Activism with heart

Activism with Heart: How Fierce Vulnerability Inspires Action

An interview with Foward Review

At two of the darkest moments of the past century, you may recall that Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. practiced a nonviolent brand of leadership that changed the world. As we face the seemingly insurmountable challenges of climate change, political division, racial animosity, and caustic intolerance, it goes without saying that having a similar leader step to the fore would be a godsend.

Such a leader would soothe the harm being inflicted at both the personal and systemic levels, a deeply felt pain that is exacerbated by social media’s binary “us vs. them” worldview—exactly what is NOT helpful for healing.

Grounded in Buddhist philosophy and restorative justice work, Kazu Haga recognizes that the systemic global traumas have forced us all into a state of denial—a coping mechanism that is taking a huge toll. He believes the path forward must combine science-based advances in trauma healing with Gandhi- King Jr.-inspired nonviolence. In his new book, Fierce Vulnerability, Haga expands on that understanding and imagines a “movement that recognizes injustice as a reflection of collective trauma and embraces its role as a catalyst for collective healing through transformative action.”

Intrigued with his practical yet radical ideas, we assigned one of Foreword’s most sagacious writers, Kristine Morris, to catch up with Haga for the following conversation.

Your thoughtful, provocative book emphasizes the importance of both collective and individual healing if we are to address the critical issues that threaten human and planetary survival. How has your background in nonviolence work, Buddhist spirituality, and the influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired both the questions you ask and your vision for building a future characterized by peace, fairness, justice, and co-operation?

My journey started at the intersection of Buddhism and nonviolence work, having spent a year and a half living in a monastery under the guidance of Buddhists deeply committed to nonviolent social change. Then years later, I discovered the teachings of Dr. King, and for the first time understood the depths of the word “nonviolence,” particularly within…