Michael Jaquish is a practicing Buddhist of the Tibetan Mahayana tradition following the path of the Bodhisattva. He is also a poet, an artist, a novelist and a journalist. Following a career as a peace officer in America he traveled to West Africa to serve as director of security for US Embassy operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia and for the NASA Space Shuttle Abort Landing site. In his spare time, Michael spent many years roaming the jungles in search of adventure and exotic creatures and sketching and writing about what he found. Michael has published over fifteen books drawing upon his studies of Buddhism, his fertile imagination and his experience with international security consulting and training. He currently lives among the tall fir trees in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest where he continues to write and ponder the meaning of life while striving to find a balance between practicing compassion for all beings and making people safe in an unsafe world.

The people of Tibet have endured enormous suffering at the hands of the Chinese government since China invaded Tibet in 1959 and annexed Tibet. Michael supports the International Campaign for Tibet as a way of showing compassion for the people of Tibet. 

During the eight years Michael spent in Africa he developed a deep affection for the people of Africa and an intense desire to alleviate their suffering. Finding ways to do that has proved very challenging though. In addition to his international security consultant and training endeavors, Michael joined forces in 2009 with filmmaker: Terry Nickelson, Susan Zelle of the US State Department and Tanya Domi, of Columbia University, to establish the international anti-genocide activist group:  Our Humanity In the Balance, (OHIB). The organization has grown exponentially and OHIB's volunteers are now working to help reduce or eliminate acts of horror and genocide  inflicted by brutal governments on unarmed, innocent civilians around the world. 

Michael's Statement from the OHIB Website:

What does it mean to be human? Are we really only a vast collection of diverse cultures and tribes struggling for Darwinian domination in a battle for survival of the fittest? What about spirituality? What about compassion? What about loving your neighbor as your self and forgiving your enemies? Are these real concepts, or are they pointless delusions that conflict with our humanity?

We do have the power to create our own reality. Regardless of well-meaning intentions and the lip service of a minority, humanity overall has a pretty poor track record in terms of compassion and respect for human dignity. Many agree that our humanity is in the balance now, that our species may be reaching a tipping point that will compel us to evolve or vanish. From time to time great teachers have appeared to lead us toward enlightenment. Always, the message has been the same; the path to ending suffering is accomplished by extending compassion to others. When we reach out to those in need with love and compassion we open a door to our own spirituality and discover the connection we ALL have with ALL beings. Acts of genocide close that door because they represent the absolute antithesis of altruism and contain the seeds of our own destruction. Stepping forward and shouting, “enough!” is a vital first step in a journey towards re-defining our humanity. A movement such as OHIB can be an excellent vehicle for accomplishing this. I encourage all self-realized beings to join in this journey of self-discovery.