Organizational Wellbeing: Transition and Changes + Wellbeing Organizational Wellbeing: Transition and Changes + Wellbeing

Guest post by:

Michelle Arevalo and Ramses Gomez

As I was preparing myself for hosting this interview, I found this quote by Heraclitus that says “There is nothing permanent except change” and when I read it a lot of questions started to come up: Why is it so scary, sometimes? Shouldn’t I be used to it? Why do some people refuse to change, then?

I have to admit that I spent some time trying to answer them (…without feeling any better, actually) before remembering the reason why I started to read about change; so I decided that instead of trying to solve my doubts alone, the interview with Michelle and Ramses was the perfect opportunity to share all these inquiries, both leaders and open people that have transitioned recently and maybe with their help I could find some answers for me and you. 

The first question I asked them was which’s the most important thing they have learned from this moment of transition as a leader, it could be something on a personal and/or professional level. 

Michelle: I have learned that the saboteur voices in our head are always the strongest when we’re going through a transition […] We all have this illusion of progress; that the next thing you do is better than the last thing you did, but it’s actually all cycles. […] So I see myself going into this transition as another cycle, not better, not worse than my last one, but it’s still a cycle and it’s a beginning and at the beginning, wherever you are, no matter if you’re, the CEO of the world […] or starting your own social project […] the saboteur voices take on a very different strength […] Learning that I’m putting my finger on it and saying: “Okay, voices, you’re a bit stronger today, It’s not me”, this “I’m listening to you more” has helped me a little bit more in maintaining peace and calm as I start a new cycle […] because it’s very easy to be hard on yourself when you’re starting something new.

Ramses: One of the most important insights that emerged from the process of transitioning for me was the realization that I work from, I don’t work for. […] The organization, regardless of the role that I play, must provide me with the opportunity to help build the society I want to live in, […] an equitable society, a fairer society, a more caring society for people and the planet. […] I’ll say that knowing that I work from and not for, liberates me in so many ways because taking the transition or the step to transition comes with personal judgment, potentially outside judgment or outside voices […] and just realizing that we are way more than just our roles and titles, it unlocks a beautiful potential for everyone.

After reading several times both answers while I was writing this document, I noticed that in their own way and with the help of each particular process, they increased their awareness about what actually motivated them to transition like the values, in Ramses case; and how they are  living the process,  noticing these unconscious thoughts or saboteur voices, like Michelle accurately called them, that sometimes avoid us of from taking big steps.   

Listening to their learnings made me want to know if there was any recommendation or advice they would like to share with people facing a transition process and here is what they said:

Ramses: ​​It’s important to call things for what they are. And transitions are transitions. In the bigger scheme of things, transitions are also evolution and when you put it like that, it makes things way less scary. […] It becomes more natural. Of course, it comes with challenges and pains and complications, but most of those complications are attached to a mindset that is something that we own and, most of the time, we have built […] If we realize it’s within us, then we can much easily (I wouldn’t say super easily) change it.

Michelle: One thing that you have to start with is just by being kind to yourself because you’re doing something brave. The two things that I would say, one is very practical. Think of your transition as something beautiful and something you need to sit on because we are so used to thinking, “Oh, what’s the next thing? What’s the next thing? I can’t be in a transition for too long”. […] If you sit with yourself and enjoy the transition, you will find out things about yourself that will allow you to take the next step willingly. If you go towards the next step to avoid your transition overall, then you might be escaping from something and you never want to feel like you start something as if you had escaped from something else. […] Nobody likes that feeling. 

The second one is probably the hardest and the one that takes the most courage: Talk about things openly and a lot. A lot like: “if you think you’re done talking about it, talk about it again” because […] sometimes we don’t take chances because of the impact it has on others. […] In my case, I knew that it would impact my business partners, my team, my managing partner […] but once I talked about it […] The conversation that came from the heart was basically, “Wow, this is going to impact me, but I am with you.” […] If there’s something that you need to do, have the open, difficult conversations first, because in the long term, it would be better for sure.

Ramses: What I wanted to share is something that was very valuable for me and much connected to what Michelle was saying and the reason why I wanted to go back: “Being honest in moments of transition and it starts with you being honest with yourself, which is quite challenging” Then it has to do with […] colleagues and very close people and friends that will be affected or impacted by your decision. […] Something that I have constantly made sure that happens in my transitions […] is that for the last two weeks I made sure to book time with absolutely EVERYONE in the organization that I worked with […] I booked time aside, usually it’s outside the office […] and asked them three questions: The first one is, what’s your favorite memory of the two of us? […] then the second question is, what did you enjoy the most while working with me? And it might seem like it’s that you want to hear praise from others, but it’s just a mechanism to prepare them for the last question, which is […] what advice do you have for me before I start my new journey? […] I make sure that I have this conversation with a piece of paper and a pen so they write down the answers and then they read them to me […] I keep those papers in my night table and when I’m going through a difficult situation, it’s usually where I go for inspiration because that’s when people have been the most honest about who I am.

Sometimes when we face difficult or complicated situations, we can forget about taking care of our wellbeing, that is why I asked both members if transitioning affected them in that way, or maybe it didn’t.

