Join The Organizational Wellbeing Community Of Practice ( OW – CoP ) Join The Organizational Wellbeing Community Of Practice ( OW – CoP )

The Organizational Wellbeing Community of Practice is an initiative that stems from the Organizational Wellbeing Exploratory Program (OWEP) (2019-2024), involving 8 non-profit organizations worldwide in exploring how to address a culture change towards building a wellbeing lens. This OWEP initiative provided a flexible platform for participants to develop new ideas around wellbeing without rigid definitions, enabling them to naturally evolve their understanding and practices within their organizations.

The OW-CoP will build upon the insights gained through the OWEP experience and foster shared learning, collaboration, and support among a wider range of organizations committed to enhancing their wellbeing practices. A total of 22 organizations, including the eight OWEP members, will be invited to participate in a two-year program consisting of online meetings with specialized coaches, peer support, optional individual coaching sessions, case studies, and one annual in-person retreat.

Who is the Program For?

This program is tailored for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to embarking on an organizational wellbeing journey and building a community of shared learnings. While prior experience with wellbeing frameworks is advantageous, it is not mandatory. Each organization may engage up to two participants.

Why Join the OW-CoP?

  • Collaborative Learning: Connect with other +20 organizations eager to exchange experiences and foster a culture of wellbeing.
  • Community Support: Gain from a network of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting organizational health.
  • Diverse Perspectives: Collaborate across various sectors to deepen your understanding on wellbeing practices.
  • Organization’s culture development: Benefit from the tools provided by the coach and the learnings shared by peer organizations to implement wellbeing strategies in your organization.

How the OW-CoP operates

  • Duration: June 2025 – June 2027 (with potential extension based on participants’ feedback).
  • Participants: 22 organizations (with up to 2 members per organization), including the eight original OWEP members
  • Format: Interactive online meetings, peer support sessions and personalized coaching.
  • Annual Retreat: Participate in an enriching in-person gathering each year.

Kick-off Event:

Launch Gathering: Join us in Ljubljana, Slovenia on June 16, 2025, just before The Wellbeing Global Hearth Summit (June 17-20) for a one day in-person retreat
A welcoming dinner will be held on June 15th.

Flexible Engagement Options:

Recognizing that each organization has distinct needs and capacities, we offer a flexible engagement model with various participation levels to accommodate your schedule and ensure that you can maximize the benefits of this program.

Commitment Details:

  • Format: Combination of online meetings and an annual retreat.
  • Duration: Two-year program with continuous support.
  • Time Commitment: Tailored options to align with your organization’s needs.
  • Cost: The OW-CoP program has no costs for participants. However, while lodging during the in-person annual retreat is covered by the program, the travel expenses are the responsibility of each participant. One member per organization is invited to each retreat.

Ready To Elevate Your Organizational Wellbeing? Ready To Elevate Your Organizational Wellbeing?

Save the date! Our call for applications will be open from February 20th, until March 31st, 2025. Seize this opportunity to join a transformative movement for enhancing organizational wellbeing. For questions or concerns please contact us at eugenia@wellbeing-project.org.

The Story Behind Our Intergenerational Trauma Community of Practice The Story Behind Our Intergenerational Trauma Community of Practice

Our journey began with a shared vision: to create a space where leaders and organizations from diverse sectors could explore the profound impact of intergenerational trauma (IGT) on communities and systems. The Leadership in Intergenerational Healing and Transformation Community of Practice (LIGHT CoP) was born from a deep commitment to understanding how trauma influences social change work and the need for collective healing. Central to our approach is the recognition that the relationship we have with ourselves shapes how we relate to others—by deepening self-awareness and healing within, we can foster more compassionate, resilient connections with the people and systems we engage. Through a collaborative process, we engaged with social change leaders, mental health practitioners, and organizations already weaving trauma -informed approaches into their work. Together, we shaped this community, not just as a platform for learning, but as a catalyst for healing and transformation on both individual and collective levels.

