Category: Spirituality

kiwanja Buddhism

I don’t yet have an insightful opinion of AI that warrants a blog post of any kind, but I have found one aspect particularly fascinating. You see, the openness of my approach to work over the past 22 years turns out to be something of a goldmine in our brave new AI-driven world. Since 2003 I have regularly blogged my ideas and thoughts, and I’ve posted up dozens of copies of articles I’ve written, including PDFs of my books, and shared audio interviews and videos of many of my talks. While there’s certainly going to be a down-side to all of this (deep fakes anyone?) it also means that tools like Claude and ChatGPT know plenty about me, my work, and my work ethos.

That means I can ask it questions. And when I do, I sometimes get the most surprising answers.

Recently I asked ChatGPT how my work ethos over the years might touch on traditional Buddhist thinking. Not only did I get what I thought was an impressively deep answer, I discovered that it thought that ‘kiwanja Buddhism’ was actually a thing. Of course, it would have meant a lot more to me if a Buddhist monk had told me that, but I’ll take AI for now.

Here’s what ChatGPT said.

kiwanja Buddhism refers to a perspective where Buddhist principles like mindfulness, compassion, interdependence and wise speech are applied to the fields of social impact and entrepreneurship. It’s a practical, non-dogmatic approach championed by Ken Banks on the website kiwanja.net, emphasising deep listening, intentional action and fostering empathetic, sustainable change in the world.

Key Concepts

Mindful action
Taking time to understand problems deeply before acting, avoiding knee-jerk reactions.

Compassion
Leading with kindness, listening to all perspectives and seeking solutions that uplift everyone, rather than acting from anger.

Interdependence
Recognising that all issues, like environmental problems and inequality, are connected and cannot be solved in isolation.

Wise speech
Engaging in truthful, kind and unifying communication rather than spreading anger or division.

Deep listening
Truly hearing others’ suffering and perspectives without judgment to foster empathy and understanding.

Letting go of ego
Focusing on the true impact of work for social good, rather than personal recognition, status or credit.

How it is Applied

Social innovation
Using Buddhist principles to inspire a shift from apathy to action, leading to technology-based solutions that promote empathy and change.

Coaching and mentoring
Guiding change makers to slow down, reflect and act with greater intention and wisdom.

Development work
Encouraging a deeper, more empathetic approach to addressing global challenges like inequality and environmental destruction.

If anything, this is an incredibly accurate reflection of how I’ve tried to go about my work over the years. Anyone who has read this blog or heard any of my talks will recognise all of the points that ChatGPT raises.

Sometimes it’s more about how you go about what you do and not what you actually do. So if kindness and empathy are the only things I’m remembered for, I’ll be more than happy with that.

Compassion in the face of conflict

A few weeks ago I took part in a weekend retreat at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Meditation, Buddhist teachings and vegan food were the order of day, but for me the greatest insight came from conversations I had with the monks about their journeys, beliefs and opinions on Buddhism and modern life. Seeking personal enlightenment felt all well and good, I said, but how does that square with issues on the ‘outside’? You know, such as my frustration and anger with all the needless conflict and suffering going on around the world?

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Despite many great conversations, I never did get any answers that sat well with me. As someone whose work has been driven by empathy and rooted in action for so many years, stepping back and focusing my energies on how I deal with my own feelings didn’t feel like much use to anyone experiencing the suffering.

I’ve had plenty of time to think about this, and thought it might be helpful to write some of it down. But first, a caveat. While it may not have given me the answers I sought, Buddhist thinking does offer plenty of tools for engaging with situations beyond our control without falling into despair, reactivity or hatred. While Buddhism does not offer geopolitical solutions to problems, it does provide a framework for how individuals and communities might respond to suffering with clarity, compassion and courage. I’ll share some of those tools here, starting with non-attachment.

The Principle of Non-Attachment

Buddhism teaches us that our own suffering often arises from our attachment to outcomes. When we’re overly committed to a desire for peace, or for justice to be delivered in a particular way, we’re more likely to experience intense frustration or helplessness when nothing ever seems to get any better.