Michelle: Caring for my own wellbeing is, in part, what prompted thinking that I needed to transition. […] Many people think of a transition like a breakup […] I think that I needed a different new challenge and that having my identity be so tied to my social enterprise was something that I needed to break up with. […] “I am not my project and my project is not me” and I wanted to prove myself; it was a big part of making sure that my wellbeing becomes whole. […] Going into a transition puts you in situations that are outside your comfort zone and I don’t think that’s bad for your wellbeing. […] Thinking that being outside your comfort zone is bad for your wellbeing is actually not the right way to think of this algorithm; it doesn’t work like that. […] You have to be a little bit outside your comfort zone so that your brain grows in many ways and gets you to places you never thought you could be. […] Transitions are hard, but they’re not necessarily hard because they’re bad for your wellbeing.  

Ramses: In a way it provided me with […] so much clarity about what’s relevant for me and what’s needed in the new phase / organization / role / costs. What is it that I need to be existent in that new opportunity that will get me so excited to the point that will be relevant for me to look after it. […] And of course, that clarity usually is tied to complexity, you have to go through complexity to see the light. So, […] in that sense it was absolutely challenging and I wouldn’t say my wellbeing was affected […] There were many nights awake, many times where my emotions were so confusing and different and, in many cases, new and unexpected that… […] I was honestly going through a very vulnerable time, when things affected me or impacted me in ways I wasn’t expecting. But I think the beauty of the process is that, […] it provided me and forced me to bring clarity to my thinking by being in connection with what’s relevant for me.

The last two questions are  more personal. Before doing this interview, I had a little context of Michelle’s transition process and I matched it with one of the ideas that came out from the Wellbeing Summit feedback session with the Ecosystem Network. Therefore I asked her: ​​When did you know or how did you know when to step aside? How did you know that your personal project is ready to fly without your direct guidance?

Michelle: I think you have to start from an earlier question, which is: Not when, but why. Why would you want to step aside? […] in my case I had a very good clarity that someday I would step aside and that my project will transcend me […] I’ve seen a lot of people take sabbaticals and take breaks because it’s important to take a step aside, even momentarily. […] It’s not always the answer but, in my case, it was and I knew it for a couple of reasons: first I started thinking even more long term than the usual manager would. […] One day, really out of the blue, (maybe it was deep in my heart) I just answered: “My biggest dream is that IMPAQTO transcends me in whatever shape or form”. And that’s when I knew in my mind that I was thinking way longer term and my everyday actions after that started to change; I started to delegate more, I started to think less about the day to day indicators and I started seeing my team flourish[…] And there was a day when I just felt like, “Wow! this is right, this place can actually continue on without me”. Of course, there were also outside voices that were not very nice, a lot of people called me and said: if you step back, your business partners or investors are going to be angry, they invested in you […] I would just take that as feedback and that told me that I’m doing the right thing because that’s not what I was looking for.

I also knew I needed my identity to be more than just this specific project and, in my case, I already had the privilege of having gone through a previous transition before. I used to be a Human Rights lawyer; I worked with refugees in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America; I worked in Geneva, in Switzerland so I already have taken a big lead in a transition in a different way in my career; back then I also knew that the death of my dog prompted it, that grief prompted it.

And I knew it when I started listening to a voice deep down that was telling me to move on but also, I knew it because it was important to my wellbeing along with many things that I learned from The Wellbeing Project itself. […] in my case, TWP means that the social impact we’re doing with IMPAQTO now has a tremendous opportunity to continue growing and that it doesn’t depend on me, and that I can continue doing IMPAQTO in other places. It all comes from this awareness of me being a person separated from my project and all that awareness came from conversations with Xyme, with my colleagues and feeling that this is not something that I made up, you all put words to what I was feeling.

Finally, I also knew that Ramses had transitioned in the past, so my personal question to him was if he had faced any special challenge in his most recent process.

Ramses: This transition was the hardest and the easiest at the same time. It was the hardest because I had been at Sistema B for over 5 years and the organization was perfectly aligned with my values, with what I want to build for the world, the people, the colleagues, everything was a perfect match. So, in that sense leaving an organization that it’s so aligned is quite challenging. But when I say that this transition was the easiest, it’s because I could also see that the same values, vision and spirit was there, yet what was new and different, is the scale of the impact through the lense of a tech company. 

I think that also what’s powerful with every transition is that it opens up the opportunity for new leadership to emerge and flourish. The more conscious the leaders happen to be about that aspect, the more they can catalyze it. So, I think all of us having meaningful, very honest and sometimes raw conversations with team members about how potential can be unlocked by an opportunity like this, but it has to be a co-construction; […] just to make sure it goes beyond the romanticism of the idea, but actually, one has to be very involved in the process of leading and making sure that there are the right conditions for everyone to take on it.

When the time of the interview was coming to its end, both members expressed some beautiful words about it:  

Michelle: At least for me, such a welcome break… to have someone ask you deep questions and to think through the answers and to put your thoughts into words is very powerful. It’s a good format to think through different challenges. Thank you so much for asking thoughtful questions.