What Our IGT CoP Is: Vision and Key Features What Our IGT CoP Is: Vision and Key Features

Our vision is to create a global community of practice that integrates healing and trauma-awareness into social change efforts. Our IGT CoP brings together 20-25 organizations, each represented by two key members:

  • A member of the senior leadership team or the CEO, ensuring that trauma-informed practices are prioritized at the highest organizational levels.
  • An additional team member, reflecting a diverse perspective and the capacity to operationalize this work.

To join, each organization must also secure board-level approval, signifying a commitment to embedding trauma-informed principles into their internal and external practices.

With organizations from sectors such as education, healthcare, and government, among others, we aim to build a truly global and multidisciplinary community.

Currently, there are very few spaces where social change leaders can come together collectively to address these critical issues. Our CoP seeks to fill that gap by co-creating a valuable, reflective space that evolves through the contributions and experiences of its members. This is not only a platform for sharing knowledge but also for exploring what lies within our capacity to transform and for highlighting areas where we may need collective support.

In this safe space for exploration and learning, we invite members to embark on a journey of self-discovery—recognizing that to go forward, we must first go inward. Through this process, we transform ourselves, shaping our own being through the very processes in which we engage. This commitment to personal transformation opens the door for others, especially within hierarchical systems, creating opportunities for collective growth and healing.

Key Features of the IGT CoPKey Features of the IGT CoP

  • Practical Application: Our focus is on practical approaches that leaders and organizations can integrate into their work, prioritizing reciprocity and sustainability in their impact.
  • Healing Orientation: A core focus on healing, with an emphasis on personal and collective well-being as a foundation for systems change.
  • Global and Multi-Sectoral: Participants come from varied fields, offering a rich exchange of perspectives and experiences.
  • Flexible Framework: The community is built around a co-created framework that evolves with the needs and insights of its members.
  • Long-Term Commitment: Joining the CoP represents a significant long-term commitment of 3 years, with the potential for extension to 5 years. This allows for deep learning, sustained growth, and meaningful impact on both personal and organizational levels.
  • Hybrid Model: The CoP will adopt a hybrid model, combining virtual and in-person events that ensure intimate and immersive experiences for members. Virtual meetings will enable consistent learning and connection, while in-person gatherings will offer opportunities for deeper exploration and collaboration.
  • Language of Communication: The CoP will be hosted in English, ensuring accessibility for a diverse, global audience.

The Purpose of the IGT CoPThe Purpose of the IGT CoP

Our primary purpose is to deepen understanding and application of intergenerational trauma in the context of social change. We aim to:

  • Promote healing as an integral part of systems transformation.
  • Explore how trauma-informed practices can create long-lasting change in communities.
  • Foster resilience and innovation through collective learning and shared experiences.
  • Empower leaders to integrate trauma awareness into their strategic priorities and operational structures.
  • Catalyze the development of new models and practices that support individual and community healing across generations.

How the IGT CoP Operates: Facilitation and ConnectivityHow the IGT CoP Operates: Facilitation and Connectivity

The time requirement for this Community of Practice would be:

  • A CoP meeting once every 6 weeks for 2 hours
  • 30-60 minutes of preparation for each session
  • 2 additional 60-90 minutes practice sessions in triads in between calls with other CoP members
  • 1 in-person meeting every year
  • A 3-year journey (with potential to extend to 5 years) to build lasting relationships and impactful strategies.

CoP TimelineCoP Timeline

You can find below a tentative calendar for 2025 activities:

  • Application Process Phase 1: Open February 20th, Close April 18th.
  • Q&A Session: May 7th
  • Application Process Phase 2: May 12th – June 27th.
  • Summer Break: July – August.
  • Kickoff Session: September 17th.
  • Online Meeting: October 29th.
  • Online Meeting: December 3rd.
  • In-Person Gathering: February 2026

Express Your Interest In Attending LIGHT CoPExpress Your Interest In Attending LIGHT CoP

Express your interest in the LIGHT CoP by completing the form below.
We look forward to having you join us on this journey to foster healing and transformation within our systems and communities.

