RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU TO BE PART OF RE-IMAGINING 'INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT'
Let's figure out how to create solidarity that heals, rather than perpetuates, injustice
A taste of Healing Solidarity 2020
Our annual online conference is a week of conversations with activists, practitioners and thinkers interested in welcoming the change we need in international development practice, and figuring out how to care for ourselves and one other in the process.
Check out a taste of the conversations from our 2020 conference below
MEET THE SPEAKERS from our 2020 conference
Carmen Morcos
Wellbeing Coach, Impact Visionary
Chipo Bangira
Feminist and Transformational Leadership Manager at Akina Mama wa Afrika
Devi Leiper O'Malley
Board Member of Urgent Action Fund Asia and Pacific, and former Co-Executive Director of FRIDA
Eliza-Helen Ampomah
Co-founder, Diasporic Development & Campaigns Officer, Youth Leaders for Health
Gagan Sethi
Founder of Janvikas. Development Educator, Organisational Development Expert & Trainer
Everjoice Jeketa Win
International’s Director for Programs and Global Engagement, ActionAid, Professor of Practice-Women’s Rights, SOAS, University of London. Advisor, Founder, Board Member, Writer, Blogger, and Influencer
Mutiara Alam
Neha Kagal
Senior Technical Advisor for Women’s Rights at an INGO, Fellow at ‘Practice for Transformative Action’ (PiTA) programme at the East Bay Meditation Centre, Oakland, CA.
Hope Chigudu
Coach, Facilitator, Evaluator, Organisational Development practitioner, published author and editor
Kristie Lockhart
Strategic Advisor and Fundraising Consultant
Nikita Yasmin Shah
Researcher & Analyst, Founder of Hyphen Poetry and a co-founder of The Colonial Hangover Project.
Lisa VeneKlasen
Former Executive Director, Just Associates (JASS)
Leila Billing
Gender and Development Consultant
Lena Bheeroo
Events and Programme Manager and Lead on anti-racism work, BOND, Committee Member, Charity So White, Racial Equity Index, working group Member.
Lysa John
Secretary-General of the CIVICUS Alliance
Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE
Executive Director of FORWARD
Neha Misra
Contemporary visual folk artist, poet, and social entrepreneur
Penelope Sanyu
Founder and CEO Femme Forte Uganda
Radha Mahendru
Researcher & Curator
Ruby Johnson
Feminist activist, social justice consultant and former Co-Executive Director at FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund
Saagarika Dadu
Equity Index, Researcher & Consultant
Samah Ahmed
Programme and Research Manager, Shabaka
Suzanne Graham
Senior Organizing Manager at the Sierra Club
Swarnlata Mahilkar
Feminist activist & Manager of Programs and Innovation at CREA
Sophie Efange
Policy Manager at the Gender and Development Network & co-founder of its Women of Colour Forum
Stephanie de Wolfe
Independent consultant, Artist and Producer
Takyiwa Danso
Development Practitioner & Artist
Youth Advisor to VSO & Former Youth Delegate UNGA
Weh Yeoh
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer at UMBO
What we explore together
Welcoming change means being ready to see things as we know them fall apart in the context of international 'aid' and 'development'.
How do we orientate towards welcoming the change that is needed, embracing new ways of doing things, new ways of seeing ourselves and new ways of operating?
What action can we each take to make our sector meaningfully reflective, anti-racist, feminist and de-colonial?
How we can build just cultures in organisations, communities and initiatives which create the collective care and healing we crave?
Why are you doing this online?
Healing Solidarity has been online since our first conference in 2018 so you have always been able to join from wherever in the world you are!
We've never been afraid of the difficult questions about 'development' and 'aid' and our conference has been a place to talk about racism, power and desperately needed change our sector since we first launched.
In a year when everything has gone online and everything we thought we knew is being challenged, we will provide online sustenance to help you to meet this moment and be part of change.
Providing a space for you to explore what it means to welcome change, build new practices and work together in radically different ways and we will also this year share our own practice with you, the ways in which we within Healing Solidarity are seeking to do things differently as we co-create this project.
Who runs this project? Meet the Healing SOLIDARITY ADVISORY CIRCLE
Mary Ann Clements
Feminist Writer, Facilitator, Activist and Coach and Initiator of Healing Solidarity
Swatee Deepak
Social Justice Consultant, Former Director, Co-Founder and Board Member
Pontso Mafethe
Interim Director of Programmes at the African Women's Development Fund
Esua Goldsmith
Author, Facilitator, Strategist, Activist and Speaker
Roshni Nuggehalli
Executive Director at Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA)
Jennifer Lentfer
Aid worker turned writer/poet, writing coach, and communications strategist
F.A.Q
I’m not based in the UK, can I take part in this too?
Yes. Our online Collective, resources and events are accessible from anywhere in the world.
How is this project run and managed?
Originally initiated by Mary Ann Clements this project is now run by the Advisory Circle listed above who are in the process of registering Healing Solidarity as a Community Interest Company in the UK.
Is this really free?
Yes, it's free to join the Collective and participate in our events. We do need resources to support this project and so we do invite those who participate to give and help sustain this project if they are able to. Find out more about becoming a sustaining member of Healing Solidarity here.
I don’t actually work in international development. Can I still join?
Yes absolutely. Anyone who is interested in issues of global solidarity and collective care is welcome to join us.