Adriana Azpurua

Hearth Summit Travel and Accommodation Senior Manager 

Bogotá,
Colombia

Connect with Adriana Azpurua :

Hello My name is Adriana, I am Venezuelan-Colombian, mother of twins.
For the last 11 years of my professional life, I have worked in the travel and tourism industry, creating memorable experiences for my passengers.
I graduated with honors in Public Relations and Corporate Image in Madrid, Spain.
I have a specialization in MANAGEMENT, in the Advanced Management Program of IESA in Venezuela; in addition, I obtained a certification from IAB Colombia in Digital Marketing.
I have nearly 25 years of experience in management positions as a Marketing and Communications Manager for the Latin American and Caribbean market, leading the area of different corporations and industries such as Banking, Mass Media, Hospitality, and Tourism.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

It is being present in the today and in the now.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Empathy

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

Dancing

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

Because we are part of the ecosystem of life and as an important element of organizations and society we must be in wellness for the ideal balance in presence and interaction.

Interconnected Healing From Intergenerational Trauma Interconnected Healing From Intergenerational Trauma

Healing x Regional Hearth Summits

With a growing collective consciousness about the impacts of intergenerational trauma, the regional Hearth Summits are a space for changemakers to explore those impacts in the social change sector. In social change work, trauma can be found at the roots of the biggest challenges facing the world today—and in the lives of the people working to address them. Trauma-informed approaches to social change have the power to help unlock healing, wellbeing, and social transformation for all. The regional Hearth Summits offer an invitation for local communities of changemakers to explore this power, contributing to our global call to move from cycles of trauma to journeys of wellbeing.

Discover how the Hearth Summits’ deep conversations, moving art performances, and embodied workshops create a platform for us to encourage healing and wellbeing for everyone—everywhere.

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Want to get involved with the Hearth Summits?

Members of our global network are co-creating regional wellbeing for social change movements around the world.

Express your interest in getting involved and we’ll share your information with them.

COLLECTIVE HEALING FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE COLLECTIVE HEALING FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE

“It’s when we start working together that the real healing takes place.”

David Hume

Opening a Dialogue on Intergenerational Trauma

Research From the Being and Transforming Think Tank

In Brussels, The Wellbeing Project launched the first part of “Cycles of Trauma and Journeys of Wellbeing: A Framework for Trauma-Informed Practices and Positive Social Change” — the first co-creation from the Being and Transforming Think Tank’s 3-year exploration of intergenerational trauma and social change. The research was published on the Think Tank’s brand-new hub for research, stories, tools, and other resources about IGT and trauma-informed social change work. Changemakers are invited to explore the database of resources and add to it.

Intergenerational Trauma, Ancestry, and Race  |  Trauma Intergeracional, Ancestralidade e Raça

Session From Hearth Summit São Paulo

In São Paulo, Raquel Barros, Coordinator, Emotional Collaboration Laboratory (ENLACE) and the Possible Worlds Community Extension Program, FACENS University, and Isabel Santos Mayer, Coordinator, Brazilian Institute of Studies and Community Support (IBEAC), joined in a conversation on intergenerational trauma, ancestry, and race in Brazil. Watch the session (in Portuguese).

Katherine Milligan, Director of the Collective Change Lab, educated changemakers on the basics of trauma’s physiological effects on the body, including how the central nervous system initiates the fight-flight-freeze response, and leading changemakers in embodied practices.

Shawan Mahmud, daughter of intellectual martyr Altaf Mahmud, touched souls with her tale of healing from intergenerational trauma in the aftermath of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, calling for accessible mental health services to support all who struggle with the ongoing impacts of the war.

Human rights activist and political refugee Marguerite Barankitse shared her inner and outer journey of peacebuilding after surviving ethnic cleansing campaigns in her home country of Burundi and starting an organization, Maison Shalom, to care for orphaned children.

Psychologist Edgar Gonzalez-Hernandez hosted a workshop on Compassion-Based Cognitive Therapy for participants in Bogotá in a session on how to recognize and start healing from trauma through an evidence-based approach.

