Your Peers
BRAD LEARMONTH
Where are you based?
New York City and Long Island, NY
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am the president of the board of One Spirit Learning Alliance and have participated and graduated from all the programs we offer - Seminary, Spiritual Counseling and Companioning and Emergence Leadership. Human Flourishing is in our DNA and is paramount to my spiritual path.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Resources and wisdom of leadership to bring our organization and, as a result, my personal journey and work to a greater level of achievement and understanding. Doing this in the company of like-minded individuals and organizations can only bring greater capacity to the whole.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
My regular practice for many years now has been a combination of reading spiritual and other work, writing and meditation, the latter of which has taken many forms from sitting Buddhist practices to contemplative practices, centering prayer, walking meditations, etc. I also practice yoga. In addition, I consider the arts a vital part of my spiritual practice and nourishment.
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Brad Learmonth was ordained by One Spirit Learning Alliance in 2011, received his Interspiritual Counseling Certificate in 2015 and in 2020 graduated from the inaugural Emergence Leadership Academy and the Companions in Care advanced training for counseling in difficult times. He joined the One Spirit Board of Directors in 2015 and became its president in January 2018.
Brad was an award-winning leader in the not-for-profit performing arts field for over three decades. As the director of programming at Harlem Stage, where he worked for 28 years, Brad created unique and nurturing platforms for visionary artists of color to create work that is risk-taking and transformative, and responsive to the issues that shape our lives. Service and activism are essential to this vision and continued work in the arts and as a minister and leader, with a focus on anti-racism and the dismantling of white supremacy in all its forms.
Brad serves on the Advisory Committee of Project EATS the Task Force for Inclusion and Equity of the New York City Arts Education roundtable. Earlier education and training include a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and training as an actor. He was born in the Boston area and has lived in New York City since 1982. Brad and his spouse of 29 years, Jon Gilman are devoted to their three rescue dogs. They also have a home in Sag Harbor, NY, where Brad stays active in arts and social justice issues.
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MATT LEE
Where are you based?
USA
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I serve as Director of Empirical Research at the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. I will be speaking at the first session but I am deeply interested in the entire journey that is reflected in all of the sessions. My focus in life is to flourish while promoting flourishing for others, which involves participating in the power of active love transforming the world. Although my scholarly work addresses this topic, this is far from an "academic" or intellectual exercise for me. I am honored and grateful to be able to learn from the collective wisdom of this group.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Although my research, teaching, and service addresses many of the topics listed in the schedule, my ability to flourish would benefit from exploring these topics with others committed to doing this over an extended period of time. Reconnecting each month from October to June would be most helpful. Recent health concerns in my immediate and extended family, along with a renewed sense of vocational calling, have provided me with greater motivation to pause and reflect on the course of my life and to learn more deeply about flourishing with others.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have been a committed Christian for most of my life and I find great wisdom and beauty in other religious traditions of the world, especially Mahayana Buddhism, Sufi Islam, and particularly in the book "I and Thou" by Jewish mystic Martin Buber. I have found that integrating the insights and practices of other traditions has enriched my understanding and experience of Christianity. I also benefited greatly from secular mindfulness practices. I meditate and pray every day and endeavor to live a life of "encounter" (I/Thou) rather than "experience" (I/It), to use Martin Buber's terminology.
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Matthew T. Lee, Ph.D., is Director of Empirical Research at the Human Flourishing Program in the Institute for Quantitative Science at Harvard University, where he also leads the Program's Community of Practice. He is also a Distinguished Visiting Scholar of Health, Flourishing, and Positive Psychology at Stony Brook University’s Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics, a visiting scholar with the Benson-Henry Institute of Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, a non-resident Research Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion. He previously served as President of the North Central Sociological Association and as Chair of the American Sociological Association’s Section on Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity.
His current research explores topics such as benevolent service to others, organizational compassion capability, and the integration of social science and the humanities.
He is co-editor of Measuring Well-Being: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from the Social Sciences and the Humanities and co-author of The Heart of Religion: Spiritual Empowerment, Benevolence, and the Experience of God’s Love, both published by Oxford University Press. He is co-editing a book for Routledge titled, Transcending Crisis: Carework, Emotions, and Human Flourishing.
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J. JULIANNE LEE
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Where are you based?
