|
|
|
During this month of May we find ourselves suspended between celebration and reflection. As the green spring canopy deepens, the cosmos is preparing a rare spectacle to guide our introspection: a brilliant Blue Moon arriving on May 31. This lunar crescendo perfectly aligns with the sacred observation of Saga Dawa, the holiest month in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar and a profound time that honors the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing.
In a world searching for equilibrium, these intersecting moments highlight a vital truth: the immense importance of interfaith solidarity. Our shared human search for peace and purpose bridges all traditions, and—as proven during our PREP 2026 conference—it uniquely unites the forces of faith to protect our Mother Earth. We see this call for unity echoed beautifully across global communities this month—from the celebration of Saga Dawa to the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), released on May 25, advocates for human protection in the age of AI, while he urges world leaders to calm global tensions and pursue collective solidarity for the vulnerable.
As the late-May skies illuminate, let this newsletter be an invitation to pause, look upward, and find harmony in the diverse, sacred rhythms that connect us all to each other and to our shared home. Read on for this month’s Loka updates.
|
|
|
|
Dekila Chungyalpa
Director, the Loka Initiative at the Center for Healthy Minds
University of Wisconsin–Madison
|
|
|
|
LOKA INITIATIVE NEWS AND UPDATES
|
|
|
Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth’s busy spring!
|
The Loka team is excited to share a flurry of activity surrounding the Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth film in the past several weeks! On April 9, in partnership with the Wisconsin Indian Education Association (WIEA), Sacred Wisdom, Sacred Earth was screened to a statewide Indigenous youth audience at the Ho-Chunk Nation Wellness Center in the Wisconsin Dells.
|
|
Culture Keeper Mark Denning speaks to students during lunchtime. (Credit: Mirtha Sosa Pacheco)
|
Post-film, featured Culture Keeper Marin “Mark” Denning led middle and high school students as they broke into small groups to discuss language preservation, cultural preservation, tribal sovereignty, and agriculture. Collaborating with Arielle Hall (Tutor Services Division Director for the Ho-Chunk Nation) and the WIEA planning team, the event's success was a direct reflection of community-led partnership, culminating in students creating beautiful, film-inspired vision board collages. The post-screening conversations also sparked enthusiastic discussions among educators regarding future curriculum ideas, fulfilling the film's vision to inspire and empower the next generation of Indigenous youth.
|
|
|
|
Students’ vision boards inspired by the Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth film. (Credit: Mirtha Sosa Pacheco)
|
On April 14, Loka and the UW-Madison School of Education’s Indigenous Education Strategic Initiative co-hosted a remarkably successful screening in the heart of campus, drawing an energetic crowd of over 100 attendees. Guests—including Carol Griggs (Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation) and Thomas Owenby (Associate Dean for Teacher Education)—engaged deeply with the film, and the stormy evening concluded with an inspiring, reflective panel discussion featuring Culture Keepers Zoe Fess and Guy Reiter, alongside producer Brian McInnes.
|
|
The UW-Madison School of Education audience is welcomed pre-screening. (Credit: Mirtha Sosa)
|
|
L → R: Brian McInnes, Guy Reiter, Zoe Fess, and Ron Jetty. (Credit: Mirtha Sosa Pacheco)
|
And on May 26, Columbia University’s Modern Tibetan Studies Program kicked off its Living with Climate Change in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau conference with a powerful pre-conference screening of Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth. We were so proud to partner and share the film with the conference’s audience, building on our ongoing "Being(s) of the Land" work centered on Indigeneity in South Asia—the film set a vivid stage for the days of discussion that followed. The evening concluded with a panel discussion featuring dear Loka friends Zoe Fess and Yuria Celidwen, moderated by Tashi Dekyid Monet, touching upon themes of sovereignty, strength, and kindhearted devotion to the Earth Mother.
|
|
L → R: Tashi Dekyid Monet, Yuria Celidwen, and Zoe Fess. (Credit: Zoe Fess)
|
In Zoe’s own words, “Experiencing this film alongside other Indigenous women panelists and amongst Tibetan and Himalayan relatives created a space for open dialogue and sharing about love for our communities, more-than-human relatives, and all our relations.”
Looking ahead, we look forward to officially making Sacred Wisdom, Sacred Earth available to the general public in the fall/winter of 2026. We are also highly energized by our growing partnership development with the UW-Madison School of Education to help bring this project's vision into educational spaces. Stay tuned for more updates as these collaborative efforts continue to unfold!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Missed the public dialogue at the 2026 PREP Conference, or just want to check out some inspiring moments from our week-long interfaith gathering at Holy Wisdom Monastery? Head over to Loka’s YouTube channel and explore our PREP playlist, featuring the full highlights of our 2026 convening. We will be adding more 1-1 faith leader interview videos in the coming weeks, so be sure to subscribe and keep an eye out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Credit - Rutgers University Press)
|
|
|
In his compelling new book, To Life: Jews Exploring Nature, Joel Greenberg profiles eight diverse Jewish individuals—from botanists to zoologists—connecting their personal identities and professional triumphs to show how they shaped our understanding of the natural world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Updates & Stay Connected!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hashtags: #LokaInitiative #Loka🌎
|
|
|
|
Loka is an interdisciplinary collaboration among different programs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It is housed in the Center for Healthy Minds in collaboration with:
The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s and don’t reflect the opinions or beliefs of
UW-Madison, the Center for Healthy Minds or their affiliates.
|
|
|
|
|