In collaboration with

Healing Trauma Through MusicHealing Trauma Through Music

Stories from the Hearth

The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka Session With:

Asif Iqbal

Musician and activist
🌍 Dhaka, Bangladesh

Asif Iqbal, the front-man of the music band Kaaktal, joined the first regional summit in Bangladesh in March 2024 to share the story of his life and how he overcame struggles through leaning into his music as a part of the Summit’s central conversation on Intergenerational Trauma. Listen to his story and music to be part of the journey from struggles to strengths. Watch the recording below.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in AsiaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Asia

Meet, hear stories, and learn from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Asia.

The Filipino Changemakers Embracing Siquijor’s Traditional Healing PracticesThe Filipino Changemakers Embracing Siquijor’s Traditional Healing Practices

Talang Dalisay’s Macy Castañeda Lee Captures the Stories of the Island’s Most Sought-After Healers Ahead of Hearth Summit Philippines

Stories from the Hearth

Photo Essay From:

Macy Castañeda Lee

Co-Organizer of Hearth Summit Philippines 2025
🌍 Manila, Philippines

In July, I travelled to Siquijor Island, a Philippine island province located within the Negros Island Region. This beautiful and lush province lies in the south of Cebu, southeast of Negros Oriental, southwest of Bohol, and the North of Mindanao. I travelled there to help plan and organize Hearth Summit Philippines, alongside many passionate and dedicated Filipinos, Filipino Americans, and Americans.

From 14-17 January 2025, Hearth Summit Philippines will be the first regional wellbeing summit for social change held in the Philippines. The summit will be one of dozens of regional gatherings held around the world where changemakers are reflecting on, among many things, how embracing and reconnecting with local cultures and traditions can help inspire their social change work.

We are so excited to centre Hearth Summit Philippines on native Filipino healing practices, embracing lunas, the Tagalog word for “remedy” or “cure”. But like many words without a direct translation, lunas is more than that: it is an antidote, a medicine for what ails you in the broadest sense; the answers to help you get through a hard time. Lunas is an exhale after a long day, a comfort for weary souls, a balm for broken hearts, a practice of hope, and an invitation to come sit next to the fire with your loved ones.

In this sense, Lunas Pilipinas is our Indigenous/native/cultural understanding of the Hearth Summit Philippines, where we will engage 150 changemakers in an immersive journey to build a world that nurtures the wellbeing of our communities and the planet. Nestled in the lush Central Visayas region of Siquijor, the island’s unique cultural heritage and natural landscapes inspire our gathering. Once known as the mystical “Island of Fire”, Siquijor shares a rich history of traditional healing practices and environmental conservation – making it the ideal place to explore indigenous ways of knowing and their impact on our wellbeing.

Lunas is more than that: it is an antidote, a medicine for what ails you in the broadest sense; the answers to help you get through a hard time.

Lunas is an exhale after a long day, a comfort for weary souls, a balm for broken hearts, a practice of hope, and an invitation to come sit next to the fire with your loved ones.

To bring the wisdom of our native practices to our gathering, Lunas Pilipinas is a broad co-creation with many stakeholders, including my mental health organization, Talang Dalisay; the Siquijor Healers Association; local peoples; and other non-profits to help the Siquijor community, specifically its children and education.

Aside from working in advocacy and organizing, I also work as a documentary photographer. Ahead of the Summit, it was important for me to make sure I documented the Siquijor healers and highlight their work and identities. Annie, one of the leaders of the Siquijor Healers Association, is one of the key characters in this story. She lovingly invited us into her home up in the mountains to observe her healing process, to experience this healing ourselves, and to share her story. These images below are from those interactions at her home, where two other healers came to meet us; as well as some images from surrounding areas the Lunas  Pilipinas team explored around the island.

The wisdom of the Siquijor healers and the island itself will be deeply present at Lunas Pilipinas and beyond, inspiring our journeys in wellbeing and welldoing.

