Causes to Support
Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh began a new tradition in Buddhism called Engaged Buddhism, which was born out of the Vietnam War. For him, he did not see how praying and chanting in monasteries all day could help change the world. His approach to Buddhism is for us to be engaged with the world, not to turn away when the world is suffering. His relentless work for peace is what inspired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.
As a practitioner of Engaged Buddhism, a child of Vietnam War refugees, and someone who has dedicated their career to uplifting marginalized voices, I believe it is vital that we bring our attention to issues, causes, and communities who are actively being oppressed. Below are causes that will stir something up in your heart and compel you to action.
"When bombs begin to fall on people, you càannot stay in the meditation hall all of the time. Meditation is about the awareness of what is going on— not only in your body and in your feelings, but all around you. We must be aware of the real problems of the world. Then, with mindfulness, we will know what to do and what not to do to be of help.”
— Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh
Free Palestine: Fighting for Peace in Gaza
Since October 7, 2023, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The conflict began after Hamas-led attacks killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the abduction of around 250 hostages. The International Court of Justice, Amnesty International and experts are now calling Israel’s retaliation a genocide against the Palestinian people. Call for a ceasefire, donate to relief efforts and support the groups advocating for peace in Gaza now.
Undocumented and Unafraid: Immigrant Justice and Rights
Right now, immigrant communities are under attack. Mass deportations. Family separations. Politicians trading humanity for headlines. The cruelty is deliberate — and it's getting worse.
This isn’t just policy. It’s trauma. It’s children growing up in fear, workers being exploited, families torn apart by systems designed to punish rather than protect.
As the daughter of refugees, I know the power of safety, of being welcomed instead of hunted. We have a responsibility — a sacred one — to fight back. To speak out. To show up.
Transgender Rights are Human Rights
Trans people are under attack — in legislatures, in headlines, and in their everyday lives. Over 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced across the country this year alone. These are not just “debates.” They are acts of violence.
Trans youth are being denied healthcare. Trans adults are being criminalized for existing. Families are being forced to flee their home states to find safety. This is not freedom. This is state-sanctioned cruelty.
We must say it clearly: Trans rights are human rights. Trans lives are sacred. And our liberation is tied together.
To stand with trans communities is to fight for a world rooted in dignity, truth, and love.
Reproductive Freedom and Justice: Abortion Access for All
Abortion is healthcare. Full stop. And right now, our rights are vanishing before our eyes.
Across the country, people are being stripped of the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. Banned, criminalized, surveilled — especially those already pushed to the margins: poor folks, people of color, immigrants, trans and nonbinary people.
This is not just about choice. It's about power. About control. About whether we get to live fully and freely in our own skin.
We deserve better. We deserve autonomy. We deserve care without shame, access without fear, and community without judgment.
Black Liberation: Support Black Justice and Liberation
Black liberation is not a trend. It’s not a moment. It’s a lifelong, generation-spanning fight for justice, dignity, and the right to simply breathe.
From slavery to segregation to mass incarceration and police violence, this country was built on anti-Blackness — and those systems are still alive and well. We can’t heal what we’re not willing to face. And we can’t claim to care about justice without centering Black freedom.
Black lives are not up for debate. Black brilliance, joy, grief, rage — all of it is holy. And the work of liberation belongs to all of us.
This is about more than statements. It’s about action, repair, and showing up again and again, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Because none of us are free until all of us are.