Ramses: It resonates with me a lot, thank you so much for the space, as Michelle and I always discuss how much we love the concept of “holding the space”. Thank you for holding the space for us because many wonderful things emerge when the space is curated well, when we realize that everyone has something valuable to say and even if the 2 of you are not speaking, the value comes from you having created the space. It wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t because of you. We all have to realize this is the contribution of everyone for beautiful things, valuable things have emerged and I’m just grateful for having the space where I can share things that are very personal but also that I feel very confident sharing outloud.

Michelle: This space that you are holding for us is also accessible for so many other people.

By the end of the interview I felt very inspired and motivated for changes; I thought about the future and the new beginnings I would face. But I think more important was that listening to them gave me the opportunity to reflect about my own processes and the way I am living them. I hope you have enjoyed this interview as much as we did.

Ramsés Gómez

Global Head, Community Experience at Betterfly

Mexico

Ramsés believes that a deep redefinition in how humans relate to one another and planet is vital to solving humanity’s greatest challenges.

He currently serves as the Global Head of Community Experience at Betterfly. A purpose-driven benefits platform that rewards healthy habits with charitable donations and no-cost life insurance coverage that grows every day.

Ramsés is the former Executive Director of Sistema B Mexico where he advanced the vision of “Business as a force for good”, and he also served as the Director of Academia B at Sistema B International promoting the development of research, methodologies and pedagogical tools to advance the training of a new generation of professionals for the new economy. Prior to it, he served as the Director of Ashoka U for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to change institutional systems at Higher Education to become supportive environments for social entrepreneurship and changemaking, and prior to that he spent his days as co-founder and Director of Impact Hub Mexico City.

In 2019 he was selected as a Fellow of the Compassionate Leadership network, an initiative supported by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which aims to accompany the development of leaders – current and future – with the skills and wisdom to build a more just and compassionate world. Ramses is also a member of the BMW Foundation’s Responsible Leaders network, and the global initiative The Wellbeing Project.Among his activities, he serves on Ashoka’s social entrepreneurship selection panel, and is on the advisory board of several social enterprises. He has been a guest speaker at various institutions, and has participated in the co-design and delivery of entrepreneurship and social innovation programs at institutions such as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Tecnológico de Monterrey, among others.

– What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

I perceive inner wellbeing as one of the most effective and yet one of the most challenging ways of being.

– How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Authenticity. One thing that I’ve observed (and experienced!) to be true is that the more we are in contact with ourselves, the “easier” it is to pursue what is relevant and true. To be able to define authenticity as a path for wellbeing has been the result of a very long and on-going personal journey.

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

Nature has been increasingly my go-to place. Also, one of my key learnings after attending the Wellbeing Summit was the idea of “going home”, which has nothing to do with a physical place per se but rather being in constant connection with myself.

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

So that the work of our field becomes more enjoyable, congruent, and sustainable.

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

Yes. On being by Krista Tippett is my go-to Podcast when I am in need of inspiration. These are two of my favorites episodes: Ai-jen Poo, This Is Our (Caring) Revolution – Listen to the Podcast, and Ocean Vuong, A Life Worthy of Our Breath – Listen to the Podcast.

Connect with Ramsés Gómez on social media :

Pre-Summit Session | Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Ramsés Gómez, and Suparna DiwakarPre-Summit Session | Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Ramsés Gómez, and Suparna Diwakar

La primera edición de The Wellbeing Summit convierte a Bilbao La primera edición de The Wellbeing Summit convierte a Bilbao

Conferencias, charlas y workshops convivirán en la ciudad con una programación artística internacional abierta a toda la ciudadanía para impulsar la cultura del bienestar.

  • – Un completo programa de conferencias, charlas y paneles reunirá a más de 50 expertos del ámbito cultural, científico y gubernamental, que debatirán en la ciudad sobre bienestar personal y social desde distintas perspectivas como la diversidad, la equidad o la inclusión
  • – El programa artístico presentará doce trabajos comisariados específicamente para la ocasión a artistas contemporáneos de relevancia internacional como Miroslaw Balka, Grimanesa Amorós, June Crespo, Carlos Garaicoa o Dineo Seshe 
  • – La cumbre tendrá lugar en una decena de espacios de la ciudad como Azkuna Zentroa, el Museo Guggenheim Bilbao Museo, el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao o el Palacio Euskalduna Jauregia  
  • – El evento va acompañado de un programa gratuito de artes plásticas y escénicas abierto al público de la ciudad en el que destaca la performance de Nikhil Chopra y la pieza teatral Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski con el actor David Strathairn en Azkuna Zentroa 
  • – The Wellbeing Summit es una cumbre bianual cocreada por Ashoka, Impact Hub, Porticus, Skoll Foundation, Synergos Institute y la Universidad de Georgetown

Bilbao, 28 de mayo de 2022.- The Wellbeing Project celebra del 1 al 3 de junio en Bilbao su primera Cumbre de Bienestar para el Cambio Social. Este evento global reunirá en su programa de conferencias a líderes del tercer sector, científicos, agentes institucionales, artistas y personalidades del mundo de la empresa de más de 60 países de los cinco continentes que trabajan en la intersección del bienestar individual y colectivo desde muy diversos enfoques: la diversidad, la accesibilidad, la equidad o la inclusión.

