Statement of Justice & Inclusivity

As an organization, Inner Compass Learning (ICL) believes and acknowledges that we exist in a world where various systems of power are baked into everyday life. These systems of power include, but are not limited to, white supremacy, patriarchy, physical, emotional and mental ableism, classism, and heteronormativity. Every human holds various identities connected to these systems. For many of us, though not all, we hold some elements of power and some elements of marginalization. Our identities, the perception of our identities, our ancestors, our childhoods, our kin, our lived experiences all shape us into the ecosystem that we are. And collectively, we are an ecosystem of our individual ecosystems, a macrocosm of the microcosm. All of this makes up the social landscape in which we live—this middle world.

In this middle world, we are currently living on the unceded territory of Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham, meaning land that was never ceded or legally signed away. Today, we call it Tucson, Arizona. Not long ago, this land used to be Mexico. Before that, this land also held the Hohokam. In acknowledging the people of this land, we give thanks for the care that was given here for millennia, and we, as white folks, take ownership of the stealing of this land from Mexican and indigenous peoples. But an acknowledgment is just words if there is no action, and injustice lives deep inside many people who holds lots of identities of power.

Reverend angel Kyodo williams, Zen Buddhist priest, writer and activist, once said,

“What if I were to tell you that without that attention, without that capacity for increased awareness, that returning to yourself, that without that you cannot have justice...that as long as you are searching for a justice that lives outside of your body, then you are seeking no justice at all.”

To that end, the work of Inner Compass Learning begins just there, on the inside, with ourselves. It is my belief as a human that until and unless we are each willing to hold up the mirror to ourselves, our families, communities, societies and planet will remain entrenched in injustice. Therefore, our most important work is to get to know and listen to our shadow parts, to see how our biases live and breathe within us, to acknowledge the times we have caused harm even when our intentions may (or may not) have been “good,” and to sit with ourselves and all of our own fears.

In all Inner Compass workshops and camps, participants of all genders, sexes, race, ethnicities, religions, belief systems, abilities, ages, education backgrounds, family situations, and backgrounds are welcome here. Together, we co-create a brave space using group agreements (see Mission and Vision). If you are willing to dive deep into who you are, and what your gifts are as you remember you Inner Compass, that which guides you forward, then you are welcome here.

ICL is committed to guiding individuals and groups in the process of deeply connecting with themselves, one another and this earth, learning how one lives and what one’s calling is during this time we are living. That is our part in the individual and communal work. For every camp/workshop offered, various sliding scales, partial and full scholarships will be rewarded. Inner Compass Learning will uplift and pay guest speakers fair wages to highlight voices beyond the the identities that hold power in this country. We also strive to create partnerships with local BIPOC organizations and promote their stories, uplift their work, and when able to financially, give contributions to partners for the continuation of their goals, hopes and dreams. These donations must come with relationship. They aim to be given in a right way, not in a way of white saviorism, the practice of white folks donating to charities or people blindly in order to make themselves feel better, without true commitment to the mission.

In order for systems of power to shift, those who hold power must be willing, open, and humble in the giving away of that power. Power has many faces: monetary wealth, voice, property, access, opportunity, legacy, to name a few. This document is also an acknowledgment that I, Kristen Sawyer, the founder of Inner Compass Learning, will inevitably continue to make mistakes, to cause unintended harm, and to be ignorant to my own blind spots. This is a promise of my perpetual work in the unlearning of my harmful ways as well as the bringing of these conversations into more and more spaces of power that I have easy access to. This work is ongoing, a lifetime of learning and unlearning. Let us begin today.