Experiencing Wellbeing Around the World Experiencing Wellbeing Around the World
Wellbeing Practices x Regional Hearth Summits
The regional Hearth Summits gather changemakers from a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds, and fields to explore the intersection of wellbeing and social change. The emotional and intellectual journey of a Hearth Summit inspires us not only to think about the presence of wellbeing in our lives — but to feel it too. We are offered a space to co-create global understandings of what wellbeing is, all the while believing strongly that wellbeing has no one true definition. It must be lived to be understood — and each of us has our own way of being well.
Throughout the regional Hearth Summits, changemakers are invited to explore how they can get in touch with and embody their wellbeing through a variety of practices. With options like physical movement, philosophical explorations, traditions and rituals, and evidence-based approaches, the regional Hearth Summits invite everyone to be well in their own unique way.
Explore the different ways the regional Hearth Summits are encouraging us to look inward and cultivate a sense of inner wellbeing.
Want more ideas for how you can practice wellbeing? You can also find other wellbeing tips here and tell us about your wellbeing practices.
Art as a Creative Outlet Art as a Creative Outlet
“Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate.”
Harvey Fierstein
In Dhaka, participants were invited to explore the therapeutic benefits of painting, especially with bright colours, as part of a wellbeing workshop on the emotional boost of light and colours.
In Nairobi, artist Lindsay Dawn Obath guided participants in a self-portrait painting session, inviting them to reflect deeply on their inner worlds and identities, all the while playfully enjoying the simple act of painting.
Changemakers in Dakar-Thiès tried their hand at traditional African basket weaving led by IMADI, who taught them techniques that have been passed down for generations, from grandmothers to mothers to daughters.
In Dhaka, the workshop “Life is an Art” encouraged changemakers to slow down, pause, and enjoy a mindful moment before, in silence, using the arts to express their emotions and reflect on life experiences.
In Nairobi, changemakers took time to delight in the colorful art of floral bouquet design with a workshop guided by Floral Design Studio Kenya, a training studio led by three generations of family florists in Nairobi. The best part: taking your creation home to remember the extraordinary summit!
Awa Fall, who attended Tostan’s training programmes during her incarceration in the Thiès prison and then went on to establish her own tie-dying business, taught changemakers how to dye fabric. With Awa’s expert guidance, participants left the Summit with a hand-dyed scarf, a souvenir of their wellbeing practice.
The Healing Power of SoundThe Healing Power of Sound
“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
Confucius
In TheMerode’s “Zen Room”, Maïté Herkins guided guests through a therapeutic sound bath during session breaks during The Wellbeing Summit Brussels.
Harp therapist Alix Collin brought the beautiful, healing presence of the harp to The Wellbeing Summit Brussels, even inviting participants to sit against the harp to feel its healing vibrations as she played.
Reggie Hubbard created a harmonious blend of sound by performing a crystal bowls concert amidst the natural melodies of nature thriving at the Omega Institute.
Complimenting the natural soundtrack of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the gardens of Bangla Academy, Swayambhu led participants through a tranquil journey of sound and breath.
MINDFULNESS AND BREATHWORKMINDFULNESS AND BREATHWORK
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky, conscious breathing is my anchor.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Amid thought-provoking talks, captivating art performances, and energizing social activities, the regional Hearth Summits remind us there is always time to slow down and notice our breath.
Find your own breath with our guided meditations here.
THE WISDOM OF MEDITATION
SESSION AT Hearth Summit São Paulo
In São Paulo, Daniel Calmanowitz, Vice President of Lama Gangchen Foundation for the Culture of Peace, shared the wisdom of meditation with changemakers and how it can impact individual and collective wellbeing. As a disciple of the Tibetan Buddhist master H.E. Lama Gangchen Rinpoche, a Buddhist practitioner since 1987, and an ordained monk since 2011, Daniel offered profound wisdom from the Buddhist tradition in a cross-cultural dialogue at Hearth Summit São Paulo. Watch the session (in Portuguese).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS THE GREAT OUTDOORS
“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Taking in the pristine setting of the Omega Institute‘s campus in upstate New York, changemakers enjoyed guided nature walks throughout the gathering. Delegates explored the natural curiosities of the 250-acre campus, filled with gardens, hiking trails, and a lakefront, which invited them to imagine a new season of life for themselves — and the world.
