Bilal Ghalib

Bloom.pm

Beirut, Lille, Detroit –
Lebanon, France, Michigan/USA

Bilal Ghalib is the co-founder and Head of Research at Bloom. He has 18 years of experience working with social enterprises and organizations in the USA and MENA. He helped found Bloom in 2016 with the vision of creating positive change by facilitating personal and professional development for social entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa. Bilal holds a Master’s degree from the Universite de Paris in Interdisciplinary Approaches to Research and Education. He applies his expertise at Bloom by conducting research and development on applied positive psychological frameworks for creating a community-oriented, online learning environment for startups. Furthermore, he manages team development, builds organizational partnerships, and co-facilitates online accelerator programs.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing is a state of equanimity that arises from patience and acceptance of what is. It means to have the knowledge and skills to be able to take care of the challenges and stressors that life brings.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Balance.

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

Alongside meditation and journaling, I find that building rich and vulnerable friendships support my wellbeing.

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

The ripple-down effects impact every level of society. Firstly healthy minds and hearts are their own reward. Secondly, there are many impacts from the reduction of stress leading to less costs of healthcare, to a person’s okness changing(reducing) their consumption patterns, to more effective teams, to confidence in choosing vocations which support a healthy person and a healthy planet. It seems wellbeing, where ever it manifests, is both the reward and the way to a more positive future.

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

I loved the onbeing podcast. Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, the Quran. A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown. An Everyone Culture by Robert Kegan and many others

Connect with Bilal Ghalib on social media :

Personal website
Bloom's website

Luís Manuel Pinto

Learning for Well-being Foundation

Lisbon,
Portugal

I apply a holistic approach to creating and managing programs focusing on the intersection between well-being and participation. I am particularly interested in how identity and inner diversity impact relationships —in particular, between children and adults— and how these become pathways for personal and social development.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

It’s a moment-by-moment process of making and re-making meaning from our experiences.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Well-being. It’s in the word.

Connect with Luís Manuel Pinto on social media :

Learning For Wellbeing's Website

Gaby Arenas de Meneses

TAAP Foundation

Bogota,
Colombia

Gaby is a refugee from Venezuela; she has lived in Colombia for eight years. She is passionate about promoting peaceful coexistence, well-being, and social entrepreneurship through the visual arts and innovation in education. Most of her works focus on the support of the integration of refugees around the world.

Gaby is a Social Communicator who graduated from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello with a specialization in Journalism and a Master’s degree in Communication for Development, specializing in violence analysis, peacebuilding, and Human Rights in Latin America. Rotary Peace Fellow, with a degree in Peace Studies at Chulalongkorn University.

She leads the Art Team at RoundGlass, developing art programs for holistic well-being.

She is the Founder of the TAAP Foundation, an organization created to promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable development in communities that have impacted more than 4.5 million people in 14 countries.

She was the developer and first executive director of Aid Live Foundation, an organization created to support Venezuelan refugees in Colombia.

Gaby is a Rotary Peace Fellow, Opportunity Collaboration Fellow, CAFAM Atlántico Woman, Ashoka Fellow, Perennial Fellow, winner of the Ideas Contest in the Social Entrepreneurship category, and finalist in the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Schwab Foundation and Venezuela Sin Limites Foundation. In addition, the She Is Foundation recognizes her as Social Woman of the Year 2022.

Social entrepreneur, researcher, and professor of communication. She has been part of diverse projects and has been a coordinator and speaker in forums and meetings worldwide on refugee integration, peacebuilding, and social and educational innovation issues.

Since 2008, she has conducted research in communities linked with the analysis of violence, peacebuilding, and the use of communication and art for social development.
Co-founder of the Weaving Lab, Catalyst 2030, and Colombia Cuida Colombia.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

For me, inner well-being is living in peace, recognizing our lights and shadows but being able to heal and improve every day.
It is living positively, connecting with those around you and the environment.
It is living creatively, smiling, and working for yourself and others.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

For me, it is the same as personal well-being but for everyone. I do not believe the world’s well-being is possible if people suffer or feel harm. If we cultivate the emotional, cognitive, social, and planetary dimensions of well-being, we can be more aware and have a world of well-being.

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

I meditate, practice yoga, dance, and hug my family everyday.

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

All of them.

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

I have many resources including:

Connect with Gaby Arenas de Meneses on social media :

TAAP Fundation's website

Renald Morris

Networks Elder at The Wellbeing Project

Johannesburg; Gauteng Province,
South Africa

Renald is a South African living on the outskirts of the city of Johannesburg. He grew up during the time when the apartheid government was in power having to endure and overcome the injustices of the time. Upon completion of his secondary education he ventured into the mechanical engineering field where he gained experience in the areas of quality assurance, design and development, client liaison, and, production management. He left this sector for the Non-Governmental Sector after 15 years as result of his deep interest in social justice and community development.

The next phase of his career spans over a period of 25 years. In his newly-found path, he played a key role in dealing with the political violence which preceded and threatened the birth of the New South Africa. This included working with opposing political leaders towards stabalising communities so that the aspirations of the new democratic government could find fertile ground. This work later contributed to courses in peace education in schools and the University of South Africa.

