Communication to Transform the World

In times of political and institutional crisis, it is essential to remember that other worlds are possible – they are in fact being created in different places. We propose not only to help build them, but also to make them visible.

To this end, Instituto Caminho do Meio makes use of different strategies: dialogue events, experiences, studies and publications that disseminate and deepen initiatives to transform the world.

108 Hours of Peace and Dialogues

At the turn of the year from 1999 to 2000, CEBB, even before the formalization of the ICM, joined other religious institutions and the United Religions Initiative (URI) to promote the event 72 Horas for Peace, filling the last days of the year with dialogues and religious and inter-religious practices for the promotion of a Culture of Peace. At the time, the event was even supported by H. S. the Dalai Lama.

Over time, the event grew and became more complex, building, from a complementary view of different worldviews, dialogues between Buddhist thought and different areas of contemporary society and culture: science, education, health, ecology, politics , citizenship, etc.

The perspective of the event, today called 108 Hours of Peace, is that it is possible to bring together and talk with different understandings of reality and share dreams for building a better future for ourselves, others, society and the environment. In whatever condition we are, it is always possible to broaden our vision and build more integrated contexts, and it is through collective action, through network action, that we can create a life with more meaning and that, at the same time, generates benefits for all.

Each year, the event addresses a specific theme, around which dialogues take place. As a reference, the themes of recent years were Mental Health (2013-2014), Collective Intelligences (2014-2015), Education and Society (2015-2016), Self-Organization (2016-2017), Reenchantment of Life (2017-2018 ) and Network Actions (2018-2019). Other specific events have also been promoted by the Institute, such as the Dialogues between Buddhism and Society, which deal with topics related to health, education, sustainability, and more.

Coverage of the Bodhisattva Platform during the 108 Hours of Peace 2018-19 (Network Actions). Photo by João Marcelo Kassar Ismael.

Bodisatva Platform

Another aspect of ICM's communication is the partnership and support for Bodisatva Platform, a communication project focused on the production and dissemination of compassion and wisdom content, inspired by the Buddhist vision of Pure Earth.

The Bodisatva, which has existed since 1990 and was one of the first magazines of Buddhist thought in Brazil, is committed to offering a non-sectarian editorial approach that underlies the dialogue between the various Buddhist schools with other religious traditions and with different areas of contemporary life, such as science, education, art, ecology, among others.

Currently, the platform supports the Bodhisattva Magazine – in its online (with weekly publications) and printed (semi-annual editions) versions – and, as of 2019, it will expand its activities with the founding of a Publisher.

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