Nestled in the gardens of Tamarind Brasserie, Hearth Summit Nairobi offered changemakers a serene retreat into nature. The forested space not only provided space for changemakers to immerse themselves in nature, but also to interact with some new friends: cats, hares, tortoises, and monkeys regularly roamed through the space throughout the event.
In Dhaka, participants could try on a green thumb by planting seedlings of trees and flowers at a gardening station. Within the gardens of Bangla Academy, a serene oasis of vegetation in the heart of the bustling streets of Dhaka, the Summit allowed changemakers to connect with the Earth, create beauty, and strengthen local biodiversity.
Exercise and Movement Exercise and Movement
“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”
Arabian Proverb
Shamima Akhtar Tulee, the first Bangladeshi woman to earn the Shotokan Karate Blackbelt, got changemakers moving in an invigorating chair workout in Dhaka, perfectly adapting movements for all types of abilities and experiences.
In Dakar-Thiès, changemakers discovered capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts practice, with Grupo Africa Capoeira – Ilha de Gorée. In between sessions and discussions, the opportunity to move with a unique fusion of different cultures brought fresh energy and power to the afternoon.
At many Hearth Summits, gentle movements like yoga and stretching invite everyone to turn inwards and develop a stronger connection with their physical selves. Here in Bogotá, a secluded rooftop space for yoga created an extra special moment for mind, body, and soul.
DANCE DANCE
“The drums are humanity’s common pulse.”
Shannon Thunderbird
Since the dawn of humanity, people have gathered around fires to be in community by sharing rituals and practices, such as dances. Our Hearths are no different!
MINDFUL MOMENTS
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
LAO TZU
In Brussels, Buddhist monk Bart Weetjens guided changemakers through a silent, mindful lunch. Offering prayer and gratitude for the food before them, changemakers ate together in silence, savouring the taste and nourishment of the meal along with the tranquillity of the moment spent together. A delicious moment for body and soul!
FUN AND GAMES
“A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.”
Roald Dahl
Who says playtime is just for children? In Nairobi, time for fun and games was scheduled intentionally throughout the program to create space for joy, fun, and bonding among participants. Different games and activities created moments of lightness amidst deep conversations and interactive workshops — a delightful reminder of the value of creating balance in the world of social change.
EXPLORE WELLBEING FURTHEREXPLORE WELLBEING FURTHER
Dive Into Wellbeing Practices From Around the World
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.
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
Hearth Summit Higher Ed 2024 Hearth Summit Higher Ed 2024
Regional Hearth Summits
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About the Summit
Rooting Ecological Belonging in Higher Education
Educators, administrators, researchers, and other higher education professionals: the Hearth Summit is where a new culture of education emerges!
In July 2024, members of our Wellbeing in Higher Education Network (WHEN) gathered in Querétaro, México, for a four-day experience diving deep into the concept of Ecological Belonging. Changemakers in education fostered a sense of connection with themselves, their community, and nature in this intimate environment dedicated to transforming higher education and reconnecting it with the Earth. In this space, peers gathered to share ideas, learn from each other, and grow throughout transformative discussions, hands-on workshops, and immersive cultural excursions. The arts and wellbeing practices provided moments for inner work and personal reflection — weaving together individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing.
