod »
Teacher
Buy Lama Rod’s new book ‘Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger.’ To learn more about Lama Rod’s work, visit lamarod.com
Kaira Jewel Lingo »
Teacher
View Kaira Jewel’s webinar on ‘Honoring Juneteenth: Love and Justice in These Times.’ To learn more about Kaira Jewel’s work, visit kairajewel.com

Collaborative Leadership
Addressing diversity, inclusion, and equity internally has been a primary focus for iBme. Since 2017, with the support of BayNVC and Miki Kashtan, iBme has been engaged in shifting our organizational structure away from a typical hierarchical, top-down power structure and towards a collaborative leadership model with shared decision-making.
As we continue to identify and divest from dominant systems of unequal power within our organizational structure, and reflect on how these systems impact the ways we show up day to day, we expect to be able to welcome, retain, and collaborate with a greater number of participants and staff from historically marginalized communities.

Accessibility
Accessibility is fundamental to our mission. We want to ensure that there are no teens barred from the opportunity to attend retreat due to the systemic injustices that have left many groups economically vulnerable.
iBme continues to evolve its financial model to be as progressive and equitable as possible, while balancing what’s necessary for financial sustainability, in pursuit of maximum accessibility, diversity, and quality for its programs.
What I love most about iBme retreats is the sensitive, authentic, inclusive, and compassionate teaching. Each teacher speaks from the heart, and their own experience and knowledge of mindfulness practices. Their desire is that we live into our compassion for self, each other, and our world. This is something you can feel tangibly.
– Valerie Striar, All Ages Online Retreat Participant