Wellbeing Is Community, Resilience, and Inclusion

Interview With Okong’o Kinyanjui

In this interview at the first regional Hearth Summit in Nairobi, meet Okong’o Kinyanjui, Founder and Executive Director of the Queer African Network, as he shares how wellbeing inspires welldoing in his work to support the queer Pan-African community, whose wellbeing continues to be impacted by colonial-era penal codes across Africa.

Mapping the Impacts of Colonialism in Latin America

Workshop with Dr. Laura Calderon de la Barca 

In Bogotá, psychotherapist Dr. Laura Calderon de la Barca, a specialist in collective trauma and senior associate of the Collective Change Lab, led changemakers in a reflection mapping the ongoing impacts of colonial history in Latin America and the Caribbean. Changemakers identified the parts of society where the trauma of colonialism is still visible as well as where they see opportunities to act for healing. As a group, they saw trauma manifesting the most within gender dynamics, and they saw the biggest window of opportunity for action in the arts.

You can learn more about Dr. de la Barca’s work to raise the collective consciousness around colonial trauma in the region in our recent webinar series with Collective Change Lab on creating healing systems for social change.

Addressing Post-Genocide Trauma in Rwanda

INTERVIEW WITH DR JEAN BOSCO NIYONZIMA

Director and Executive Founder of the Ubuntu Center for Peace, Dr. Jean Bosco Niyonzima, spoke at The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès about the impact of intergenerational trauma in Rwanda, where more than 50% of genocide survivors live with mental health disorders like depression. Listen to this brief interview with Voice of America to hear about his approach to mobilizing an integrated, scalable, cost-effective, community-based social healing model across Africa.

In Nairobi, co-chair Honorable Justice Martha K. Koome, EGH explored justice as a shared responsibility and lived experience, requiring empowered individuals, accessible courts, and support for the marginalized. Critical issues discussed included addressing the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in prisons, reducing stigma, and decolonizing the justice system to promote restorative justice.

In Senegal, Safe Open Spaces (SOS) hosted small group sessions to promote emotional expression, active listening, and empathy among changemakers. Focusing on youth mental health, the SOS workshop offered practical skills to young changemakers to use for healing and personal growth.

The intergenerational wellbeing panel in Nairobi, chaired and moderated by Edwin Macharia, explored how individuals, families, and communities are interconnected and shape our collective ecosystem. The session explored how traditional methods can address community trauma and bridge generational gaps by preserving cultural knowledge and fostering overall wellbeing.

Healing From Trauma: The Leadership Skill You Didn’t Know You Needed

INTERVIEW WITH BENOIT LEGRAND

Leaders face challenges every day when managing teams and making decisions. But visionary business leader-turned-psychogenealogist Benoît Legrand says the biggest challenge can actually be an internal one. Hear from Benoît, who spoke about the impacts of intergenerational trauma in leadership and organizational wellbeing at The Wellbeing Summit Brussels, reflect on why leaders should prioritize their wellbeing and healing to be a positive presence for themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

PROCESSING TRAUMA AND HEALING THROUGH THE ARTSPROCESSING TRAUMA AND HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS

“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source.
When you are an artist, you are a healer.”

Rachel Naomi Remen

“Tears Ain’t Nothing But Liquid Prayers”

Poetry by Hannah L. Drake

Author, poet, and activist Hannah L. Drake stirred the emotions of her audience at The Wellbeing Summit Omega Institute-Harlem Wellness Center with her poem “Home,” a rebuttal to the state song of Kentucky (where she is from), “My Old Kentucky Home.”

Brilliante Aurora

Music by Oro y Platino

The alabaos are traditional Afro-Colombian funeral songs used to express and share grief and mourning that have been passed down generation to generation. Enjoy this song performed by Oro Y Platino, a group from the Condoto Chocó region of Colombia, who also took to the stage at The Wellbeing Summit Bogotá. All alabaos songs help people to say goodbye to their beloved. “Brillante Aurora” is about saying goodbye to a mother — with the song lyrics, they say goodbye to the Virgin Mary.