WHERE WELLBEING IN EDUCATION BLOSSOMS WHERE WELLBEING IN EDUCATION BLOSSOMS
KEY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The four-day gatherings took educators on a holistic journey of Ecological Belonging, exploring the topic through conceptual, methodological, and experiential means:
Understanding Ecological Belonging and its many dimensions in higher education
Local roots: Ecological Belonging through the lens of Mexican rituals and cultures
Intergenerational wisdom and lessons from Elders
Mindful, conscious tourism and experiences
Insights from the Ecological Belonging Fellowship
The arts as an space to explore, learn, and ideate
Case studies from WHEN members: effective methodologies for bringing Ecological Belonging to life
Embracing and Celebrating Mexican Heritage
WITH THE Otomí COMMUNITY
Throughout the Summit, members of the Indigenous Otomí community invited changemakers to discover the vibrant cultural heritage of Querétaro and the surrounding area. During a day excursion to Amealco de Bonfil, participants were greeted with an emblematic ritual from the region, the “Danza de las Pastoras”, a dance to greet, ask, thank and share offerings. A workshop with medicinal plants illustrated the Otomí people’s traditional use of plants, honoring the memory of their first methods of healing to cure the enxe (soul). Changemakers also took time to create lele dolls, an iconic symbol of Mexico’s Indigenous heritage. Meaning baby in Otomí, the lele holds a special meaning for the Indigenous community, representing the blending of different traditions and the resilience of the Otomí people.
Learning From Elders Learning From Elders
Watch sessions with two Elders from The Wellbeing Project’s Wellbeing in Higher Education Network.
Papalii Dr. Tusi Avegalio
On Intergenerational Leadership and Education
In this inspiring talk, Papalii Dr. Tusi Avegalio, innovation expert and retired director of the Pacific Business Center Program at the University of Hawai’i – Manoa, shares his invaluable intergenerational wisdom and vision for the future such: the power of ancestral wisdom to meet contemporary challenges; how Pacific community values can guide innovation and entrepreneurship; deep reflections on intergenerational leadership in times of change; and strategies to boost community wellbeing through education and research.
Nilima Bhat
On Conscious Leadership
Are you ready to discover a new model of conscious and balanced leadership? In this session , Nilima Bhat, distinguished professor and expert in conscious leadership, introduces us to the concept of Shakti Leadership: a powerful fusion of ancient Indian wisdom and emerging knowledge. Learn about the essence of Shakti Leadership, which balances feminine and masculine energies in leadership, and how practices like mindfulness can strengthen your leadership and daily wellbeing.
Key Speakers and PresentersKey Speakers and Presenters
MORE REGIONAL SUMMITS MORE REGIONAL SUMMITS
Discover the Wellbeing Movement in Higher Education Discover the Wellbeing Movement in Higher Education
Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in higher education.
Hearth Summit Austria 2024 Hearth Summit Austria 2024
Regional Hearth Summits
ABOUT THE SUMMIT
Embracing the Art of Change
Changemakers in Austria: it’s time to create a new art of change! Tackling burnout culture, organizational dysfunction, and societal divisions, join us for three days in the beautiful landscape of the Austrian Alps where Hearth Summit Austria will foster the key to social transformation — a regenerative and cooperative culture for changemakers.
For 200 changemakers, Hearth Summit Austria, hosted by Pioneers of Change, invites you to revive instead of burning out: join us to develop wellbeing at the individual, organizational, and collective levels. How can you care for your personal wellbeing? How can your teams and organizations operate more effectively? How can society mend social divisions and reconnect with nature? Together we explore these questions and more — all in pursuit of not sustainability, but a truly regenerative approach to social change.
Join pioneers from diverse backgrounds — social entrepreneurs, activists, philanthropists, leaders and innovative people from politics, media, education, health, science and art — for this unforgettable experience in Alpbach.
Hearth Summit Austria is an invite-only event and will be hosted in German. You can learn more and apply to attend here (website in German):
THE PROGRAMMETHE PROGRAMME
Connecting Me to We to Us
Learn, discover, and connect around the Hearth
INDIVIDUAL WELLBEING
From self-exploitation to self-care
In a world of “higher, faster, further”, we are driven into high levels of tension, stress and overexertion. Burnout is too common — it’s time for a revival. How can we get out of patterns of self-exploitation and adopt habits to be well-nourished, powerful, and effective? What practices can try to help us do this?
ORGANIZATIONAL WELLBEING
From competition to cooperation
Organizations are coming under increasing pressure in a time of complexity and uncertainty. Old power patterns lead to friction and conflict, preventing us from reaching our full potential. How do we as organizations manage to establish an agile and cooperative culture? How do we transform tensions into constructive energy?