His passion for the protection of women and children’s rights presented him with further opportunities to contribute to the national policy framework and to set up a national leadership development network directed at improving government services to women and children – especially those most vulnerable. Similar leadership development initiatives were also undertaken on a global scale working with multi-stakeholder social changemakers on in-country social and economic challenges.

Over the past eight years, Renald engaged with the work of The Wellbeing Project which inspired him to incorporate personal and organisational wellbeing into his leadership development work. After serving The Wellbeing Project as a co-creator under the banner of Synergos, he transitioned to the role of Network Elder where he continues to work with a fabulous team of people on growing and expanding the knowledge and practice-base on personal and organisational wellbeing globally.

Collectively his skills can be summarised as (among others) fundraising, program design and implementation, project management, fluency in English and Afrikaans, computer literacy, convening and facilitating gatherings, knowledge sharing, training, story collection, collaboration, partnership building, research, mentoring, M&E, reporting, advocacy, stakeholder liaison, grant-making and management.

He is an avid rugby and cricket supporter and loves classic and vintage cars. His philosophy is to look for opportunity in unusual places because, the dark reveals no horizons and therefore no limits.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Understanding what is needed to sustain you from within.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Gratification.

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

Reflection time.

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

So that we have a healthy and happy world.

Connect with Renald Morris on social media :

WELLbinar: Wellbeing Series for Changemakers – Peter A Levine WELLbinar: Wellbeing Series for Changemakers – Peter A Levine

Host: Aaron Pereira

Guests: Peter A Levine

June 2020

A Wellbeing Webinar Series for Changemakers is a series of live, virtual gatherings to extend wellbeing support to our global community in Covid-19 and beyond.

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Webinar Calendar Webinar Calendar

APRIL 2023

4

Sitting at the Feet of Elders

Reggie Hubbard and, special guest host, Mirabai Bush will chat with Sharon Salzberg about her new book “REAL LIFE – The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom”

12

Advancing wellbeing through social prescribing

Imagine a future where doctors prescribe more than just drugs. Dan Morse (Co-Founder and Founding Director of Social Prescribing USA) and Dr. Ardershir Hashmi (MD, FACP, FNAP is the Endowed Chair of Geriatric Innovation and Section Chief of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic) takes viewers to that future by spotlighting successes of the present — educating the community on the history, evidence base, and practice of social prescribing, with an eye to what other social entrepreneurs, grassroots organizations, universities, governments and healthcare professionals can learn. Julia Hotz (Journalist and author of THE SOCIAL PRESCRIPTION (Simon & Schuster, 2024) will moderate the webinar, and help viewers explore to advance the benefits of social prescribing in their own wellbeing journeys, in the meantime.

25

Bringing it Home

Sharon Salzberg & Reggie Hubbard will guide our journey to share, learn, and grow our understanding of eldership

``How can we have a deep inner realisation about collective power?`` ``How can we have a deep inner realisation about collective power?``

Join us for a transformative episode of “Voices of Wellbeing” as renowned artist Deepa Narayan shares her inner realizations about the collective power within oppressed groups. Discover how embracing joy, letting go of self-judgment, and opening the heart can unleash a transformative force beyond individual capabilities. In “Connecting with Each Other,” Deepa emphasizes the significance of taking time to nurture joys, explore emotions, and foster genuine connections with others. Understanding and sharing gender stories become essential components for both personal wellbeing and fostering social justice. Prepare to be inspired as Deepa Narayan ignites a spark within you, urging you to tap into the power of collective action and embrace a mindset free from stress. Let’s come together, celebrate joy, and create a world where wellbeing and social justice thrive. Don’t miss this captivating episode of “Voices of Wellbeing” and join the movement of collective power. Remember to subscribe to our channel for more insightful content, and share this empowering video with others to spread the message of unity and transformative change.

``Time melts walls and barriers down`` ``Time melts walls and barriers down``

Join us in this transformative episode of “Voices of Wellbeing” as artist Mohau Modisakeng shares the powerful role of art in healing trauma and shaping South Africa’s future. Discover how art connects people to their history, fosters resilience, and breaks cycles of poverty and trauma. Witness the transformative power of art as Mohau inspires hope and dialogue for a brighter tomorrow. Don’t miss this compelling exploration of art’s profound impact in South Africa.

Voices of Wellbeing | Nadine Kaslow Voices of Wellbeing | Nadine Kaslow

“I use the Arts as a way to cope, to heal, and to flourish”

In this captivating episode of “Voices of Wellbeing,” join American psychologist Nadine Kaslow as she explores the transformative power of integrating dance and psychology to heal trauma, intergenerational trauma, and vicarious traumatization. Discover how Nadine, an Emory University professor, provides essential support to healthcare workers during the pandemic, finding a delicate balance between self-care and attending to the inner world.

Explore the profound impact of “Healing Through Arts” as Nadine utilizes art as a therapeutic tool to address intergenerational trauma stemming from experiences such as slavery, racism, and child abuse. Witness the power of artistic expression in helping individuals navigate their healing journey while fostering connections with others to bridge the gap between reality and a more just and equitable world.