Switzerland
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
The pandemic exposed many of the social, political and environmental issues that were lying below the surface. The lockdown also made us sit still in one place and face ourselves. There is now a rush to return to the "normal", but before we start flying again and leave these days behind, I would like to pause and think about what it is that we went through. What should I fill my life with when everything we take for granted can be so completely shut down overnight and we aren't able to meet our loved ones? What should we empty our lives of? What should the "new normal" look like? I would also like to hear from others about what their experiences have been like.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
A deeper direct experience of myself and the human condition so that I can understand better why we behave the way we do and how we can transcend our egos. Meditation has been helpful in this regard. More kindness and compassion to myself and others. A radical recognition and acceptance of how we are all interconnected.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I've been doing spiritual practices, such as energy work and meditation, on and off for over 20 years. These days, I meditate daily. I have tremendous respect for the very detailed understanding of the mind that the Buddha shared with the world and would like to study Buddhism more systematically.
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J. Julianne Lee's work is about making the wisdom and practices of spiritual traditions accessible for the contemporary seeker to better understand human existence, the nature of our mind, and true happiness. Her work is mostly in three areas: providing science-based evidence for the benefits and effects of contemplative practices; guidance for direct transformative experiences; and storytelling.
Julianne is the CEO of JULIANNE LEE & Co., which publishes ARS VITAE(www.arsvitaecollection.com), a publication series that explores the various aspects of what it means to live well. She and her husband Christian co-founded Krueger & Lee(www.kruegerandlee.com), a Swiss-based non-profit organization, which organizes the annual Spirituality and Science Forum with world-renowned scientists doing cutting edge research on the mind, consciousness and the effects of contemplative practices. Krueger & Lee also organizes meditation retreats.
Previously, Julianne was the first Spokesperson of the National Security Council of Korea, and the youngest Presidential Secretary and Spokesperson for Foreign Press Affairs in President Roh Moo-Hyun’s administration in Korea. Prior to joining the government, she was correspondent and news anchor at SBS, a major TV network in Korea. In 1994, she became the first female journalist in Korea to become the solo main anchor of a primetime news hour. She was also the Senior Advisor of RBS bank and securities in Korea.
Julianne received her B.A. from Brown University and M.A. from Harvard University. In recognition of her unique career, Julianne was named Young Global Leader and New Asian Leader by the World Economic Forum as well as the Next Generation Leader by the Korea Foundation. She currently serves on the boards of the Korea Foundation and Krüger Foundation.
Julianne has lived in Asia, America, and Europe, and currently lives in the Swiss countryside. She enjoys meditating, traveling, sharing a good conversation, and seeing beauty everywhere.
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RODNEY MCKENZIE
Where are you based?
Kalamazoo, Michigan
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
My grandmother used to say all the time, "We are living in complicated times." As I look
out in the world today, this seems to be even more so true. I am curious.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
More time meditating on the theme of love - what is the distinction between being loved
and being love itself.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Morning practices: reading, journaling and meditation; morning prayers.
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Rodney is an openly gay person of faith, a community organizer, and a reverend. Rodney currently is the Vice President of Ally Development at the Fetzer Institute, a foundation whose work is focused on building the spiritual foundation for a loving world. His role is to build out a network of friends and funding partners who desire to co-conspire in transforming the world into a more loving home for all.
Rodney most recently came from Demos, a “’think-and-do” tank that powers the movement for a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy.” Rodney served there in many roles, most recently as Executive Vice President leading the organization’s programmatic, movement building, and communications functions. Prior to Demos, Rodney worked at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force—the nation’s oldest national LGBTQ advocacy organization—where his
work focused on disrupting the national narrative that LGBTQ people aren’t people of faith and that people of faith don’t support LGBTQ equality and running smart field campaigns to win power for marginalized communities.
Earlier in Rodney’s career, he co-founded Expansion Church where he served as its spiritual director, regularly preaching on Sundays using a framework of liberation theology. Rodney also served as the Executive Director of Resource Generation, an organization comprised of 18-35-year-olds with access to wealth who are among the richest top 10% of individuals or families in the United States. Rodney received his Bachelor degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Rodney currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI.
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AVIAD MEITAR
Where are you based?
