Welcome to Illuman
Our Welcome Statement
As a fellowship for men’s spirituality, we welcome men from all parts of the world: of African descent, of Asian descent, of European descent, of Latin American descent, of First Nations descent in this land and abroad, native born and people of mixed and multiple descents and all languages. To you we say “welcome.”
We welcome men on all parts of the continuum of gender identity and expression, without prejudice about sexual orientation, living status, whether sexually active or celibate, and everyone for whom labels don’t apply. To you we say “welcome.”
We welcome people with all physical abilities and challenges. Those living with any chronic medical condition, visible or invisible. To you we say “welcome.”
We welcome people who identify as activists and those who don’t. Mystics, believers, seekers of all kinds. People of all ages. And all who make it possible for us to participate in this work. To you we say “welcome.”
We welcome all emotions: joy, fear, grief, contentment, disappointment, surprise, and all else that flows through us. To these feelings we say “welcome.”
We welcome our families, biological and otherwise. Those dear to us who have died, our ancestors, and our future descendants. The ancestors who lived in this land, in this place, where these buildings are now, we honor them through this work that we are undertaking. To you all we say “welcome.”
We welcome brothers who feel broken, lost, struggling, who suffer from self-doubt and self-judgment. To you we say “welcome.”
We welcome the plants who sustain us and give us our very life. May they be safe, may they be protected, may they be honored. To them we say “welcome.”
The world of earth, of rocks, stones, and sand, the foundation upon which we stand, may all these be safe, be protected, be honored. To them we say “welcome.”
The world of water, which courses through the veins of every living thing, and sustains the earth upon which we depend for our very survival. May it be safe, protected, and honored. To this world we say “welcome.”
We welcome all beings that inhabit this earth, human or otherwise: the two-legged, four-legged, winged and finned, those that walk, fly, and crawl, above the ground and below, in air and water. To them we say “welcome.”
Adapted from the Diversity Welcome at trainingforchange.org
Our Statement on Racism
Illuman is an organization incorporated in the United States of America with a global influence. Our purpose is to support men in their spiritual journey.
We stand in solidarity with those who are outraged by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with those who protest these injustices and work for racial equity. We are grateful for those who have acted for justice. We are grateful for the number of leaders and organizations who have spoken forcefully against injustice and racism. We grieve with our neighbors who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and have suffered from racism, white supremacy, and classism. In our gratitude and grief, we make the following acknowledgement and commitment:
We acknowledge that we live in a nation created by the enslavement and genocide of peoples, the taking and destruction of their lands, and the justification of these acts by white supremacy, the Christian Doctrine of Discovery, the Divine Right of Kings, and by a belief in Manifest Destiny.
We acknowledge that many of us continue to benefit from this history, while others of us continue to suffer from its injustices as evidenced by many cases of documented police brutality that go unpunished. Some of us experience both the benefits and the suffering.
Through grace and humility, those of us who have benefited from white privilege invite healing as we ask forgiveness for the actions of our ancestors and for our present-day failures.
With their help we commit ourselves to transform rather than transmit the trauma.
To all Illuman Brothers, we reclaim the collective transformative power that comes from men standing shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with each other and with those who suffer. Our primary concern is inner work that makes a difference in the world, and we recognize that this work must include opposition to all forms of racial injustice. We are fed by the wisdom traditions of forgiveness and radical inclusivity. For us, the two are inseparable. We acknowledge that repentance, reparation, and restoration are necessary in the Illuman community, and we commit ourselves to the work of affirming a masculine path to healing the personal and historical trauma that keeps men separated and alienated from each other. This healing requires us to educate ourselves about white power and privilege and its impact on Illuman and our communities.
To our Illuman Brothers of Color, we acknowledge that we are overwhelmingly a community of white, middle-class men. We commit as a community of men to do our work. We commit to creating space for you to find the support and safety you need. From the clarity gained through our acknowledgement and grief, we commit to work with you to address and to remedy the source of your pain. We commit to listen to and learn from the experience of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and to support the leadership from those communities. We commit to opposing the racist attitudes and actions we find in ourselves and in our communities.
To our Nation and the World, we say: the powers of racism and white supremacy have been present from the very foundation of our nation and continue to cause suffering and alienation. They thrive in an atmosphere which denies that our wealth and our privilege derive in large part from the genocide and enslavement of peoples. We Illuman brothers commit ourselves and our community to the work of witnessing, acknowledging, and healing the trauma caused by these injustices.
Adapted from a liturgy by Canticle Farm in Oakland, California.