SYSTEMIC WELLBEING: A NEW PARADIGM
From separation to interbeing
In the face of growing crises, we cannot continue as we have been. But quick solutions do not address the root of our problems: our worldview of separation. We feel alienated from nature, other people, and even from ourselves. How can we achieve a profound transformation of our worldview? How can we develop a narrative of interconnectedness? And how can we live this narrative in concrete terms?
The Art of Change — Through the Arts The Art of Change — Through the Arts
Art has the transformative potential to connect us from the present moment with our origins, our humanity, and our role in the world. The arts will be an essential part of the programme — stay tuned for more information!
Sustainability and Ecological Belonging
Join us for three days immersed in the pristine ecological haven of Alpbach, where the Alpbach Congress Centrum, surrounded by meadows, mountains and nature, is an ideal place to reflect and regenerate.
Its history roots Hearth Summit Austria in a special narrative of social change: since 1945, when Otto Molden and Simon Moser founded the “College” (later the European Forum Alpbach), Alpbach has been known as the “village of thinkers”.
Hearth Summit Austria will also embody its theme of regenerative culture and ecological belonging by upholding event production elements according to the Austrian eco-label.
EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST IN ATTENDING HEARTH SUMMIT AUSTRIA
Hearth Summit Austria is an invite-only event and will be hosted in German. You can express your interest in attending with this form (in English). We’ll share your information with the organizers, who will then contact you with more information.
HOSTED BY
MORE REGIONAL SUMMITSMORE REGIONAL SUMMITS
Discover the Wellbeing Movement in EuropeDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Europe
Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Europe.
Hearth Summit Athens 2024Hearth Summit Athens 2024
Regional Hearth Summits
ABOUT THE SUMMIT
Wellbeing Cities: The Future of Sustainable Urban Living
A hub for living well with yourself, others, and the Earth: the Hearth Summit Athens awaits!
In rapidly changing urban ecosystems, thriving communities are built on a foundation of wellbeing and sustainability. As a cornerstone of the Athenian ecosystem and a driving force of the innovation and startup communities across Greece, and directly connected with 126 Impact Hubs around the world, Impact Hub Athens invites you to an immersive experience at the heart of wellbeing and sustainable urban living. Changemakers in Greece and from across Europe are invited to this Hearth to dive into sustainable urban living and address the unique opportunities, challenges and solutions for a good life in both major cities and peripheral areas.
Changemakers in the tech, development, education, agriculture, tourism, and creative industries; government; climate activists; and community groups: join us this fall in Athens!
THE PROGRAMME THE PROGRAMME
Exploring the True Meaning of
Our Habitat
Learn, discover, and connect around the Hearth
habitat
/ˈhabɪtat/
noun · the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
At the heart of Hearth Summit Athens is a vision: a vision of people living in cities and urban environments in harmony with our natural habitat, in comfort, safety, and happiness. Where all people feel secure in their basic comforts and can use their creative energies to support the flourishing of all life on this planet. Where we thrive in a restored, and vibrant natural environment by giving back as much as we receive. We seek a voice in our collective destiny, finding belonging, meaning, and purpose through genuine connection to the people and planet that sustain us.
You’re invited to this Hearth of innovation: we seek allies to imagine, design, and create an economy where the rules, norms, and incentives are inherently set up to deliver the quality of life and flourishing for all people, in harmony with our environment. This vision prioritizes the wellbeing of both people and the planet, embodied through Environmental Sustainability, Social Wellbeing, and Economic Equity, in three key habitats:
The natural habitat
What are the teachings from nature that offer to us as a compass for harmonious living with ourselves and our surroundings? How can nature grow inside an urban area? How can we integrate biophilic design principles in urban spaces to enhance human wellbeing and connection to nature?
The living habitat
What are the criteria for a wellbeing city? What does it offer to its residents? How do we move? How are the buildings constructed? How do we weave communities and cultivate the uniqueness of each place? How can we repopulate and regenerate urban areas in the periphery?
The economic habitat
What does growth mean? What are the criteria for a harmonic and inclusive form? How do we ensure equity in mega-cities? How do we fight energy poverty? How do we promote green and qualitative jobs for all?
