“This is the greatest retreat I’ve ever experienced. Nice teaching, nice place, nice food, relaxing schedule…these provide room for participants to digest and practice what we learn.”

The Buddhist Education for Social Transformation (BEST) course is an intensive, residential course focused on transformation of individuals, communities, the environment, and the world. The program is open to anyone seeking a Buddhist perspective in their approach to personal development, social justice and social change work.



The program is organized by International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP), based in Chiang Mai, Thailand and builds on our experience working with social change agents from the grassroots to the government levels over the past 16 years.

BEST is founded on the pillars of non-violent activism, spiritual practice, and anti-oppression feminism. It is intended to support participants’ integration of spiritual practice and social action, grounded in structural analysis and an understanding of the interdependence of personal transformation and structural change. BEST is a 14 day course, October 13-26, 2018.

BEST is open to people of all identities, welcoming of all genders and sexual identities, spiritual/faith traditions and beliefs, ages, ethnicities, education levels, professions, etc. First priority will be given to activists living and working in the Asian region.



The course aims to: