Alana Chavez, Author at The Wellbeing Project

Berlin-based Dutch artist Renee van Bavel explores themes of peace, humanity, freedom, and democracy, encouraging viewers to engage with these ideas on a deeply personal level. Her immersive artwork, The Mirror of Peace, exemplifies this approach. As part of the Global Hearth Summit’s featured exhibitions, this piece offers viewers a life-sized reflection of themselves alongside the statement: “This is what people living in peace look like.” The work serves as a powerful reminder not to take peace for granted, urging us to make conscious efforts—every day—to uphold and cherish it.

“Through my work for various memorial sites and foundations in Germany and the Netherlands, I have met many people for whom the words war and peace have a vivid meaning. These encounters have made me very aware that I live in peace and that this should not be taken for granted. This process has ignited a fire in me to share this “peace consciousness” with the public. Not by explaining it, but by creating a form that enables people to experience it for themselves. That is THE MIRROR OF PEACE.”

– Renee van Bavel

Renee van Bavel and the Draiflessen Collection are delighted to present this engaging and thought-provoking work as part of the Global Hearth Summit’s International Arts Program.

Photograph by Marta Busso

Anique Jordan

Hearth Summit Curatorial Assistant

Toronto,
Canada

Connect with Anique:

Anique Jordan is an artist, writer and curator who looks to answer the question of possibility in everything she creates. As an artist, Jordan works in photography, sculpture and performance often employing the theory of hauntology to challenge historical or dominant narratives and creating, what she calls, impossible images. Jordan’s work considers different logics of time, the black surreal and the marvellous as it relates to the black Atlantic experience. Jordan has lectured on her artistic and community-engaged curatorial practice as a 2017 Canada Seminar speaker at Harvard University and in numerous institutions across the Americas. In 2017 she co-curated the exhibition Every. Now. Then: Reframing Nationhood at the Art Gallery of Ontario. She has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships and in 2017 was awarded the Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Artist of the Year award. Jordan has recently completed her MFA in Photography at Rhode Island School of Design and is a 2024 recipient of Canadas 100 most accomplished Black women. Jordan lives between Toronto and Rhode Island with her beloved pup, RZA.

GET TO KNOW ANIQUE

– What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing means I can think and feel at the same time.

– How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Ease

– Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Journaling, taking care of plants, moving my body and spending IRL time with real humans.

– Why is it important that we prioritise individual and collective wellbeing?

Because If the building blocks of the current world we live in is not well, how can a future one be.

– Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote, or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Not a book but I love Atmos.earth, an ongoing publication looking at climate justice, arts, culture and global politics in nuanced and exciting ways.

Stories from the Hearth Stories from the Hearth

Hearth Summit Athens Session Featuring:

Becky Young

Head of Ops & Community, Earth Percent
🌍 London, England

Vickie Amiralis

Label Development Manager, In Place of War / EarthSonic
🌍 London, England

Tori Tsui

Climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker
🌍 Bristol, England

Misia Furtak

Musician, Music Declares Emergency
🌍 Poznań, Poland

In Athens, a co-created agenda with arts group Act in Synch invited changemakers to reflect on social change through an artistic lens. In the music industry, different musicians, producers, organizers, and non-profits have been taking a step outside their bubble to drive change in both environmental and social justice arenas. Hear from four different examples of this innovative approach bridging arts for positive change with:

Becky Young, Head of Ops & Community, EarthPercent. EarthPercent invites artists and the music industry at large to donate a small percentage of their income, making change through organisations that meaningfully address the climate and nature crises. Over 250 artists and companies have already pledged their support.
Vickie Amiralis, Label Development Manager, In Place of War, and EarthSonic. In Place of War is a global organisation that uses artistic creativity in places impacted by conflict and climate change as a tool for positive change. It enables grassroots changemakers in music, theatre and across the arts to transform cultures of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom. EarthSonic is a global project telling the story of climate change through music, working with indigenous communities, musicians, cultural organisers, scientists and climate activists and experts.
Tori Tsui, climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker; and
Misia Furtak, musician, Music Declares Emergency. Music Declares Emergency brings together artists, music industry professionals and music fans to call for an immediate governmental response to the climate change emergency to protect all life on Earth.

Act in Synch ‍brings together leaders from across industries to confront climate change. Its mission is to inspire action by addressing our relationship with the planet and the choices we make.

Watch the session (in English).

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Wellbeing and the Arts Discover Wellbeing and the Arts

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in the arts.

Stop 3: HEART Stop 3: HEART

All Roads lead to the Hearth Summit

As all roads continue to converge, the Hearth Summit in June in Ljubljana, Slovenia, draws ever closer. Your place by the collective fire is held, and our shared journey deepens with every step.

We have now arrived at the third of four stops on our path to the HEARTH. These short stops along the way offer meaningful glimpses into what awaits, inviting you to connect more deeply with the spirit of this gathering. Today, the invitation is to start feeling into the pulse of the movement: its people, its purpose, and the pathways we are walking—together.

Remember, soon you’ll receive separate emails with important logistical details as we approach the Summit.

With an open heart and no further ado, dobrodošli (welcome) to our:

From Project to Movement

As with any living organism, a movement begins as a breath—subtle, often unseen—and grows through connection, nourishment, and time.

The Wellbeing Project began in just that way. What started as a response to the quiet ache and burnout felt by social change leaders has evolved into a global Wellbeing Movement—an ecosystem of care. Like the branching of mycelium underground, what began small has become a thriving network of changemakers practicing wellbeing in their lives, work, and communities—each interconnected, each alive.

45 seasons, 135 new moons, and 3,108 sunrises have passed since we first shared our deep conviction with the world –that Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing – and whether you joined us at sunrise 1, 4,000, or 4,108, you are part of this living story—a story still being written.

From the start, The Wellbeing Project has been about catalyzing a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers. It has always been a collective endeavor. Born in 2014 from the understanding that meaningful change requires shared wisdom and effort, this work has been co-created—drawing on the experience and creativity of diverse communities and institutions around the world.

Rooted in practices of co-creation, emergence, and deep listening, and trusting the rhythm of living systems, this journey has been both grounded and expansive. Over the years, the Project has:

This evolution has been emergent, made possible by the willingness and responsiveness of actors across the social change field. Each group—like a cell in a greater organism—has moved at its own rhythm: some completing their cycles and gently sunsetting, others evolving into communities of practice.

What began as a project is now co-created with over 60 institutions across nonprofits, foundations, academia, media, venture capital, and the arts—anchored by Ashoka, Georgetown University, Impact Hub, Porticus, Skoll Foundation, and Synergos.

Each individual, institution, and relationship has been essential in shaping this journey—creating the conditions for the Wellbeing Movement to thrive within the social change sector.

Being part of a movement is personal, aspirational, and rooted in hope. At its HEART, this movement reflects a deep optimism—an unwavering belief that transformation is possible.

And that HEART is you. And that HEART is you.

Together, we are nurturing a world where wellbeing is not an afterthought, but a foundation—essential not just for personal resilience, but for meaningful, lasting impact. This movement is living proof that when changemakers are supported from within, transformation becomes possible—both in themselves and in their changemaking.

Beating Hearts Together

In June, more than 1,000 souls from around the world will come together and meet in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Perhaps you already know some of the incredible fellow changemakers that will be present. You may have journeyed together through programs, networks, or conversations. Others will be strangers— at first—until you meet and recognize the familiar spark of shared purpose.

And quite the opposite of random, we are paying attention to each of the HEARTS who will be beating together. We’re gathering a vibrant, diverse mix:

This Summit is not just about “who is attending”—it’s about who we are together. Because we are not just the audience of the Hearth Summit—we are its living, breathing heart, and we believe we all are essential to our collective wisdom.

An Architecture of Belonging

Throughout the arc of human history, adversity has always walked beside us, taking many forms. And now, for better or worse, it is we who stand in the stream of time, bearing the weight of this moment—living through hardship and wonder, all in a single breath.

We recognize that the number of the Hearth Summit in-person attendees doesn’t represent even a fraction of the vast body of changemakers working toward a better world. And yet, we believe that the right constellation of these hearts and minds is more than enough to continue reshaping our collective story—to spark a hopeful narrative that reawakens a felt sense of connection: to ourselves, to one another, and to the natural world.

Every conversation, encounter, and experience at the Hearth Summit will be guided by the lens of Ecological Belonging—a living reminder that we are not separate from the Earth, or from one another. This lens invites us to ask not only how we want to live together, but also how we want to be in relationship—with land, and with life itself. Not as a theory, but as a daily, embodied practice.

Belonging begins with connection, and connection becomes possible through closeness. That is why, throughout our time together, we will gather in Family Circles—human-sized groups that reflect the larger experience of the Hearth Summit in a way that is personal, grounded, and alive. These circles are a fractal expression of the Summit’s intention: to hold space for us to recognize ourselves as a movement, while holding complexity through care. They will be a space to reflect, digest, make meaning, and be witnessed—together.

Through these circles, we hope the vast will become near, the abstract will become felt, and the collective will become real—each circle a mirror of the experience we will share at the Hearth Summit. In this way, we reflect the greater ecosystem of the wellbeing movement, until it becomes not something we simply witness, but something we begin to embody.

The Next Beats of the Hearth

And as we step deeper into this architecture of belonging, we will be gently held by the turning of the season. The summer solstice marks yet another threshold, reminding us that we are part of a larger, universal cycle of life—and that transformation, present in both the seasons and in social movements, moves in spirals, not lines.

As the sun reaches its peak, it will also begin to bid farewell to our shared in-person experience. Each of us will return home carrying a spark from the collective Hearth—a fire to illuminate our gestures, our words, and the way we choose to lead and live.

But the Hearth Summit is not an ending. It is a continuation—a moment of convergence before new branching begins. The story does not end in Ljubljana; it continues through each of us. Because the path ahead will be lit by the sparks you bring with you, nurture and transform at the Hearth, and carry forward into the world.

Like a living organism, this community will continue to adapt, grow, and regenerate. We are not simply attending an event—we are shaping the conditions for a new culture of social change, one rooted in connection, care, and collective wellbeing.

And in this way, the Hearth will continue—in many places, through many hearts, as the Wellbeing Movement.

We have honored the EARTH We continue to HEAR the community Today, we see the HEART of this movement In a few weeks, we’ll deepen into the ART In the meantime, keep exploring:

Empowering Nonprofits Empowering Nonprofits to Thrive:

Lessons Learned from Our Wellness Grants

Guest Post By

From economic turmoil to elimination of government funding, the nonprofit workforce is facing increasing challenges, at a time when many have already been expressing concerns about being stretched thin and burning out.

According to the State of Nonprofits 2024: What Funders Need to Know report by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, 86% of nonprofit leaders expressed concern over staff burnout.

Survey results like that drew our attention at the Hewlett Foundation, when we saw the trend of staff burnout increase precipitously among our grantees during the pandemic and its aftermath. Recognizing a need across all of our program areas, Hewlett’s Effective Philanthropy Group (EPG) launched a dedicated wellness grants fund in 2023 as part of our organizational effectiveness strategy, which aims to strengthen grantees’ ability to adapt and thrive so they can better achieve their missions. During this effort, more than 50 grantees received small, one-time wellness grants.

We’ve been inspired by the creative ways nonprofits have leveraged these grants—and the benefits extend beyond their staff to the communities they serve. Grantees have used the funding to help their staff feel supported, rested, motivated, and connected to their mission in times when burnout is causing high turnover and disruption in services.

For example, one organization that provides music training created a new position of mental health officer and set up a “calming tent” for its summer program, reporting that both were successful in improving staff morale and reducing staff burnout. Another, which focuses on reproductive health, used their wellness grant to facilitate a team retreat – and described how “team-building and wellbeing are vital for sustaining motivation and preventing burnout, improving job satisfaction and productivity.” An organization that works with education leaders said that their wellness grant “came at just the right time,” reporting that the grant helped “foster joy, which flows into the way we engage with community partners.”

These reflections highlight an essential truth: Investing in staff well-being is not just about preventing burnout—it’s about ensuring that nonprofit teams are equipped to deliver sustained impact for the people and causes they serve.

Why we created a Wellness Fund

Due to the nonprofit starvation cycle, where funders are systemically not fully funding nonprofits for the programmatic and administrative costs of the work, nonprofits are often understaffed without the resources needed to fully achieve their missions. As a result, staff often face high levels of burnout and stress, impeding their ability to carry out their work.

Flexible funding, which makes up most of Hewlett’s grantmaking, enables organizations to be nimble and responsive to their priorities. However, even with this support, nonprofits often struggle to dedicate resources specifically to staff wellness. The wellness fund provided one way that we could signal the importance of investing in people—creating space for reflection, rest, and self-care.

How we structured the fund

The fund was designed to minimize grantee burden while maximizing impact. Existing grantees who already receive flexible funding from the Hewlett Foundation as well as organizational strengthening support from our organizational effectiveness strategy were eligible, with priority given to smaller-budget organizations with limited resources. Grantee recipients received a one-time allocation of $10,000 to put towards wellness, which was added to an organizational effectiveness grant that an organization was already receiving. This meant grantees did not need to apply separately, streamlining the process for both grantees and internal staff.

The grants gave organizations the flexibility to prioritize wellness in ways that allow the grantee to choose how to use the funds to suit their unique contexts, from team-building retreats to stipends for employees.

Emerging Insights

The wellness fund has already led to some noticeable shifts in how we engage with grantee partners. Offering the additional wellness grant has enabled program staff to open up meaningful conversations with their grantees about staff burnout and wellbeing. Grantees are sharing with us more candidly the challenges they face, knowing that we can provide funding to support their wellness efforts. We are also encouraged to see more, and larger, OE grants directed entirely to wellness. As more grantees share back how they are using the wellness grants, we will continue to share our learnings with the field.

The Bigger Picture The Bigger Picture: Investing in Systemic Solutions

While individual wellness grants are a step forward, we recognize they are just a small piece of a much larger systemic challenge. Beyond this fund, we have made grants to organizations such as The Wellbeing Project, Fund the People and Independent Sector, who are working to promote a healthy nonprofit workforce by advancing practices that prioritize competitive staff pay and benefits, professional development, and retention in nonprofits. We hope more funders will join us to contribute to a sector-wide shift towards more supportive and sustainable working environments at nonprofit organizations.