To learn more about the Summit and how you can participate, visit lunaspilipinas.com.

Butterfly larvae at a local butterfly farm in Siquijor. A part of the agenda of our trip as a team was to find feasible venues to host workshops and make participants interact deeply with local nature spots. This imagery caught my eye: it’s so symbolic of how aligned and grounded this island makes you feel. This is the start of the photo sequence; the budding of it all.

These are three of the oldest and most experienced Siquijor healers in Annie’s home in Siquijor.

The outside of Annie’s home. She lives on top of the mountain on Siquijor Island. She houses several chickens, piglets, bunnies, and cats. She lives with her family here, and community friends come often to the outdoor area to chat and hang out.

This is the entrance to Annie’s home, just outside of the room where she conducts her healing sessions. Many religious icons can be seen, such as statues of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ, reflecting the dominant religion that exists in many parts of the Philippines, which is Catholicism. Many Filipinos are both religious and spiritual.

Bolo Bolo

Annie healing one of our main Hearth Summit Philippines leaders and organizers, Renee. Annie blows river water with black stones in a clear glass with a bamboo straw. This is called the bolo bolo healing method, used to heal the patient from evil spirits and energy.

Here is a photograph of some oils that Annie makes, all sourced locally in Siquijor.

One of the healers, just outside Annie’s home. He has been working as a native healer for more than 20 years.

A Global Calling

Sessions at Annie’s home continue all day. Annie receives clients from all around the  world, as she is one of Siquijor’s most sought-after healers.

The bed where Annie and her family use to lay and rest, but also for her clients and  visitors. Light and shadows in her home fall very beautifully. Annie mostly relies on natural light in her home.

Community friends and healers visit Annie’s home often. This is a healer with Jang, one of the Hearth Summit Philippines’ local organizers and leaders.

One of the healers, just outside Annie’s home. He has been working as a native healer for more than 20 years.

Mothering

The sequence ends here, with one of Annie’s pigs with her piglets, right outside her home. The family has been raising all kinds of animals for the longest time. This photograph is so symbolic to me as it reflects the many people that Annie helps feed and grow. She is the mother of many in Siquijor island, after all. Life continues, life provides. When one gives, many grow. 

We are all so excited to share more about Filipino culture and wellbeing practices with the world.

Hearth Summit Philippines (Lunas Pilipinas) will take place from 14-17 January 2025 in Siquijor, Philippines. For more information, including how to participate, visit lunaspilipinas.com and find us on social media at @lunaspilipinas.

About Macy Castañeda Lee

Macy (they/them) is a non-binary Filipino photographer, organizer, public speaker, & curator. They focus on advocating for psychology, mental health, social justice, and education in the work they do.

Passionate about human beings, identity, vulnerability, and the mind, Macy calls themselves a “student for life”, consistently challenging the relationship between our external world with our internal one. With an early exposure to students with mental exceptionalities such as autism & down syndrome, Macy advocates for creating a more kind & empathic world through multi-media storytelling & research. They study how factors such as cultural movements, generational trauma, & societal norms affect the inner workings of our mind. In turn, they hope to share how humans are active agents that turn those factors over to the next generation & how important it is for one to break stigma in order to create more sustainable futures.

They run and founded a Philippine based non-profit, Talang Dalisay alongside its special project based organization, Bayan Kinaadman. They are the head curator & organizer of Worlds Through Minds, which is a people funded photography gallery and photo publication house which takes place around the world.

To date, they have organized & hosted over 50 community events online & in-person, given over 100 keynote speeches, written & copy edited over 30 articles, and worked & collaborated with around 200 non-profits/movements/individuals for their cause & passion.

About Talang Dalisay

Talang Dalisay is a non-profit organization founded in Manila, Philippines centering on mental health for our fellow Filipinos.  We are a young community of storytellers and change-makers, opening conversations on the current mental health stigmas in the country as well as aiding in the integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs) as members of our global community.