De esta manera Bilbao se convertirá durante tres días en la capital mundial del bienestar con un completo programa que se extenderá a lo largo de toda la ciudad en espacios emblemáticos como Azkuna Zentroa. Centro de Sociedad y Cultura Contemporánea de Bilbao, el Museo Guggenheim Bilbao Museo, el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, la biblioteca de la Universidad de Deusto, el parque Doña Casilda, el Bizkaia Aretoa UPV-EHU o el Palacio San Nicolás (Colección BBVA).

Será el mismo día 1 de junio cuando el alcalde de la ciudad, Juan Mari Aburto, dé la bienvenida oficial a la Cumbre del Bienestar plantando un árbol como parte de la instalación Mandala Lab del Museo de Arte Rubin en el Parque Doña Casilda. “Bilbao tiene el placer de acoger esta primera edición de la Cumbre del Bienestar para el Cambio Social que, estoy seguro, ayudará a marcar la hoja de ruta de esta nueva revolución en ciernes”, sostiene el alcalde.

The Wellbeing Summit eligió la capital vasca por su papel como centro internacional para el arte y la cultura, así como por la transformación que la urbe está desarrollando en torno a la Carta de Valores de Bilbao aprobada en 2018 tras un proceso de participación ciudadana. Con ella se pone el foco en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible y, muy especialmente, en la mejora del bienestar de la ciudadanía.

“A lo largo de los años, la ciudad ha apostado por un modelo de desarrollo urbano y humano que garantice la posibilidad de realizar proyectos de vida plena y digna para todas las personas que viven y trabajan aquí. Nuestro compromiso con el bienestar humano se ha convertido en un modelo internacional que nos ayudará a generar esperanza para el futuro”, afirma Aburto.

La Diputación Foral de Bizkaia y el Ayuntamiento de Bilbao colaboran con The Wellbeing Project en la organización y desarrollo de este encuentro. En este sentido, la Diputación Foral de Bizkaia considera The Wellbeing Summit como “un elemento de posicionamiento para Bizkaia en el ámbito internacional como territorio de oportunidades para la atracción de inversiones, talento, visitantes y eventos, fomentando la participación en redes internacionales de referencia y establecimiento de acuerdos de colaboración exterior”.

Para Sandrine Woitrin y Aaron Pereira, codirectores de The Wellbeing Project, el programa de conferencias y las propuestas artísticas de The Wellbeing Summit “permitirán a los participantes de la cumbre y a los residentes de Bilbao experimentar el impacto positivo de impulsar el bienestar en todos los aspectos de la sociedad para obtener mejores resultados”.

Programa artístico

Tanto la población local como los asistentes a la cumbre tendrán acceso a una amplia variedad de exposiciones, obras de arte comisionadas a artistas de relevancia internacional y piezas de artes escénicas encargadas con motivo de este encuentro. Para The Wellbeing Summit “las artes tienen un poder único para expresar ideas y emociones de nuevas maneras, experiencias que tienen un profundo impacto en nuestras vidas y para ayudarnos a dar sentido al mundo que nos rodea”.

En este sentido, el programa artístico, comisariado por Manuel Bagorro con la asesoría de Vicente Todolí, incluye doce obras comisariadas específicamente a artistas contemporáneos de relevancia internacional como Grimanesa Amorós, Miroslaw Balka, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Nikhil Chopra, June Crespo, Alicia Framis o Carlos Garaicoa. Todos ellos han creado una serie de trabajos que se despliegan por la ciudad para explorar el bienestar interior desde diferentes perspectivas personales.

Las artes escénicas tienen asimismo un importante papel en una programación que incluye conciertos, espectáculos, talleres y laboratorios creativos. Artistas de todo el mundo —como Birdheart, Brooklyn Rider, Nikhil Chopra, Joshua Roman o Zirkozaurre— han colaborado para presentar un programa multidisciplinar que busca involucrar a personas de todas las edades para que exploren el poder transformador de las artes para impulsar un cambio sistémico positivo.

Entre los espectáculos que integran el programa destaca Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, una pieza teatral escrita por Clark Young y Derek Goldan que se presentará en el auditorio de Azkuna Zentroa. Centro de Sociedad y Cultura Contemporánea de Bilbao, el martes 31 de mayo. El reconocido actor estadounidense David Strathairn (L. A. Confidential, Lincoln o Buenas noches y buena suerte) interpreta a Jan Karski convirtiendo esta propuesta en una experiencia tanto emocional como moral. El 31 de mayo, la artista y escritora Himali Singh Soin presenta en la misma sede “Ancestors of the blue moon”, una experiencia multisensorial performativa.

El artista contemporáneo indio Nikhil Chopra participa en la cumbre con una performance de 24 horas de duración en la galería Aldama Fabre, los días 2 y 3 de junio, en la que llevará a cabo la creación de un dibujo monumental que incorporará a la ciudadanía de Bilbao y a los asistentes a la cumbre en torno a una celebración de la comunidad y el arte. 