Why Ljubljana?

Program

Speakers

Artists

More Info

Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl

Professor and NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning, University of Illinois Chicago

Connect with Kimberly on social media:

Connect with the University of Illinois Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Research Groupon social media:

About Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl

Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl is the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. A former middle school and alternative high school teacher for youth at risk, she earned her MA from the University of Chicago and her PhD from the University of Iowa, followed by postdoctoral work as a Fellow in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Clinical Research Training Program in Adolescence at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

Internationally recognized for her expertise in social and emotional learning (SEL), Dr. Schonert-Reichl’s research centers on the factors that promote empathy, compassion, altruism, and resilience in children and youth. She has led numerous studies evaluating SEL programs such as Roots of Empathy, MindUp, and Kindness in the Classroom, and has also examined SEL’s impact on teacher well-being and how SEL can be integrated into teacher preparation programs. Dr. Schonert-Reichl has collaborated with neuroscientists and psychobiologists to explore the biological underpinnings of children’s social and emotional development, including stress physiology and social epigenetics. A leading figure in SEL assessment, she spearheaded the development of the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), a population-level measure capturing children’s self-reported well-being and social and emotional competencies.

Used globally and translated into multiple languages, the MDI has been administered to more than 400,000 children and is being used in international projects, including a current initiative in Tuluá, Colombia. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2021 Janusz Korczak Medal for Children’s Rights Advocacy, the 2019 Postsecondary Leader of the Year Award (Canadian EdTec), the 2015 Joseph E. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award for outstanding SEL research, and the 2009 Confederation of University Faculty Associations BC’s Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award in recognition of sustained outstanding contributions to the community beyond the academy through research over the major portion of a career.

In total, she has authored over 185 scholarly publications, has co-edited two books on mindfulness in education, and has a recent co-edited book Social and Emotional Learning in Action: Creating Systemic Change in Schools (2023). She is Editor-in-Chief of Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, the first academic journal dedicated to SEL, published by Elsevier. Dr. Schonert-Reichl serves on several influential boards and advisory groups, including the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the Karanga Global Alliance for SEL and Life Skills, and UNESCO’s MGIEP. She also chairs the Scientific Research Advisory Committee of the Goldie Hawn Foundation and has advised the OECD’s Education 2040 initiative and the British Columbia Ministry of Education on SEL-informed curriculum reforms.

Since 2006, Dr. Schonert-Reichl has participated in dialogues with the Dalai Lama on compassion and educating the heart—experiences highlighted in the 2017 documentary The Last Dalai Lama? Her work has been featured widely in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Atlantic, and Scientific American Mind, underscoring her global influence in the field of SEL and child development.

Eric Mulholland

Dean of Inner Development Program

Whidbey Island, WA, United States

CONNECT WITH SHADILLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Eric Mulholland is a licensed mental health counselor, actor, educator, facilitator, and all-around creative person who has worked with groups of all ages for over 30 years. He studied theatre at the University of LaVerne where he specialized in Creative Dramatics and Acting. Professionally, Eric has acted in regional children’s theatre companies and has appeared in over 50 plays. He taught drama in regional acting conservatories, schools, and community programs around the world.

Eric helped launch the international youth program Partners for Youth Empowerment (PYE Global) and traveled extensively as a global trainer for the organization. His interest in somatic awareness and how the body holds trauma led him to study massage therapy at the Port Townsend School of Massage, where he received his massage license. He graduated with a master’s degree from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland and currently works part-time as a therapist in private practice.

At home, Eric enjoys spending time with friends over a home cooked meal and working with his hands in the garden. Touching the earth regularly keeps him balanced and connected. Hiking, running, swimming, skiing, and travel have all been a routine part of his self-care over the years. Eric loves to explore his creativity in his home studio by painting, dancing, and writing.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing, to me, is about building a positive relationship with yourself. It’s recognizing that you are your own greatest supporter, nurturing self-compassion, and finding balance within to thrive.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Connection

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Being in nature fills me with peace and connection. It is not uncommon for me sit in silence for long periods of time in the forests or at the seaside near my home. I also enjoy yoga for balance, trail running to strengthen my heart, meditation to smooth the rough edges of my mind, poetry to bring the tears, and cooking delicious food for joy and community.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

Life comes at us fast and furious most of the time. Most of which we can’t control. Building a practice that supports wellbeing is a tonic for the vicissitudes of life. If I am well, then I can contribute from an empowered place. I can be creative and thoughtful and compassionate. Organizations and societies are made up of individuals so I believe wellbeing starts with me.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Poems by Rumi, The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff, and Start Where Your Are by Pema Chödrön