Our mission upholds the values of empathy, compassion, and empowerment. We aim to focus on action oriented projects that center on moving towards a society that validates the mental health and neurodivergence of Filipinos. We acknowledge that mental health is a systemic issue — it is an ever-changing and controversial topic especially as a BIPOC community. Thus, through our art and stories, we hope to create a higher consciousness and understanding of how to create inclusive spaces for all amidst these intersectionalities.

Our vision as an organization is to become a stepping stone for Filipinos to create spaces of inclusivity. Collectively, we hope to amplify the individual’s potential to shine purely; living in authenticity, truth, and purpose. Through our projects in elevating the mental health discourse, we hope to be one of many facets that encourage others to create more avenues for positive change, always embracing the ability in any disability.

To date, they have organized & hosted over 50 community events online & in-person, given over 100 keynote speeches, written & copy edited over 30 articles, and worked & collaborated with around 200 non-profits/movements/individuals for their cause & passion.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in AsiaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Asia

Meet, hear stories, and learn from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Asia.

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

A CONVERSATION WITH:

Benoît Legrand

Business leader, psychogenealogist, former CEO and Chairman
🌍 Paris, France

As the conversation around the impacts of trauma in the social change sector continues to grow, changemakers can take an opportunity to reflect on how their wellbeing impacts their leadership skills.

Last November, TheMerode Club brought together seasoned executives from the government, business, civil society, and academic sectors to reflect on wellbeing at the individual, collective, and planetary levels.

Benoît Legrand, a visionary business leader with over 25 years of experience in various C-level positions in the European financial sector, joined The Wellbeing Summit Brussels to share reflections from his career in business and newfound venture as a psychogenealogist.

Speaking on a panel about the impacts of intergenerational trauma with The Wellbeing Project’s co-lead, Aaron Pereira, and Katherine Milligan, Director of the Collective Change Lab, Benoît encouraged changemakers to connect the individual with the organizational by asking themselves: how do my traumas impact my leadership style?

We sat down with Benoît to dive deeper into this topic. Drawing on his business and personal experiences, hear from Benoît about why acknowledging and addressing one’s traumas is an essential leadership skill, plus encouragement for leaders to start this important journey.

“It should be part of the essentials of leadership. Because, knowing your own darkness is, I think, the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people. You cannot have change, have people change, and change yourself before you accept that something is really wrong. Right?”

Tell us about the impacts of trauma.

Trauma, for me, is something which we all go through, and something absolutely necessary to be aware of to give the best of yourself and find your place in this world. The idea of “trauma” might give or have a sense of drama, which is of course very true when we think about those very macro-level traumas which have affected large populations or very deep traumas that some individuals can go through. Yet, trauma goes also into more subtle dimensions of things which traumatize you. You can be affected by what happened to you consciously, but also by what happened in your family, school, community, country, continent, or race. These impacts are being inherited, which we see now from an analytical and empirical point of view. So in a way, we are all traumatized. But it’s okay. The point is merely for every one of us to just first acknowledge it, dare to look at it and think beyond everything which we know consciously. 

I’ll always have in my mind what Carl Jung said, “who looks outside, dreams, and who looks inside, awakes.” I’ve learned that from this process. I thought just looking outside would make me smart and intelligent. But the awakening comes from looking inside of myself, not being scared and not being afraid. By facing reality, we can unlock a lot of situations.

Leaders care about so many people and they don’t want to let anyone down. But they should realize that if they go down themselves, they let everyone down.

When leaders do inner work, including healing from trauma, how does it impact their organization’s wellbeing?

It’s just essential to face your trauma as a leader. You will notice anyone who’s just going out there and showing his vulnerability, just making himself more human. As a leader, if you effectively radiate this positive energy, then it diffuses around the organization. It’s a bit like a pendulum: if at the very top, the positive radiation is there, the radiation at the bottom will be just proportionate. And if the organization is big, or you go to a company or a country, then the impact you can have is just immense. So it’s our own responsibility to think for ourselves: What do I want to be in this world? Do I want to be an agent of positive radiation? Or do I still want to keep all this hatred and and violence and fear and negative energy in myself and overload the world with that right? 