En total, serán más de 85 artistas los que expongan en 10 sedes. La artista catalana Alicia Framis exhibirá Taking Fight en Bizkaia Aretoa UPV-EHU, del 31 de mayo al 3 de junio y el artista cubano Carlos Garaicoa presentará Soñamos en la superficie rayada de un cristal en la calle Ercilla,35 (frente al Hotel Ercilla), del 31 de mayo al 3 de junio. 

Por su parte la artista vasca June Crespo, que recientemente ha participado en la 59ª Bienal de Venecia, presenta su serie de esculturas de hormigón Core22, del 20 de mayo al 15 de junio, en el exterior del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Unas piezas con las que poder interactuar y bailar, que nos recuerdan la interacción entre lo absoluto y lo efímero y lo esquivo. Durante el evento el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao acogerá también una película de Maddi Barber que documenta el camino de la materia prima hacia su transformación en cemento y piezas de arte, así como las interacciones de los performers con las obras de la artista.

Grimanesa Amorós, conocida por sus obras escultóricas a gran escala, presentará en el Atrio de Azkuna Zentroa. Centro de Sociedad y Cultura Contemporánea de Bilbao la instalación SCIENTIA partiendo de la importancia de la luz para mejorar el estado de ánimo y la salud mental de las personas. Se podrá visitar hasta el 31 de agosto. 

El filme narrativo Fog Dog, se proyectará en el Auditorio del Museo Guggenheim Bilbao del 1 al 3 de junio. Una película en la que Daniel Steegman Mangrané explora los espectros del pasado y del futuro que rondan el Bangladesh actual desde la perspectiva de los perros callejeros que conviven en esos espacios. Asimismo, el artista holandés Daan Roosegaarde presentará en el parque de Doña Casilda la performance poética SPARK, con una lluvia de fuegos artificiales biodegradables como una alternativa sostenible para celebrar juntos.

Además, desde el 31 de marzo hasta el 5 de junio, el Palacio de San Nicolás en el Casco Viejo —sede de BBVA en Bilbao— acogerá la muestra “Arte y espiritualidad. Imaginar lo extraordinario”.

Ciclo de conferencias

El programa The Wellbeing Summit tendrá como epicentro al Palacio Euskalduna, donde se desarrollarán charlas, conversaciones y paneles de discusión orientados a subrayar las conexiones entre el bienestar individual, organizacional y social. Una selección de ponentes de reconocimiento internacional abordará temas como la neurociencia, la pertenencia ambiental, el trauma intergeneracional o cómo fomentar culturas más saludables. Las sesiones podrán seguirse vía streaming de forma gratuita a través de este enlace.

Además, en distintas sedes a lo largo de la ciudad habrá sesiones de trabajo y talleres que brindarán herramientas para llevar a cabo acciones con impactos significativos. En este mismo sentido, los laboratorios creativos unirán a artistas y ponentes para profundizar en temas más amplios.

El ciclo de conferencias comenzará el martes 31 con una conversación sobre nuestra relación con el planeta a cargo de Laureline Simon (fundadora y directora de One Resilient Earth), Mallika Dutt (activista y fundadora de Inter-Connected, activista), Carlone Schemee (socia en Manejo Ambiental y cofundadora de organizaciones de bienestar y cambio social) y la artista Clare Celeste.

A partir del 1 de junio se sucederán, durante tres días, ponencias que abordarán diversos temas y que arrancará en el auditorio del Palacio Euskalduna con Juan Mari Aburto (alcalde de Bilbao) Satish Kumar (ambientalista), Lorea Bilbao Ibarra (Consejera de Euskera, Cultura y Deporte de Vizcaya) o Aaron Pereira y Sandrine Woitrin (codirectores de The Wellbeing Project). En el transcurso de los días se abordarán temas como el bienestar en el trabajo, género y bienestar, la salud mental en el hemisferio sur, las perspectivas de la neurociencia, el bienestar en la educación superior, el poder de la música en el bienestar o la activación comunitaria a través de la danza.

The Wellbeing Project

The Wellbeing Project tiene como objetivo crear e impulsar un movimiento de cambio en la cultura del sector de la innovación social hacia una cultura con mayor bienestar para los actores que la componen. Trabaja en cocreación con más de 20 organizaciones como Ashoka, Skoll Foundation, Porticus, Impact Hub, the World Economic Forum, Georgetown University, Stanford University o the Greater Good Sciences Center de Berkley. También cuenta con una red de más de 200 organizaciones globales, regionales y locales como Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Danone, Aspen Institute, Mondragon Team Academy o Tec de Monterrey que apoyan activamente y son actores de este movimiento de cambio.

Colaboradores: BBVA; Bizkaia – Government of Biscay; BMW; City of Bilbao; Latham & Watkins; Azkuna Zentroa; Canadian Embassy of Madrid; Community Arts Network; Draiflessen Collection; Fundación Universidad-Empresa; Greater Good Science Center; Guggenheim Bilbao; India Development Review; JCDecaux; MIT Media Labs; Museo De Bellas Artes de Bilbao; Panta Rhea Foundation; Reino de los Países Bajos; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Schoepflin Foundation; Science Gallery; Steelcase; Stanford Social Innovation Review; Thyssen Bornemisza Art Contemporary; The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global; The Rubin Museum of Art; Science Gallery; and Ursula Hauser Collection. 