Key Session Topics Key Session Topics
Hearth Summit Athens will explore key topics including:
Climate justice
Equity in cities
Decentralization and repopulation
Sustainable consumption
Wellbeing economy vs impact economy
Ecological Belonging and nature-based learning
Cultivating vibrant communities
Climate resilience and extreme weather
Climate and mental health
Sustainable tourism
By the end of the event, the community aims to have gathered important input to pass on to the Greek representatives, key stakeholders and politicians in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Arts and Experiences
Hearth Summit Athens will also offer changemakers a space to experience wellbeing in all of its forms. Drawing on old practices that capture and spring from the power of nature, the participants will explore and experience traditions from civilizations from Greece. The content will be enriched with an artistic track that will help changemakers to decompress, reflect and re-connect. With the artistic environment, changemakers are invited to join difficult conversations with the guidance of contemporary artists, helping them to embrace topics from a sentimental perspective through performances and art installations.
Additionally, a series of satellite events outside and around Athens will offer different stimuli and deep diving into the context in Greece as an example for the cultivation of wellbeing cities.
Stay tuned for more details!
Building a Future for Sustainable Living in Greece and BeyondBuilding a Future for Sustainable Living in Greece and Beyond
STORIES FROM THE SUMMIT
At the Heart of a New Type of City
Fifty percent of Greece’s population is concentrated in just 4.3% of its territory, highlighting overpopulation and substandard living conditions in areas like Attica, while rural regions are becoming deserted.
This pattern is not unique to Greece. UN-Habitat reports that about three-quarters of Europeans live in cities, making urban areas particularly vulnerable to climate change and environmental stresses. These challenges exacerbate social issues like segregation, social alienation, poverty, and inequality, especially affecting vulnerable populations.
Ensuring the wellbeing of all citizens in harmony with the environment is crucial. Cities, as centers of creativity and innovation, have the potential to drive significant systemic changes in climate change mitigation, ecosystem preservation and restoration, and promoting a circular economy.
Hearth Summit AthensHearth Summit Athens
In The News
Read and discover stories of this ground-breaking event in Greece.
HOSTED BY
Co-Created With
Act in Synch and Eteron Institute
With special thanks to these generous community, content, experience, and media partners:
24media, Aegean Film Foundation, Astylab, Bioagros, Bizrupt, Catalyst 2030, Danone, Electra Energy, ETAP – The Peloponnese and Ionian Islands Development Company, Greek Women of Wine, Innovation Unit – Technology transfer and Entrepreneurship Centre, University of Thessaly, Lighthub, Ministry of Culture, MIT Media Lab, Municipality of Egalo, Mythos, NATIVA, National Centre For Scientific Research Demokritos, The High Mountains, Southern Lights, The Sporos Platform, Stelios Foundation, Symbiosis, and The Wellbeing Project
MORE REGIONAL SUMMITSMORE REGIONAL SUMMITS
Discover the Wellbeing Movement in EuropeDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Europe
Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Europe.
Celebrating ShōkakkōCelebrating Shōkakkō
The Art of Life’s Little Joys
TheMerode’s latest exhibition invites happiness in all its forms to the Wellbeing Summit Brussels
Can the answer to one of life’s greatest questions – what is happiness? – be found in the smallest minutiae of daily life? Shōkakkō, the latest art exhibition at TheMerode club in Brussels, invites us to explore this idea by celebrating the serendipity that comes from cherishing the small and simple. We are thrilled that Shōkakkō will be at the heart of the first Regional Wellbeing Summit in Europe, which TheMerode will host from 16th-17th November, where themes of joy, mindfulness, and wellbeing will converge. Following the success of our Global Summit in 2022, the Wellbeing Summit Brussels will continue building the wellbeing for social change movement by embracing a central theme – “moving from ego to eco” – and embarking on a transformative, multidimensional journey to connect our individual wellbeing with that of our communities and the planet, envisioning a holistic approach to social transformation.
