Hearth Summit Thiès 2024
Regional Hearth Summits
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Following an incredible, first-of-its-kind Pan-African gathering in 2023, Tostan kept the fire burning with a second regional summit in Thiès, Senegal! With a focus on “Eldership and Youth, An Intergenerational Conversation on Wellbeing”, Hearth Summit Thiès 2024 was co-created with young leaders and social change agents from across Africa. Together, 165 changemakers from across Africa reflected on the power of intergenerational dialogue on wellbeing through a range of topics, including youth mental health, ecological belonging, peacebuilding and reconciliation, and paradigm shifts in funding for wellbeing initiatives.
Through practical sessions and “The Wellbeing Artisan’s Hearth”, attendees also learned and share effective tools, solutions and methodologies to enhance their own wellbeing.
With the event’s Ritual Alchemist, Antoine Boubane, changemakers also jumped into a cultural immersion with the Bassari community, renowned for their rich heritage and ecological wisdom. They discovered the Bassari’s traditional practices deeply connected to nature, their role as “guardians of the earth,” and their efforts to preserve their cultural and natural heritage in the face of modern challenges. Together, changemakers explored our deep connection to both our cultural and physical wellbeing through storytelling, artistic performances, exhibits, and art therapy.
rtist, Bassari Culture Ambassador, and Arts Curator for Hearth Summit Thiès
As young Africans, we are facing numerous social, economic, and technological pressures that impact our wellbeing and challenge our aspirations. Addressing these challenges in our communities, where relationships between elders and youth are essential, requires an intergenerational approach. The wisdom of our elders offers guidance and stability, while the fresh perspectives of youth inspire innovative solutions.
This is what Hearth Summit Thiès is all about: weaving a dialogue between our past and our present, harnessing the wisdom of our origins to build resilience today and fulfill our aspirations for the future.
THE PROGRAMME
Learn, discover, and connect around the Hearth
AN INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE
With Workshops and Embodied Practices
The program brought together changemakers of all ages to consider key social change topics and develop new skills to support wellbeing, such as:
- Collaborating between elders, parents, youth, and children for wellbeing
- Building trust-based, equitable, and impactful partnerships in philanthropy
- Youth wellbeing, particularly around mental health, sexual health, technology, and reproductive rights
- Wellbeing skills, including active listening, emotional expression, somatic breathwork, and yoga
- The therapeutic benefits of the arts
- Reconnecting with nature: physical, cultural, and social benefits
- Communication for social change: building empathy and community, raising awareness, and influencing sustainable impact
From the Individual, to the Collective, to the Earth
STORIES FROM THE SUMMIT
UNE RENCONTRE ÉCOLOGIQUE
WITH THE BASSARI COMMUNITY
Led by Ritual Alchemist Antoine Boubane (Black Keme), the Summit invited changemakers to explore the world of the Bassari, an Indigenous group from southeast Senegal. Antoine and an elder, Balingho, guided participants on a journey exploring the Bassari’s coming-of-age traditions. With meaningful dances, an atelier workshop filled with Bassari crafts and sacred objects, and energizing performances, Antoine shared his heritage with the pan-African changemaking community. Watch this introduction video to meet the Bassari.
Bringing the Warmth of Africa to the Hearth
RELIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE SUMMIT
HOSTED BY
With special thanks to these generous sponsors, funders, and partners
Being, Consortium Jeunesse Sénégal, Girls Generation, Global Fund for Children, Grand Challenges Canada, RESCAPAR’T, Vitol Foundation, and The Wellbeing Project
MORE REGIONAL SUMMITS
Discover the Wellbeing Movement in Africa
Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Africa.