Ponentes: Rajni Bakshi, Briggs Bomba, Mbarka Bouaida, Kate Byrne, Laura Calderon de la Barca, Aneel Chima, Chantharavady Choulamany, Gary Cohen, Andrea Coleman, Dr. Richard J. Davidson, Suparna Diwakar, Peggy Dulany, Mallika Dutt, Gabriela Gandel, Russ Gaskin, Rosemary Gathara, David Germano, Sennay Ghebreab, PhD, Jay Coen Gilbert, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Ramsés Gómez, Edgard Gouveia Jr, Vanessa Haigh, Zarlasht Halaimzai, Reggie Hubbard, Lorea Bilbao Ibarra, Luzette Jaimes, Shruti Jayaraman, John Kania, Nadine Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Dr. Barry Kerzin, Dr. Julia Kim, Dr. Sará King, Satish Kumar, Edwin Macharia, Juan Mari Aburto, Aikatarini Makrogamuraki, Katherine Milligan, Wanja Muguongo, Rukudzo Mwamuka, Kumi Naidoo, Haifa Najjar, Dr. Deepa Narayan, Wellington Nogueira, Clara Oyuela, Cristiane Ferraz Prade, Father Timothy Radcliffe, Monira Rahman, Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Rabbi David Rosen, Sharon Rosen, Zainab Salbi, Carolin Schmee, Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Laureline Simon, Vanee Surendranathan, Chris Underhill, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Justin Michael Williams, Louisa Zondo.

Artistas y proyectos artísticos: Grimanesa Amoros, Yazmany Arboleda, Loreto Aramendi, Miroslaw Balka, BBVA Art Collection, Birdheart, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Kenyatta Emmanuel, Brooklyn Rider, Janet Cardiff, Nikhil Chopra, June Crespo, Alicia Framis, Carlos Garaicoa, Aaron Huey, Eva Lee, Madalitso Band, Hope Masike, Emeline Michel, Mohau Modisakeng, Aakash Odedra, David Strathairn, Maciej Kulakowsk, Daan Roosegaarde, The Rubin Museum – Mandala Lab, Sonja Schenkel, Falu Shah and Karyshma, Himali Singh Soin, Daniel Steegmann Mangrane, Science Gallery Bengaluru, Shirley Tse, Silkroad, Ursula Hauser Collection, Jazmine Williams, Gerald Wirth, Bishop Chantel Wright and Songs of Solomon, Vocalia Taldea, Thomas Cabaniss, Josu Elberdin, Zirkozaurre.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BILBAO-BISCAY WELCOMES FIRST WELLBEING SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE WITH SPEAKERS, ARTISTS AND MAJOR COMMISSIONED PIECES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Co-creators Ashoka, Impact Hub, Porticus, Skoll Foundation, Synergos Institute, and Georgetown University will convene experts to discuss the intersection of wellbeing and intergenerational trauma; neuroscience; spirituality and rituals; diversity, equity and inclusion; economics; and technology

BILBAO – BISCAY, SPAIN (April 4, 2022) – Today, The Wellbeing Project announced its first-ever Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, a global event bringing together social change, governmental, arts and business leaders working at the intersection of individual and collective wellbeing, in Bilbao-Biscay, Spain from June 1-3, 2022. The summit represents a critical moment in driving systemic cultural change for the improved mental health and wellbeing of all changemakers. 

The three-day summit will consist of ground-breaking talks, conversations and panel discussions highlighting the connections between individual, organizational and societal wellbeing. Speakers will delve into how a deeply embedded culture of wellbeing can alter and inform our approach to driving positive systemic change.

The arts play an integral role in the development of a new language for inner wellbeing and social change and can provide a greater understanding and expression of the human experience. The summit will bring exhibits, newly commissioned works of art and a vibrant performing arts program to Bilbao. Involving more than 85 artists at 10 venues, the event offers participants and the residents of Bilbao to take an emotional and interactive journey exploring wellbeing. 

Inspiring and creative immersion labs will pair artists and speakers for deep-dives into topics that include neuroscience and wellbeing; intergenerational trauma; spirituality and rituals; diversity, equity and inclusion; business and organizational wellbeing, economics and wellbeing; and technology and wellbeing. 

“The Wellbeing Project is on a mission to initiate and bring to life a culture of inner wellbeing and Bilbao-Biscay is the perfect place to unite a global audience of changemakers, artists and activists,” said Aaron Pereira, Project Co-Lead for The Wellbeing Project. “We aim to create a profound experience and understanding of wellbeing in the context of social change leading to a personal and collective call to action.”

“This summit will represent the work of extraordinary people and institutions from over 60 countries and five continents,” added Sandrine Woitrin, Project Co-Lead of The Wellbeing Project. “Attendees and the community at large will experience innovative mechanisms to express and explore their inner selves through art and innovative thinking.”