Israel.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I find the experience interesting and intriguing
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
More peace of mind.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
meditate daily, a practice I developed during the pandemic.
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Aviad Meitar, a businessman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist.
A co-founder and active Chairman of a social enterprise Music for Dialogue (MFD), which uses music as a tool for bridging across sectors of society. This venture has implemented numerous programs in the academy, in high schools and in society at large in Israel. In the past three years, MFD has been part of Tel Aviv University’s School of Education.
In 2020 co-founded, together with Synergos/GPC the Global Dialogue Initiative (GDI) – a collaborative society that connects philanthropists and social enterprises that seek to promote dialogue and aims to implement global projects that use dialogue as a main theme.
A 2016 fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University.
Has been the Chairman of Quadrant European Beverages Limited (QEBL), the Pepsi bottler for Romania and Bulgaria for 25 years. Set up QEBL’s operation in Romania in 1991 and has had oversight managerial responsibility for the company’s operations for 15 years, until its successful sale to PepsiAmericas, the second-largest PepsiCo bottler in the world, in 2006. Published a book covering this experience titled An Unimaginable Journey: How PEPSI Beat the Odds in Romania.
Received his Bachelor of Law degree from Tel Aviv University School of Law and his MBA degree from Boston University Graduate School of Management.
Aviad Meitar is married and has three children. He plays the French Horn with various amateur orchestras.
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MARK MILTON
Where are you based?
Valais, Switzerland
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
The theme combined with the nourishing and inspiring spiritual events already shared with Julianne and Christian.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Continue to explore and experience the sacred space beyond the mind.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have been regularly meditating since 2006 and lived two Vipassana retreats.
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Mark Anthony Milton is the Founder of the Swiss-based foundation Education 4 Peace (E4P). Created in 2002, the Foundation works internationally to promote the integration of skills in self-awareness, listening and mastery of emotions into the educational curriculum of youth, including sports education. His earlier experiences first as a volunteer and then as director of an organization that operates hotlines for emotional support and suicide prevention and his successful path as a business consultant specializing in communication and organizational development have greatly contributed to the work of E4P.
From 2001-2010, Mark was chairman of the International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services (IFOTES), with 600 centers in 28 countries. He initiated many activities to promote listening skills, as well as the first international congress on the theme of Emotional Health in 2007, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2008 he was part of the team which initiated the Spirit of Humanity Forum (SoH) which is held every two years in Reykjavik, Iceland.
He has led the E4P’s groundbreaking work with international and national football (soccer) federations to officially introduce self-awareness and attitude as the 5th skill, teaching listening skills and empathetic communication that pave the way for resilience and relational consciousness. He serves as an expert on the above topics for national and international organizations in all sports.
Mark is the co-author of the books Master of your Emotions - Football, a Path to Self-Awareness – Peacefulness
and Sport and resilience.
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MOHAMMED MOHAMMED
Where are you based?
Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Human flourishing is part of my current work and a general topic I am interested in.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Peace and calm. Less bullying voices everywhere. A community to support me in my quest to become a better human.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Islamic practices, quiet reflection, and meditation.
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I believe in solving problems and seeing opportunities in the most complicated and ambiguous of problems.
In my area, we do advance reconnaissance and probe the unknown in the course of our programs and partnerships, which can span various topics from civic virtues and American democracy to social teachings of the faith traditions and social transformation.
I am especially fond of a collaboration with Healthy Minds Innovations to develop an app designed to optimize wellbeing via spiritual practices—neuroscience meets contemplation meets technology. This project not only has a functional side to it, it also addresses the mysteries of the mind, the question of purpose, and the invisible bonds in life. In all of this work, I particularly appreciate connecting with younger thinkers, scholars, and students of all kinds.
My formal education is in the humanities, social science, and human-computer interaction. My personal interests have no boundaries—I actually believe in blurring boundaries of any kind, be it disciplines, functions, or identities. It’s the spaces in between where creativity happens.
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LIDIA NISTOR-RETENELLER
Where are you based?
Atlanta, Ga
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
My personal quest for self-spiritual -development and passion for humanity and its flourishing.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
More time with people on the same path as well mite time with people in need.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Mindfulness, meditation - 8 years.