Coined by best-selling author Haruki Murakami, shōkakkō is a Japanese term that captures the essence of small joys — the tiny moments of delight that, while perhaps found in the mundane and ordinary, are foundational steps in our path to happiness. In small sensory experiences and fleeting seconds of feeling, you notice tiny sources of happiness all around you. You might enjoy noticing them by yourself; you light share a smile or a laugh with others as you do so. These are shōkakkō: your humble, quiet, and little pieces of joy.
小確幸 (shōkakkō) • noun • small but certain happiness
The Shōkakkō exhibition is one that, in representing a community’s views on happiness, puts collective thinking at the heart of contemplations on happiness. The exhibition speaks to the fundamentals of human relationships, offering a step back from individuality in order to focus on the collective and the joys that come from feelings of belonging. With the Wellbeing Summit Brussels’ theme in mind – moving “from ego to eco” – the exhibition seems to suggest that happiness and, to a larger extent, wellbeing, can be found in the sharing of experiences and contemplating life’s joys with others.
For the exhibition Shōkakkō, TheMerode asked its members their definition of happiness and, embracing the emotional, experiential diversity of their responses, curated a colourful selection of works from 54 artists that embody members’ little joys. Visitors are able to wander around TheMerode and enjoy works from international artists offering views of happiness through a kaleidoscopic lens. As TheMerode’s curator Emmanuelle Indekeu said, “This exhibition doesn’t aspire to redefine happiness, but rather to collectively explore the myriad manifestations of happiness in our lives.”
Consider this art: to capture the epiphanies that heighten our sensitivity to the sheer act of being alive.”
– Patrick Chamoiseau
As we pursue wellbeing in our work to drive social change, remembering to notice and cherish our own shōkakkō is a beautiful and helpful practice. By slowing down, being mindful, and keeping an eye on the little things in life, we can invite a certain quietude, peace, and happiness into our hearts. We can remind ourselves of the small but mighty power of presence while, in our work as changemakers, we often find ourselves confronting some of life’s biggest challenges.
While European readers can enjoy Shōkakkō in-person at TheMerode during the Wellbeing Summit Brussels, the beauty of shōkakkō is its universal presence in all of our lives. To help inspire your own celebration of shōkakkō, we asked members of our community to reflect on the happiness in their own lives. Here’s what they said:
Happiness is…
“Made up of small, simple things that can affect each of us with our own sensitivity. One of the greatest joys for me is my freedom of thought and movement.”
“Looking at the sky first thing in the morning and mentally saying good morning to the world (and sometimes also saying it out loud).”
“A piece of chocolate in the afternoon”.
“Silence and chirps of birds in my 9th-floor home with busy Mexico City hustling below.”
“A good meal and a good drink shared with good friends.”
“My kids’ laughter.”
“I don’t know what happiness is, but I know what makes me happy and that’s more than enough.”
“Happiness is stronger when shared. Let’s embrace the happiness that comes from others, nurture sharing with our loved ones, celebrate the small wonders of life, and seek the spark of happiness in every moment.”
“My job: to convey the emotion of my thoughts to the customer through a dish.”
“The smell of my kitchen when I’m baking.”
“Tasting something I ate as a child and loved. The memories come flooding back.”
“When you release the expectations of others you then create your own happiness.”
“Passing by the garden at the entrance to my office office and being in awe by with the flowers and smells.”
“Watering my plants and seeing the sun filter into my apartment.”
“Watching my dog get excited about something.”
“My family. I had the incredible opportunity to grow up in a large family, and they’re my joy. All of them, in so many different ways, with so many different characters, in arguments, in laughter and in moments of sorrow.”
“Learning, sharing, helping each other and meeting new people.”
“Giving a hug to my kids in the morning or any time of the day.”
“Calm evenings of reading while my partner practices piano.”
“Tranquil night walks in the neighborhood park after dinner.”
“Opening the blinds every morning to let daylight into my home. It feels as if the world is welcoming me into life for one more day.”
“Closing the blinds and putting on my favorite show before bed. I made it through another day and I’m in my safe place. It’s time to rest.”
Enjoy the rest of TheMerode’s exhibition Shōkakkō at the Wellbeing Summit Brussels (16-17th November 2023).