The Wellbeing Summit chose the location in Bilbao, in the region of Biscay, because it is an international hub for art and culture. It is an example of a place in the process of deepening its transformation by focusing on a Charter of Values that centers on improving the wellbeing of its citizens and the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Bilbao is pleased to host this first edition of the Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, which, I am sure, will help to set the road map for this new revolution in the making,” said Juan Mari Aburto, Mayor of Bilbao. “Over the years, Bilbao has been committed to a model of urban and human development that guarantees the possibility of realizing full and dignified life projects for all the people who live and work in this city. Our commitment to human wellbeing has become an international model that will help us to build hope for the future.”

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

    • Ana Claudia Quintana Arantes – Medical Doctor and Author; Geriatric/Palliative Care MD; Founder of Associação Casa do Cuidar (Brazil)
    • Rajni Bakshi – Author and a Gandhi Peace Fellow; Freelance Journalist, Author and Peace Advocate (India)
    • Briggs Bomba – Programs Director for TrustAfrica(Senegal)
    • Kate Byrne – CEO of Katapult X (USA)
    • Laura Calderon de la Barca – Collective and Intergenerational Trauma Therapist, Facilitator, Trainer and Researcher at Terapia para Mexico (Mexico)
    • Aneel Chima – Director of the Division of Health and Human Performance and of the Stanford Flourishing Project at Stanford University (USA)
    • Gary Cohen – Co-founder and President of Health Care Without Harm (USA)
    • Dr. Richard J. Davidson – Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds at University of Wisconsin-Madison; Founder and Chief Visionary, Healthy Minds Innovations (USA)
    • Suparna Diwakar – Director of the Centre for Regenerative Development at Rashtram School of Public Leadership (India)
    • Peggy Dulany – Philanthropist; Chair and Founder of The Synergos Institute (USA)
    • Mallika Dutt – Activist; Social Change Leader; and Strategic Innovator (India/USA)
    • David Germano – Executive Director of the Contemplative Sciences Center of the University of Virginia (USA)
    • Sennay Ghebreab, PhD – Associate Professor of Socially-Intelligent AI, Program Director of Master Information Studies and Scientific Director of Civic-AI Lab at the University of Amsterdam (Ethiopia/Netherlands)
    • Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. – James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University (USA)
    • Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela – Research Chair in Studies in Historical Trauma and Transformation at Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
    • Ramsés Gómez – Director of Academia B at Sistema B International (Mexico)
    • Edgard Gouveia Jr – Architect, Ashoka Fellow; and Founder of Instituto Elos, Play the Call and LiveLab (Brazil)
    • Zarlasht Halaimzai – Writer; Director; and Co-founder at Refugee Trauma Initiative (United Kingdom)
    • Reggie Hubbard – Human Rights Activist; Yoga Teacher to US Members of Congress and Congressional Staff (USA)
    • Nadine Kaslow, PhD, ABPP – Clinical Psychologist; Professor of Psychology; and Psychologist of the Atlanta Ballet (USA)
    • Dr. Barry Kerzin – American Physician and Buddhist Monk (USA)
    • Dr. Julia Kim – Senior Advisor at the Gross National Happiness Center in Bhutan (Bhutan/Canada)
    • Dr. Sará King – Founder of MindHeart Consulting; Neuroscientist; Advocate; Philosopher; and Social Entrepreneur (USA)
    • Satish Kumar – Peace-pilgrim; Life-long Activist; and Former Monk, Founder of the Schumacher College (United Kingdom)
    • Rhonda Magee – Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco (USA)
    • Juan Mari Aburto – Mayor of Bilbao (Spain)
    • Katherine Milligan – Director, Collective Change Lab (Swizerland)
    • Wanja Muguongo – Founder and Executive Director of UHAI East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (Kenya)
    • Deepa Narayan – Social Scientist and Author (India/USA)
    • Wellington Nogueira – Founder of Doutores da Alegria (Brazil)
    • Cristiane Ferraz Prade – Psychologist; Music Therapist; and Co-founder of Casa do Cuidar (Brazil/United Kingdom)
    • Aaron Pereira – Project Co-Lead for The Wellbeing Project; Ashoka Fellow; and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (India/France)
    • Father Timothy Radcliffe – Priest; Author; and Honorary Oxford University Fellow (United Kingdom)
    • Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi – Director-General and Chief Imam of Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society (Great Britain)
    • Rabbi David Rosen – International Director of Interreligious Affairs of AJC, the American Jewish Committee and Director of its Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding (Israel)
    • Sharon Rosen – Search for Common Ground’s Global Director of Religious Engagement; Spiritual Coach; and Mentor (Israel, USA)
    • Zainab Salbi – Founder of Women for Women International; Women’s Rights Activist; and Writer (USA)
    • Jessamyn Shams-Lau – Senior Advisor of Capital Collaborative; Advocate for redistribution of power in philanthropy, nonprofit workforce wellbeing, and feminine leadership (Denmark)
    • Laureline Simon – Founder and Director at One Resilient Earth (Germany)
    • Shelly Tygielski – Mindfulness Teacher; Community Organizer; Philanthropist; Author; and Self-Care Activist (USA)
    • Najat Vallaud-Belkacem – France Director of The ONE Campaign; Former Minister for Women’s Rights and Government Spokesperson (France)
    • Justin Michael Williams – Author; Speaker; and Performing Artist, working at the intersection of music, meditation and equality (USA)
    • Sandrine Woitrin – Project Co-Lead of The Wellbeing Project (Belgium/Spain)