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Lidia has a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, followed by Medical Esthetics degree. She is also an Ayurvedic Perfect Health Coach (trained with Deepak Chopra), and MSCEIT (Emotional Intelligence) certified coach. She is an avid Wellness and Well-being advocate, and a passionate internationalist.
Lidia was born in Romania and grew up within a communist and totalitarian regime until the age of 18 years old. She believes the Eastern and Western socio-economic-cultural personal exposure and experiences of poverty, religious restrictions, isolation from the rest of the world, and later in life constant traveling, entrepreneurship, democracy at its best, has had a huge impact on her consciousness and it also has helped identify her life purpose: to be in service for others, with others, in a place where each individual has the opportunity and societal support to reach his/her highest unique potential and experience the utmost level of human well-being and dignity.
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COVA OREJAS
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Where are you based?
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Brussels
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What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
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Always interested in connecting and learning on my spiritual journey with others.
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What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
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Listen less to my mind?
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Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
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Yes. All sorts of spiritual non religious practices.
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Cova is currently Director at the Evens Foundation, a family Foundation, promoting Living together harmoniously in Europe embodying the founders’ vision across the arts, democracy, education, media and science.
Previous, she was Policy & Programmes Director and a member of the Leadership Team at the European Foundation Centre. The EFC is a Brussels-based international platform representing over 300 institutional foundations and corporate funders with a focus on Europe and an eye towards improving the global philanthropic landscape.
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She has held senior positions at international associations for more than a decade and is currently Board Member of the Learning for Wellbeing Foundation. She has seated at the Board of Social Economy Europe, the voice of social business in the EU, Member of the Steering Committee of Community Living for Europe: Structural Funds Watch created by the Lumos Foundation and Co-Chair of GAP, UN Habitat III philanthropy group. She also dedicates time to help as an Advisory Board Member of Belgium Play 4 Peace and as correspondent in Belgium for the Olbios Network.
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ESRA OZSUER
Where are you based?
Turkey.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Adaptation to changing times, my own covid experience and lessons learned.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Reaching out for beauty and seeking for opportunities. Spending more time with our tribe.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I am a Reiki master since 1994 and a Sufi since 21 years. I am also a practitioner of both spiritual practices.
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Esra Ozsuer is a master Reiki and contemplative practitioner. While facing a life-threatening illness Esra found herself exploring new paths to health through energy work and wellbeing practices. Her experience was included in Dr. Mehment Oz’s studies on energy healing at the Columbia Presbyterian hospital when she had major surgery at the age of 28. Following this transformative period, Esra found new life through spiritual practices and evolved in a myriad of ways. Her dreams led her on a heartfelt journey to launch Maya Vakfi (Foundation) in 2014 to provide mental health and psychosocial support for trauma rehabilitation as a response to the complex needs of families and children in crisis. The guiding principles of the Foundation are to provide a society formed by healthy individuals who spend their childhood and youth freely, safety, confidently and productively.
She is a member of Synergos’ Global Philanthropist Circle, a network of over 90 leading international philanthropic families launched by David Rockefeller and his daughter Peggy Dulany. She is an active participant in their Funders of Mindfulness and Spirituality group. Esra is also engaged in the Global Sustainability Network on SDG 8, where members pledge to take action to terminate modern slavery by the end of 2030 and on the boards of the Istanbul Modern Gala and the Bosphorus Summit.
When COVID 19 triggered fear and isolation Esra was the architect behind the Embrace Circle. She gathered spiritual and energy leaders together to lead and support communities in times of uncertainty. Held biweekly with Esra at the helm as an energy harmonizer, the Embrace Circle, finds and explores open heart connections, compassion, social field awareness, systems thinking and collective wellbeing with the goal to be graciously present despite these chaotic times. As follower of Rumi’s wisdom, she includes Sufism in her teachings. After exploring this path of consciousness, she intuitively understands that new frequencies and vibrations are the keys to success and aims to reach leaders and change-makers that can spread positive changes globally. Through partnerships, she enables people to reach to their optimal frequency to create mass mind shifts in order to heal and give fresh skills for people to rebuild their own lives.
