June 23, 2020:

Black Lives Matter at MIU

Dear Friends of MIU,

Like all of you, I have been following the events of the past weeks very closely, and I have been deeply saddened by what I am seeing.

I believe I speak for all of us at MIU when I say that we reach out with our hearts to the family of George Floyd in sympathy for their loss. And, through them, we reach out to all Black families across the country for the unconscionable losses and pain they have endured for hundreds of years. We also want to state clearly that we condemn all forms of racism, including police brutality, in our country.

To our Black students, staff, faculty, and community members, please know that we stand with you, and we pledge to work as allies to support you, to keep you safe, and to create an even more inclusive University. MIU was founded with the aim to end suffering and promote the principle “the world is my family.” We have worked many years with this aim in mind, but we know there is even more we can do. (Please see our new video showing harmony among our diverse graduate Computer Science student body,  The World is Our Family.)

Over the coming weeks we will meet with our campus Diversity Directors and seek input from all community groups to see what further steps we might take to make MIU a model of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We hope at this time that the American people can find the inner resources of strength and wisdom to channel our creative energies into peaceful and unified action that safeguards justice for all.

May we use this moment to reflect on what each of us can do personally to address the problem of systemic racism. We will mobilize the University to do the same as an organization.

John Hagelin, President
Maharishi International University