ARTISTS PARTICIPATING INCLUDE: ARTISTS PARTICIPATING INCLUDE:

    • Grimanesa Amoros – SCIENTIA, a light sculpture encouraging moments of self-reflection and personal realization (Peru)
    • Yazmany Arboleda – Hospital Pal Alma, an outdoor installation imagining a contemplative place of healing for the soul (Colombia)
    • Miroslaw Balka – NowHereWe, an installation of bells from multiple cultures on railings in the main summit venue (Poland)
    • BBVA – Art and Spirituality: Imagining the Extraordinary, an exhibition of works from the historical and contemporary holdings in the BBVA Collection
    • Birdheart – a contemplative puppet theatre piece devised, directed and designed by Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane
    • Dineo Seshee Bopape – I Re-Member Mama, a billboard installation featuring a slice of earth (South Africa)
    • Brooklyn Rider – the highly acclaimed string quartet
    • Janet Cardiff – A Toning Installation, exploring the ability of sound to transport participants to alternate realities (Canada)
    • Nikhil Chopra – Life Is More Important Than Art, a durational solo performance and installation (India)
    • June Crespo – CORE22, a commissioned film and public installation (Spain)
    • Alicia Framis – Taking Flight, a paragliding costume and apparatus; a commissioned film and public exhibition of the garment (Spain)
    • Carlos Garaicoa – Proyecto Bilbao, an installation about the nature of the image, its fragmentation and perpetuity in contemporary culture (Cuba)
    • Aaron Huey – Global Open Call, an exhibition of banners from the artist’s Artist’s Amplifier campaign (USA)
    • Eva Lee – experimental filmmaker
    • Madalitso Band – street music duo from Malawi
    • Hope Masike – Zimbabwean singer and mbira player
    • Emeline Michel – Haitian music star who will perform with her band
    • Mohau Modisakeng – The Water Drummer, a performance installation consisting of sounds of water interspersed with moments of stillness and silence (South Africa)
    • Aakash Odedra – contemporary dance artist with roots in classical Indian dance
    • Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, presented in partnership with Georgetown University, a theatre performance featuring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn
    • Daan Roosegaarde – Spark Bilbao, an outdoor happening that illuminates the city with a sustainable celebration that encourages residents and visitors to wonder and reflect (Holland)
    • The Rubin Museum – Mandala Lab, an interactive space for social, emotional, and ethical learning
    • Sonja Schenkel – Chrysalis, an immersive art installation that invites people into a sensory experience exploring transformation through touch, images and sound (Switzerland)
    • Falu Shah – Grammy nominated classical Indian singer with her band
    • Himali Singh Soin – Ancestors of the Blue Moon, a current residency/project to create a prayerbook and installation of deities (New Delhi/United Kingdom)
    • Science Gallery Bengaluru – Psyche, an exhibition of works by young people from around the world that explores the mind and the complexities of thinking and feeling
    • Shirley Tse – Meditating is Porting to a Blissful Version of Ourselves, a sculpture featuring light and wood inspired by the artist’s ongoing series “Quantum Shirley” (Hong Kong)
    • Silkroad – the acclaimed global music ensemble sparks cultural collaboration and passion driven learning
    • Ursula Hauser Collection – an exhibition of 2 major works by Berlinde De Bruyckere
    • Gerald Wirth – President and Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys Choir who will lead communal singing exercises
    • Bishop Chantel Wright and Songs of Solomon – a collaborative, inspirational gospel choir
    • Vocalia Taldea – an all-female choir based in Bilbao will perform newly commissioned songs by composers Thomas Cabaniss and Josu Elberdin

The participants of this event will attend largely by invitation to ensure a diverse, representative and pluralistic community of attendees. This will be the first of two global summits The Wellbeing Project will convene with the second to be announced for 2024. To learn more and apply to attend, please visit here.

Following the in-person summit, there will be virtual elements available to the public hosted by Parker J. Palmer, Author, Educator and Activist; Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage and Renewal (USA) and Sharon Salzberg, NY Times Bestselling Author and Meditation Teacher (USA).

Partners include BBVA; Bizkaia – Government of Biscay; City of Bilbao; Latham & Watkins; Azkuna Zentroa; Canadian Embassy of Madrid; Community Arts Network; Draiflessen Collection; Guggenheim Bilbao; MIT Media Labs; Museo De Bellas Artes de Bilbao; Thyssen Bornemisza Art Contemporary; The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global; The Rubin Museum of Art; Science Gallery; and Ursula Hauser.

About The Wellbeing Project
The Wellbeing Project is a global initiative focused on catalyzing a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers and structured in four pillars – model programs; research and evaluation; learning, convening and enabling; and storytelling and connecting. The organization is inspired by love, care and compassion for all the people who work to build a better world, as well as to support the many causes and movements for which we all work. The Wellbeing Project is co-created with Ashoka, Impact Hub, Porticus, the Skoll Foundation, the Synergos Institute, and Georgetown University.