Do you think leaders understand the importance of caring for their wellbeing?

Let’s say, okay, we know it’s important to eat. We know it’s important to sleep. We know it’s important to read good things. But do we take, as leaders, the time to step back to sit with someone and just have a conversation? Get a couple of things out, talk and discuss, just to say, “Well, I’m not alone here, right?” and to take care of yourself? It’s fantastic because leaders care about so many people and they don’t want to let anyone down. But they should realize that if they go down themselves, they let everyone down. So having a preventative strike, taking a step back, breathing it, having a discussion and looking at your psychological health is very important. But that can be very hard for leaders, to say, “I need to ask for help.” I personally have been very bad at this.

Can you tell us a bit more about that?

I’ll just testify what I’ve been through. I was having a very intense business life. I was managing teams all over the world and travelling 80% of the time. I was also under heavy stress, with a new CEO that was misaligned with what I was thinking. There was a combination of things, including me having worked like hell for the last 20 years, going all over the place, with pressure from left to right. And at one point, my body – because my brain didn’t want to understand it – sent the signal: stop. My heart gave me a very strong signal that I needed to stop. I stayed in the hospital for four or five days, where I realized that I went over a limit because I was not sufficiently courageous to face my limits and ask for help.

I kept denying reality. I thought, because I’ve been through so many challenges and successes as a leader, I’m going go through it this time also. I’m not going to ask for help or say I’m vulnerable. But the second problem is once you effectively realize you’re not OK and you might not manage to deal with the situation, there’s some kind of taboo. So you just keep fighting on your own. This is what leaders might face. I know that in France, about one out of two leaders or entrepreneurs is close to being in burnout. One out of two, which is just dramatic. 

So what should leaders be doing to care for their own wellbeing, which then will have a positive impact on their organizations?

You, as a leader and manager, have been doing nothing else than daring right? You have been taking risks. This is what you do daily. But there are also risks to take about yourself so you can see a couple of things. It’s okay. You will be more powerful by doing it. And really, what do you have to lose? Even if you’re 40, 50, 60, you still have life to live. What do you want to do with it? So look forward and say, “Is it worth taking the time and challenging myself just to try to be at the best place can be on this planet?” If you take that time, once you’re there, nobody can stop you.

Look forward and say, “Is it worth taking the time and challenging myself just to try to be at the best place can be on this planet?” If you take that time, once you’re there, nobody can stop you.

And the systemic approach is so powerful. We live in systemic environments: whatever changes something which influences something which changes, and so on. Once you start talking about something, you see things happening around you. The power of communication, daring to put things on the table and explain things, starts to unlock a lot of things that can bring a lot of peace.

But do this in a secure environment: bring safety and security around you. It can be hard, but if you do it with the right spirit of care, love, and positivity, it will come right back to you.

About Benoît

Benoît Legrand is a visionary business leader with over 25 years of experience in various C-level positions across multiple countries. Throughout his career, Benoît’s driving conviction has been centered around putting people at the heart of the company. He believes in genuine care for employees and customers to achieve lasting success. Having served as CEO of ING Direct France, Country CEO of ING France, and Chairman of ING France, he demonstrated his dedication to innovation by spearheading ING Ventures, the EUR 300m Corporate Venture Capital arm. After leaving ING in 2021, Benoît now advises organizations on innovation and transformation. He holds degrees in International Relations and Economics. Belgian and based in France for over 10 years, he has lived in 8 different countries and speak 5 languages. 

Want to know more about trauma and its impacts?

Watch the first virtual convening in our webinar series hosted by The Wellbeing Project and the Collective Change Lab. You can also visit our new hub for research and stories on intergenerational trauma. Together, we explore how we can move from trauma-informed to healing-centered ways of working for systemic change.

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in Europe Discover the Wellbeing Movement in Europe

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

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.

alta-wellbeing-summit-facens-57

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