“As I sit and think about Shanti, so many vivid images bounce in and out of my mind regarding the time I’ve spent involved with this incredibly organization. I remember how helpless and angry and devastated I felt (and yes, still do feel) watching the horror of AIDS spread through our community.
As a gay man, I couldn’t imagine dealing with AIDS the same way I’d dealt with laws and politicians. We aren’t just losing our jobs this time-we are dying. To me, this is our holocaust. I want to bring all of myself into the fight against AIDS. I want to express not just my anger and courage, but my sadness, compassion, and love, as well as my fears, wit, fallibility, and ferocity. When I’m with my clients, they share as much of themselves as they can with me. I do the same. While the Shanti training gave me the boost I needed, a lot of what I’ve learned is that the best thing I have to offer is my uniqueness…Shanti’s specialty is not in teaching but empowering one to find their own way.”
-From Eclipse: The Shanti Project Newsletter, 1986.