Building upon her work at the Foundation she continues to specialize in trauma rehabilitation. After her observation of systemic gaps in today’s practices used to support mental health she sought alternative approaches. Inspired by her experience at the Foundation she’s developing an integrated experience she calls Harmony, an online platform for healing, teaching certified alternatives to traditional approaches to trauma and psychology. Harmony will improve current methods through universally accessible hybrid trainings and involves recognizing the relationship between the mind, the body, the soul and the heart to help better meet the needs of our times. She believes that mindfulness and subtle energy work will be the game-changing ingredient to offer a deeper and more sustainable process to address the needs of all populations.
When not hard at work at the Foundation she can be found with her biggest pride of all, her husband, three active children and three small grandchildren. Esra is committed to spreading love and is devoted to helping others in their journey to inner harmony to create more impactful, abundant and joyful world.
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JOANNA SAFARIK
Where are you based?
Prague, Czech Republic
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Human flourishing is defined as "an effort to achieve self-actualization and fulfillment within the context of a larger community of individuals" and self-actualization is something that I've been working on in the past few years. I am very interested in learning how human flourishing can be explained from a scientific angle to deepen my understanding on the subject. I look forward to advance in my flourishing journey while making a difference in the journey of those I meet.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
There are a few things I believe I presently need in my journey. 1) Cultivate positive relationships with like-minded individuals. 2) Find my purpose and live it. 3) Accept and love myself fully.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I do meditate and journal almost daily. Not at a set time, it is not a routine, instead I follow my intuition and do it when I feel I want/need it most. I've been doing this for the past 3 years. I recently began the practice of Japa meditation, which I practice while I walk in nature.
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Joanna Safarik is a committed professional with a diverse set of skills and experiences stemming from her eclectic career spanning five continents.
She worked as Political Action Committee Manager for the Credit Union National Association in Washington, D.C. where she excelled at fundraising and planning and executing major political events. She later joined a major U.S. national political organization in Capitol Hill as a Major Donor Program Director and was part of a winning presidential re-election campaign.
In Europe, she has collaborated with the Czech Parliamentary Institute as researcher on U.S. campaign finance law and later took a career detour into Alternative Education. Later, following her passion for social justice and development equality, she teamed up with one of the largest NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe to consult and assist on an education project in Angola. She served as Director of Outreach for a Czech-American social impact enterprise and co-founded PeaceJam Czech Republic, an affiliate of the PeaceJam Foundation whose mission is "to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates who pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody."
Joanna has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Chicago and is currently completing her M.B.A. studies.
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ILENE SAMETH
Where are you based?
New York City
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am the CEO of One Spirit Learning Alliance, a spiritual educational non-profit that is a new grantee of The Fetzer Institute. For nearly 20 years we have been training people to be of service in the world and to lean into their own spirituality and flourishing. Over the last 18 months of the pandemic, we have found more and more people reaching out to us to be part of our organization, trainings and community as they have recognized that now is the time to step into spiritual leadership themselves. As the leader of this center of learning, I know that I must continually ensure that I am also flourishing. And as we know, leaders can often feel alone in this work that they must devise and offer to others. I know that in order to be able to train our students to be the most complete spiritual leaders they can be, I need to be both centered in my own learning and solid in my own spirituality.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Time with colleagues is what I need most. Time to meet and talk through opportunities to find our center. Time to just settle in and hear our inner voices of compassion for ourselves and for others. Time to think deeply about what the world needs and how we can meet those needs using the skills we have and identifying the skills we need. I look forward to the opportunity to walk with others whose work may be different but their goals are in true alignment with mine.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I am Jewish and have been practicing my entire life.
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Ilene Sameth became the Chief Executive Officer of One Spirit Learning Alliance in 2016 and brought many structural changes to the organization that resulted in increased programming, fundraising and community connections. She has an extensive background in strategic planning, fundraising, capital campaign management, financial oversight, event management, staff and community development and IT. Prior to her position here, she had a 20-year career leading synagogues throughout New York City. including at Romemu, a ground-breaking community that experienced historic growth during her time there.
From 2003 to 2012, Ilene served as Executive Director at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) in Greenwich Village, a dynamic organization in both the Jewish and LBGTQ worlds. Ilene is drawn to organizations, both professionally and personally, that challenge participants to deepen their connection to spirituality and community and that stress education as a path to both.