We’re also told that this non-attachment doesn’t mean apathy or indifference. Instead, it’s meant to allow people like me (and others far removed from the conflict) to engage constructively without being overwhelmed by feelings of rage, grief or despair. This is supposed to help us remain steady in the face of intractable suffering, continuing to care and act where we can.

To be honest, I find the application of this principle pretty difficult, particularly in the face of intolerable human suffering. Maintaining emotional distance doesn’t sit comfortably with me.

Compassion and the Recognition of Shared Suffering

Buddha taught us that all humans suffer and seek freedom from that suffering, and that compassion comes about naturally when we acknowledge this shared vulnerability. The trouble is not everyone does. With the Palestinian conflict, for example, a Buddhist approach would encourage all sides to see the humanity in everyone – Israeli and Palestinian – recognising that fear, trauma and loss are not one-sided. Buddhism invites us to hold both communities in our hearts without taking sides in a way that leads to any kind of dehumanisation.

This is another tricky one, especially in the face of what feels like relentless injustice and violence, but it’s critical for building true peace (think: Archbishop Tutu and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission). I hate to say it, but this is another concept I have to work particularly hard at. Luckily I’m a good listener, and that might be a helpful starting point.

Right Speech and Deep Listening

Buddhism encourages speech that is truthful, kind and unifying. Sadly I don’t see much of this, particularly from our political leaders (don’t even get me started on social media). Buddhism also teaches the value of deep listening, and asks that we truly hear the suffering of others. Polarised narratives often dominate public conversation about conflict. A Buddhist-informed approach would encourage listening deeply to all sides and all stories without defensiveness or premature judgment. The objective here is to foster empathy and reduce the tendency to vilify or dehumanise the ‘other’.

The Impermanence of All Things

A central tenant of Buddhism is that nothing is fixed, and even the most entrenched suffering and conflict will eventually change (and hopefully improve and go away). Recognising this allows us to maintain hope and counteract despair by reminding us that today’s reality is not forever, and that seeds of peace, however small, can take root at any time. While any of this is hard to disagree with, I struggle with relying on others to plant those seeds. I’ve always felt that I needed to be there doing the planting with them. Maybe not.

Acting Without Ego

Buddhism discourages acting from a place of self-righteousness or moral superiority. This is perhaps one of the easiest concepts for me to grasp. I’ve worked hard throughout my career to suppress ego, and to genuinely listen to and empower others without agenda. In activism and humanitarian response, acting without ego encourages humility. We can all support peace, justice and dignity for all without needing to be right all the time (whatever that might look like) or to dominate the discussion. All of this reminds me of the importance of putting the needs of those suffering front, right and centre – not any opinions we might have about the conflict.

Mindfulness and Inner Peace

Mindfulness allows us to observe our emotions without being consumed by them, something I’m slowly getting better at. In moments of helplessness, mindfulness allows us to notice our pain without turning it into hatred or numbness. This creates space for grounded, thoughtful action rather than reactive outrage. Sadly, in today’s short-term attention economy, sitting back and reflecting before reacting and responding is becoming increasingly rare. I sleep on things a lot more these days before deciding what steps I might take, if any.

FINAL REFLECTIONS

In all my Buddhist reading, study and practice over the last couple of years, trying to balance my deep feelings about conflict and human suffering with my gut reaction to get active and do something about it has been by far my biggest challenge. I get the need for enlightenment, to better understand ourselves and to manage how we process things, but I’m yet see how any of that makes much of a difference to people being bombed out of existence every day.

In its defence, nowhere does Buddhist thinking ask us to withdraw from injustice, but it asks us to engage in a way that does not create more suffering. It encourages action rooted in understanding, presence and compassion, all qualities that are desperately needed in the face of seemingly impossible and never-ending conflict. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk who lived through the Vietnam war, often said that ‘Peace in the world begins with peace in ourselves.’

He’s probably right. I’ll let you know if I ever get there.

