The Institute fully stands behind the imperative that “Black Lives Matter”

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/15/2020 - 9:57am

The institute’s mission and commitment are for the promotion of a culture of peace. A culture of peace is based on love and not hate. This commitment must include values and actions that foster equality, justice, and mutual respect.

We live in an interconnected world in which everyone’s behavior has an impact on others.

It’s not only the policeman or woman who kill, attack and disrespect blacks, it is also the policeman or woman who stand by and allow it to happen. It’s not only the police and others who are verbally abusive and intolerant, it’s also those who hear and don’t speak up against this debasing behavior.

We acknowledge, along with many other organizations, that there is deep systemic racism in this country that has allowed police brutality to continue. We stand with others to say that the time for this to be addressed … is now! We seek to educate, encourage, inspire everyone to act from a sense of personal responsibility to recognize this reality and do their part to further an inclusive and just society. To listen to the voices who have experienced hatred and abuse. To make every effort to put yourselves in their shoes and empathize with what they go through on a daily basis. It is important to be aware of how widespread this issue is. It’s not limited to police behavior. It’s embedded in the fabric of our society affecting health, income, education, as well as safety and justice.

Our Institute took on the name of Raoul Wallenberg, a “Righteous Gentile”, a non-Jew, who saw injustice during the holocaust, who felt the pain of others and could not stand on the sidelines. He risked his life in order to save as many Jews as he could. This is our model and it tells us we must stand with those experiencing injustice. We must stand with our Black brothers and sisters and give our full support and effort to right these great wrongs. This means not just agreeing, and then sitting on the sidelines. It means taking some action, whether it’s joining a protest, contacting your public officials, making anti-racist statements on social media, or supporting those you know to join you in this process. We also implore everyone to live by the Golden Rule and treat others as you would have them treat you.