Accession Number:

AD1079949

Title:

Concept of Operations Considerations for Working with Socially Engaged Buddhists in Southeast Asia for United States Navy and Marine Corps Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Missions

Descriptive Note:

[Technical Report, Master's Thesis]

Corporate Author:

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CACANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY ATLANTA GA

Personal Author(s):

• Coates, Gregory R.

Report Date:

2019-04-24

Pagination or Media Count:

44

Abstract:

My paper concentrated on a global development within Buddhism called Socially Engaged Buddhism SEB, with a particular emphasis on groups in SE Asia. I have chosen to do this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, SEB is a relatively new religious-political phenomenon that had its birth in the 1950s in Vietnam and continues today throughout SE Asia. Second, I focused on the three-core ethics of SEB loving-kindness metta, compassion karuna, and generous giving dana. Understanding both the historical religious-political context and religious practice of Socially Engaged Buddhists will not only better equip the US NavyMarine Corps Team to respect and serve alongside the people of SE Asia with the highest ideal of professionalism but will allow us to be more effective in the execution of a Humanitarian AssistanceDisaster Relief Mission. I argued the way forward in SE Asia Concept of Operations for Humanitarian AssistanceDisaster Relief Missions will be to partner with local SEB Non-Governmental Organizations NGOs and International SEB Non-Governmental Organizations INGOs. The main body of my thesis looked at the religious, cultural, and organizational structure of a few NGOs and INGOs that may serve as religious and cultural liaisons with US Navy and Marine Corps personnel to any Host Nations population. In addition, I presented an apparent contradiction within some corners of SEBreligiously sanctioned violence. While religiously sanctioned violence does exist in rare cases among groups that might consider themselves socially engaged, this should not diminish the importance of a collaborative partnership with NGOs and INGOs committed to non-violence.

Descriptors:

• minority groups
• health services
• humanitarian assistance
• united states pacific command
• disaster management
• religion
• nongovernmental organizations
• united states
• buddhism
• chaplains
• disasters
• governments
• military operations
• southeast asia
• information operations
• international organizations
• new york
• education
• ethics
• marine corps

Subject Categories:

• Humanities and History
• Civil Defense

Distribution Statement:

[A, Approved For Public Release]