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Equity, Justice and Accessibility

As we continue to grow the field of Somatic Movement Education and Therapy, the ISMETA Board of Director’s Equity, Justice and Accessibility Committee supports the on-going development of ISMETA’s organizational values and practices related to social equity and justice.

posted February 2022

As we continue to grow the field of Somatic Movement Education and Therapy, the ISMETA Board of Director’s Equity, Justice and Accessibility Committee supports the on-going development of ISMETA’s organizational values and practices related to social equity and justice.  We acknowledge that this is a living and partial document that is actively in process and will evolve according to the work we are committed to do as an organization. 

ISMETA is an international organization guided by a vision of transforming lives through conscious movement. We recognize, cultivate, and honor the sanctity of the embodied experience of people of all racialized identities, ancestral and environmental antecedents, social or economic status, genders, ages, abilities, religions, sexual orientations, and expressions of care and love. 

As we seek to understand the historical waters we swim in, we are aware of structural inequities that have compromised these values and created the conditions whereby, as we strive to enact the realization of this vision, ISMETA is required to re-examine its practices as an organism. 

We are committed to a long-term strategic visioning process within ISMETA that catalyzes equity and justice as living realities in our organization and in our field. We also recognize this is a multigenerational process that has begun and must continue with humility and fierce determination. Simultaneously, we aspire to purposefully engage our shared humanity and our divergent perspectives with courage, honesty, curiosity and respect. 

We believe this commitment to equity, justice, and accessibility is essential to developing compassionate and competent somatic practitioners. As such, we will develop accountability measures that hold us all responsible and we will continually reflect on the progress made towards fulfilling these actions. 

We acknowledge these growth processes will require a relationship with the whole organization and its membership. 

We, the members of the Equity, Justice and Accessibility Committee (Ray Schwartz, Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell, Maria Luisa Diaz de Leon, Kehinde Ishangi, E.E. Balcos, Rebecca Frost, and Kima Kraimer), are aware we necessarily have blind spots and are committed to growing our awareness as we continue in solidarity with this global struggle. 

For an explanation of our use of the term "Master" to describe advanced Somatic Movement practitioners, please click HERE

EVENTS

WHAT: ISMETA is currently a predominantly racialized white organization that is striving to implement its values of Equity, Justice and Accessibility more fully into our organizational practices. We seek to support our membership to do the same in their professional practices. Thus, we offer a bi-monthly series of community conversations about themes related to this goal.  

PLEASE NOTE: Affinity groups based on racial and ethnic identities, sexual preference, gender identity, differing abilities, primary language, home country, and/or other identities are offered for anyone seeking relative safety within this context. 

WHEN: Fridays in 2024, March 8, May 10, July 12, Sept 13, Nov 8 at 10:30 am Eastern time

Click here to visit the Community Conversations page and register.

In an effort to be inclusive of international members across the globe, we acknowledge that this time does not work well for people in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. We are happy to shift to a later or earlier time of day (in the Eastern U.S. time zone) in July and/or other months to make the gathering accessible for members in those areas. Please let us know your interest. We are open to suggestions!  

Past sessions: Fridays from 12:30-1:45 PM Eastern U.S. time on March 10 (2023), May 12 (2023), July 14 (2023), and September 8 (2023).  

RESOURCES

In this 75-minute presentation, Dr. Amber McZeal discusses coloniality (the ideas, relationships and socio-political structures that remain after colonizers have formally left colonized lands) on the field of somatics.