Mind & Life’s Global Majority Leadership and Mentorship Program (GMLMP) ran from 2022-2024. Information on the program’s design, goals, and accomplishments—along with testimonials and articles by participants—is captured below.

Developed by an interdisciplinary working group in 2021, the GMLMP was deeply informed and led by program consultant Dr. Kamilah Majied. The planning committee (see below) recognized the effects that racism and white supremacy continue to have on science and academia, influencing what is valued as a research topic, how research is described, designed, implemented, and disseminated. It was conceived as an effort to dismantle the racism that limits science, academia, research, and contemplative practice.

The program’s foundation lay in Inclusive Contemplative Leadership and Mentorship, uniting the wisdom of both mentors and mentees, and thereby broadening the horizons of contemplative practice to embrace inclusive leadership and liberation pedagogy. While conventional mentoring programs typically adopt a hierarchical approach, the program recognized that both seasoned and emerging contemplative scholars can learn from one another. The term “Global Majority” was used as an alternative to “people of color” or “BIPOC” to reflect that people who are racialized as white are the global minority.

Program Goals:
  • Address Internalized Racism: Mentors guide mentees to dismantle internalized racism, fostering awareness and emotional growth for positive societal change.
  • Challenge Institutional Racism: Mentors equip mentees with strategies to confront institutional racism in academia, promoting equity and diversity.
  • Promote Inclusive Scholarship: Collaborative exploration of contemplative-based research cultivates diverse and decolonized knowledge and practice.
  • Amplify Underrepresented Voices: Encourage global majority students to engage in contemplative science research, enriching perspectives within the field.
  • Link Research to Transformation: Mentorship bridges contemplative research with practical change, fostering impactful societal contributions.

 

A pilot program was developed and implemented from June-December 2022 with six inaugural mentor-mentee pairs. The program continued for an inaugural year (2023-2024) with another six mentor-mentee pairs, who met regularly to share their experiences, challenges, and aspirations. Learnings from the program were shared during a dedicated panel discussion at Mind & Life’s 2024 Summer Research Institute, Awakening Compassion in Times of Division: Breaking and Coming Together, moderated by Dr. Majied.

The GMLMP’s approach to academic and intellectual mentorship supported mentees and mentors in generating scholarly publications, accessing research funds, and presenting in recognized academic forums while encouraging mentors and mentees to engage in these professional activities in ways that disrupt oppressive paradigms. The program also engaged Mind & Life staff and leadership in looking more deeply at our processes and programs and areas for growth as we pursue our vision of a world that truly embraces our shared humanity.

While we regret that a lack of dedicated funding prevented the GMLMP’s continuation, a vibrant community was formed that continues to stay connected. The program’s impact is summed up in the following statement by mentee Felipe Mercado, a professor in the Department of Social Work at California State University, Fresno.

More than a mere enrichment opportunity, the Global Majority Program has been a sanctuary for scholars of color [who are] deeply engaged in contemplative research. It represents a communal space where we not only affirm our identities but weave a strong sense of belonging. My engagement with this program was a significant milestone, connecting me with mentors and peers whose experiences mirrored my own. In this dynamic community, we found the freedom to discard our masks, embrace vulnerability, and pursue innovation.

More of Felipe’s reflections can be found in a Mind & Life blog post, Nurturing Equity in Academia: It Involves Mindfulness, Equity, and Community, first published online on Psychology Today.

Our deepest gratitude extends to Dr. Kamilah Majied and the program planning committee for their leadership and vision, and to all mentors and mentees for their active, full-hearted participation.

2023 Participants
2022 Participants
Leadership and Mentorship Program Working Group
Media & Resources

“Interacting with my mentee was an excellent learning experience! I know I have more to learn and I appreciated how this was a mutual learning experience.”

— Mentor

“I am more open to exploring different pathways of leveraging my skills as a way to determine next professional steps – sort of going with what’s calling me with no expectations.”

— Mentee

“This program provided me with a sounding board for my wildest and most daring dreams. ”

— Mentee

“I feel affirmed, seen, validated and respected and because of that more confidence in who I am and what I offer to the field of practice by just being me.”

— Mentee

“We created new cultures of bipoc-centered contemplative practice (e.g. dancing to music and sharing joy in ways that are absent in white dominant contemplative spaces), and reconnecting to Mind & Life in a more liberatory way than I’ve been in the past.”

— Mentee

“It was great to have a space to explore my cultural roots, how they have shaped my experience in the US, and [how they] continue to interact with my environment to influence my day-to-day experiences. For me, this process also invited me to reconnect with first-person exploration through meditation as well as a dialogue (with my mentor) in a new way. I also appreciated the strength framework, which allowed me to see that there are significant strengths stemming from my experience of being an Asian woman in the US (as opposed to it being mainly tied to struggles as a minority).”

— Mentee

“This should be a signature MLI program and continued over time. There could also be a special forum featuring the work of Global Majority leaders and mentors sponsored by MLI. Global Majority participants are the very group that can help MLI and the field of contemplative studies and pedagogy to engage with issues related to equity, justice, and anti-oppression.”

— Mentor