Before beginning her career in the spiritual non-profit world, Ilene was an opera singer for 15 years, performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and throughout the country. More recently she wrote and performed a one-woman play at the historic Dixon Place theater in NYC. In her spare time, Ilene enjoys hiking, biking, cooking and traveling.
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JOLENE SMITH
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Where are you based?
Reston, VA.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am in the middle of a major life transition and it is shedding new light on prior definitions I held about concepts like 'human flourishing'.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
More time to reflect, companions on the journey with whom I can share reflections mutually, and ideally, guidance for exploration of these reflections by someone(s) who routinely helps people navigate their own transitions and growth.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Daily 20-min TM meditation for 2 years; Weekly silent Quaker Meeting
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Jolene Smith is a leader and innovator within the anti-slavery movement, and an advisor to initiatives that have the audacity to try to effect massive positive change in the world. She is currently Impact Producer for Mission: JOY: Finding Happiness in Troubled Times with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
She co-founded Free the Slaves with Kevin Bales, the world’s foremost expert on modern slavery, and Peggy Callahan, the award-winning documentary film producer and human rights activist. Free the Slaves was the first organization to bring awareness about the global issue of modern slavery to the United States, and it pioneered many of the models upon which other programs and policies around the world are based. Jolene is currently Senior Advisor to Voices4Freedom, which is helping entire villages free themselves from slavery in India.
She grew up on a family farm in Iowa and now lives in Reston, VA with her two outrageous daughters.
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SAMANTHA ROSE STEIN
Where are you based?
Nosara, Costa Rica.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
My own experiences of languishing this past year and my desire to be the most fully expressed being I can be while helping others do the same.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
An intellectually and spiritually rich community in close proximity.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have been practicing Buddhism for several years.
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Samantha Rose Stein is an artist, writer, and entrepreneur focused on where science meets spirit. She is a World Economic Forum Media Leader, and Edmund Hilary Fellow.
Currently, she is writing a book on psychedelic-assisted therapy.
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Dr. HANUMAPPA SUDARSHAN
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Where are you based?
India.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Earlier experience with the group.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Self Awareness and connected to Universal life.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Yes, I do Yoga and Vedantic meditation for the past 50 years.
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Dr.Sudarshan has worked with the Soligas, an ethnic group of India, for 40 years and has achieved remarkable feats, far beyond any that government efforts could ever have. Along the way, Dr.Sudarshan has retained many tribal moorings which give the Soligas their identity. He has incorporated traditional medicine into his own practice as well as in primary health centers. Dr.Sudarshan has also maintained integrity of purpose in his service which is exemplary. When the Swedish parliament awarded him the Right Livelihood Award (Alternate Nobel Prize) in 1994, Dr.Sudarshan donated the entire award money to the betterment of the Soligas. Drawn deeply into the lives of the people he serves, Dr. Sudarshan stood his ground in protest when the Soligas were dispossessed of their land by the government. Despite being arrested for this, he refused to yield and went on an indefinite fast instead, at which the government quickly backtracked. The Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, which he set up in 1981, has blossomed into a sustainable tribal development program with few peers anywhere in the country. It has the support of the government of Karnataka, and functions with the autonomy needed to be effective. For his part, from the very founding of the Kendra, he assigned himself only supportive roles, leaving much of the decision-making authority to the Soligas themselves, and later to neighboring tribes as well.
In 1986, Dr.Sudarshan founded Karuna Trust for “Reaching the Health Care to the Unreached”. Karuna Trust provides Primary Health Care through Public–Private Partnership to 1.5 million people in 6 states (Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Orissa and Rajasthan) of India in very remote, hilly tribal areas. Karuna Trust has made several processes and technological innovations for providing cost-effective health care services. He has shared his wide experience by volunteering with the Government through his Chairmanship of the Karnataka Governments’ Task Force on Health & Family welfare as well as leading a ‘battle’ against the ‘epidemic of corruption’ as the Vigilance Director of the Karnataka Lokayukta (Ombudsman). He is an active member of ECHO-India and implements ECHO project for empowering Primary Care physicians and Health workers.
Dr. Sudarshan has been awarded Padmashree by President of India, recipient of Right Livelihood Award (Alternate
Nobel Prize) and International Social Entrepreneur Award of the year 2015 by Schwab Foundation at World Economic Forum.