One day

If there was ever the time and the place for a book, this is that book and this is that time.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I was a different person before I started reading it. Powerful doesn’t come close. Whatever your views on what’s happening in Palestine (and, indeed, in many other parts of the world) you really should read this.

I bet you won’t be the same either.

You can read more about ‘One day, everyone will have always been against this‘ here.

 

Mindful action. Meaningful change.

Whenever we set out to make the world a better place, our instinct is often to jump straight in and get ‘doing’. Driven by a sense of urgency that pushes us to act without delay, we find ourselves desperate to fix, or to build, or to solve. Perhaps it’s because we’re drawn to the visible impact of the doing, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my own journey it’s that meaningful, lasting change rarely starts with action.

It starts with understanding. And understanding begins with mindfulness.

In my own work, particularly during the development of FrontlineSMS, I’ve learnt that you can’t ever assume to know what people need or want. That assumption is the biggest mistake I’ve seen people make over the years. Before I’d even written a line of code I spent time listening, observing, probing and asking questions. I always felt it was important to try and step into the shoes of the people I wanted to try and help, and to spend time with them. And what I realised was that the most appropriate solutions weren’t tech-focused, but people-focused.

Assessing an aid project with CARE staff and recipients, Malawi (2015). Photo: Hayley Capp

Although I didn’t realise it at the time, my anthropological approach aligned perfectly with core Buddhist thinking, which teaches us to act without attachment to outcome, to listen deeply and to cultivate compassion as a guide to action. It invites us to bring awareness into each step we take, resisting the rush to do, and instead choosing to be fully present with the people and problems we encounter.

This is the foundation of mindful action.

Mindful action means creating space between intention and impact. It means recognising that the desire to help, while noble, can still do harm if not grounded in humility. Many well-meaning projects fail because they are imposed rather than grown from the ground up. They ignore the wisdom of local people. They treat symptoms, not causes. Mindfulness helps us slow down enough to see the whole picture.

For many years now I’ve promoted empathy as the starting point for all meaningful development work. True empathy requires us to suspend judgment, to listen without waiting to reply, and to accept that we might not have all the answers. In a world desperate for quick fixes, overnight successes and shiny new tech, my approach sometimes came across as a little radical, although I always saw it as plain common sense. However you define the approach, it was certainly a necessary one. The complexity of global challenges – from inequality to climate change and everything in between – demands depth, not just speed.

Mindful action also asks us to reflect on our motivations. Are we helping because we want to be seen as helpful? Because we need to feel useful? Or because we have truly connected with the issue and the people affected by it? When our actions are aligned with genuine care and awareness, they carry a different energy. They become sustainable. They invite collaboration. They build trust. And harmony. 

There’s a quiet strength in pausing. In taking the time to understand a community’s history, values, needs and dreams before proposing solutions. In other words, in living with uncertainty rather than rushing to fill the silence. Practicing mindful action helps us realise that sometimes the best thing we can do is listen. Or amplify someone else’s voice. Or step back entirely.

Technology can be a powerful tool for change, but it is only as effective as the intention and context behind its use. In my work I’ve seen how simple, low-tech solutions can transform lives when designed with empathy and care. I’ve also seen how high-tech projects fail spectacularly when they ignore local realities or are primarily ego-driven. Mindful action is not about the size of the solution. It’s about the depth of the connection.

Bushbuckridge, South Africa (2003), where I carried out my early mobile work.

For any doubters out there, mindful action doesn’t mean inaction. It means intentional, thoughtful and respectful movement. It means taking time to understand before intervening, and knowing when to lead and when to follow. It calls on us to let go of control, to be open to change, and to see the people we work with not as beneficiaries, but as equals and experts in their own lives. Sometimes I feel that much of the global development work I witnessed over the years had forgotten this, and that was one reason I stepped back all those years ago.

In the end, practicing mindful action is about aligning our external efforts with our internal values. It asks us to lead with presence, to build with care and to remain open to being changed by the work that we do. It might not always be fast, and it might not always be easy, but it is real. And in a world craving authenticity and connection, that may be the most powerful form of change we have.