RHINEBECK, NY–In collaboration with The Wellbeing Project, Omega Institute and Harlem Wellness Center will present the first North American Regional Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, September 4–8, 2023 on Omega’s 250-acre campus in Rhinebeck, New York. The Hudson Valley gathering is the first of its kind in the U.S., and the first in The Wellbeing Project’s series of regional summits happening this year, in Bogotá, Colombia; São Paulo, Brazil; Brussels, Belgium; and Dakar-Thiès, Senegal. The summit at Omega will feature more than 30 presenters, including Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Richard J. Davidson, Reggie Hubbard, Sharon Salzberg, and more.
“An important part of Omega’s mission, and our partnership with Harlem Wellness Center, is to advance individual and collective wellbeing for those working on the frontlines of change,” said Carla Goldstein, president and chief executive officer at Omega. “We were inspired by The Wellbeing Project's inaugural Global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change in Bilbao, Spain last year, where we discovered shared values and organizational goals, and were galvanized to join the movement as a summit convener and collaborator.”
“We are so thrilled to kick off our Regional Wellbeing Summit series with the Omega Institute and Harlem Wellness Center as we collaborate with local teams to regionalize the learnings and experiences of the 2022 Global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, answering a call for growth and urgency of a wellbeing and social change global movement,” said Aaron Pereira, co-lead of The Wellbeing Project.
“These Summits help us work toward our vision of a world in which inner wellbeing is normalized, accessible, and a fundamental force in our collective work to create a more sustainable future,” said Sandrine Woitrin, co-lead of The Wellbeing Project.
The Summit brings together 150 social change, governmental, arts, and business leaders to advance wellbeing for those on the frontlines of social change. Together, participants will delve into how a deeply embedded culture of wellbeing can alter and inform our approach to driving positive systemic change.
“At Harlem Wellness Center we are committed to creating spaces where people can connect, heal, and thrive. The summit at Omega brings together a dynamic community of changemakers, for a rare opportunity to do just that. We will gather for conversations, wellness practices, art-making, rituals, soaking in wisdom from over 30 faculty, and spending time in nature, with a focus on inner wellbeing,” said Vivian Williams-Kurutz, founder of Harlem Wellness Center.
An integral part of the Regional Wellbeing Summits is a compelling art program which allows participants to approach the topic of wellbeing through the emotional and intellectual language of the arts, as a powerful tool for exploration and expression of inner wellbeing and social change. Therefore, a host of arts activities will be offered, including a multisensory Mandala Lab, inspired by the Rubin Museum, where ‘emotions can turn to wisdom’ at five designed stations across Omega’s campus.
Additionally, composer and inventor Tod Machover and the MIT Media Lab will join the event as part of a uniquely exciting artistic initiative called Wellbeing of the World—A Global Symphony. Over the next two years, the audio project will sample perspectives on inner, organizational, societal, and planetary wellbeing at The Wellbeing Project’s Regional Wellbeing Summits, beginning at Omega and leading up to the Global Wellbeing Summit in 2025.
To learn more about the 2023 Wellbeing Summit: Gathering at the Intersection of Wellbeing & Social Change, please visit: https://wellbeing-project.org/twbs-omega-and-harlem/
With questions, please contact us at OwlcCommunity@eomega.org.
About The Wellbeing Project
The Wellbeing Project is the global leader in researching and advocating for the wellbeing of changemakers, and for wellbeing in changemaking. Co-created with Ashoka, Georgetown University, Impact Hub, Porticus, Skoll Foundation and Synergos, The Wellbeing Project is a network of more than 400 organizations dedicated to:
- Strengthening the research case for inner wellbeing at the heart of social change
- Connecting a growing network of organizations building a culture of wellbeing
- Accelerating the growth of well-being initiatives around the world
- Convening Summits at the intersection of inner, organizational, societal and planetary well-being
- Mainstreaming a wellbeing and social change narrative
In 2023, The Wellbeing Project collaborated with local teams in five regions around the world to regionalize the learnings and experiences of the 2022 Global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change. The regional summits will answer a call for growth and urgency of a wellbeing and social change global movement.
The Wellbeing Project Contact: Madelaine VanDerHeyden, madelaine@wellbeing-project.org
About Harlem Wellness Center
Harlem Wellness Center is a nonprofit organization working to close the racial health gap by providing access to innovative and holistic wellness programs that empower individuals, strengthen communities, and create spaces where all can connect, heal, and thrive. HarlemWellness.org
Harlem Wellness Center Contact: Vivian Williams-Kurutz, VivianK@HarlemWellness.org
Omega Contact: Chrissa Santoro, ChrissaS@eOmega.org