The Healing Power of MusicThe Healing Power of Music

MUSIC BY ASIF IQBAL AONTU

At The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka, we discovered musician and journalist Asif Iqbal Aontu’s extraordinary journey from imprisonment to musical soul healing. Through his music, he shares how his toughest experiences led him to a new direction, blending music with cosmic thoughts. With each song, he skillfully intertwines life’s tragedies, pains, and afflictions into a harmonious tapestry.

EXPLORE HEALING AND WELLBEING FURTHER EXPLORE HEALING AND WELLBEING FURTHER

Dive Into Research, News, and Stories on Intergenerational Trauma

Building a Brighter Future for The Gambia, Africa, and Beyond Building a Brighter Future for The Gambia, Africa, and Beyond

Stories from the Hearth

Guest post by:

Dr. Margor A. Green-Harris, MD

Medical Officer, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital

🌍 Banjul, The Gambia

Once upon a time, in the heart of Sengeal “Rew Taranga” a diverse group of changemakers gathered for The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès —a transformative event that promised to reshape the future of the continent. Among them was I, a passionate advocate for social and behavioral change and holistic wellbeing.

As the Summit unfolded, I immersed myself in a rich tapestry of workshops, discussions, and cultural exchanges. I eagerly participated in sessions on yoga and mindfulness, recognizing their potential to enhance my wellbeing and activism.

During a panel discussion on “The Africa We Want,” I experienced a profound shift in perspective. Inspired by the vision of a continent united in peace and prosperity, I realized the power of collective action to bring about meaningful change.

However, I also became more aware of the challenges facing grassroots movements and community initiatives. Too often, well-intentioned projects were sometimes derailed by external interests and agendas, leaving local communities disenfranchised.

Determined to make a difference, I resolved to prioritize the voices and needs of my fellow activists and volunteers. I refused to let external sponsors dictate the direction of our work, advocating for autonomy and integrity in all our endeavors.

As The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès drew to a close, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. Armed with new insights and connections, I returned to my community with a commitment to holistic wellbeing, grassroots activism, and the Africa we all wanted to see.

And so, inspired by the spirit of unity and determination I had witnessed at the Summit, I continued my journey, knowing that together, we could build a brighter future for The Gambia, Africa and beyond.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in AfricaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Africa

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Africa.

Shawn Westcott

Special Initiatives and Projects Lead at The Wellbeing Project

Stockholm, Sweden

Connect with SHAWN WESTCOTT on social media :

Shawn is a father, husband, and global citizen working to create experiences and connections to practices that rewake people’s interconnectedness to our natural world and each other. With more than 20 years of experience in US politics, sustainability, and impact investing, he is a passionate connector, change catalyst and social entrepreneur, having been a first-mover and catalyst in several movements, including US welfare reform, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and impact investing.

Shawn began his career as a social entrepreneur, helping to launch a national student-led non-profit focused on welfare reform issues in the US. After university, he began his career with Al Gore’s campaign for President, and eventually working as a US political strategist, Chief of Staff & campaign manager over 9 years.

In 2007 Shawn moved to Sweden to study a Masters in sustainability leadership, after which he had a career as a sustainability adviser to governmental sustainability initiatives and corporates. During this time, he also served as Chairman for the Swedish NGO Social Entrepreneurship Forum. In this role he led the development of the first social impact accelerator and incubator in the Nordics, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The program worked to support social entrepreneurs in 20 countries in the Global South. For this he was selected as one of the “Top 100 Leaders to Affect Sustainability in Business in Sweden.”

More recently, Shawn spent nearly a decade as a pioneer in the Impact Investing space in Sweden and the Nordics, having initiated and founded the first impact investor network in the Nordics in partnership with Toniic. He later helped lead Nordic operations for two different global impact asset management firms, Triodos Investment Management and BlueOrchard Finance, working within the renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, infrastructure, sustainable food and microfinance sectors.

In 2021-22, Shawn took a nearly two-year sabbatical — a transformative experience wherein he worked to recalibrate his life and career. This included a deep dive into personal development and wellbeing, trauma-informed decision-making, collapse awareness and the further development of a spiritual practices. After this period, Shawn decided to spend the remainder of his career working to inform, inspire and support other people’s awareness of our role in the natural world and deeper sense of connectedness to one another.