How to remain hopeful in the face of climate concerns, and what is the role of spirituality and rituals? That is the question at the centre of the evening on 12 December. The evening consists of two parts. First, we will engage with speakers who can talk about meaning and spirituality within climate activism from different backgrounds. Then we will experience a ritual for hope ourselves, through a workshop organised by the Humanist Alliance.
The evening will be moderated by our student resident Sam Kailani, who has curated this programme in collaboration with VOX-POP. In his three-part programme, Sam explores the rise of new forms of religion. This is the second edition.
Practical information
The programme is open to everyone free of charge. Due to the limited number of places, we ask you to register via the form. Location: VOX-POP, Binnengasthuisstraat 9 (BG3, ground floor).
Workshop Cairn of Mourning - organised by Humanistisch Verbond
Experience the healing power of shared grief in this unique ritual practice, inspired by the work of Joanna Macy. The Cairn of Mourning invites you to reflect on personal losses in our world—vanished places, fading sounds, beloved parts of nature slipping away. Together, in a supportive circle, we share these stories by offering symbolic objects or written words to a collective cairn, witnessing and honoring each other's sorrow. This simple yet profound ritual helps us reconnect with the depth of our belonging to the Earth and rediscover the strength to care for her.
Merel Ouwehand is an (eco)humanistician and spiritual caregiver. She is trained to guide meaning and life questions, individually and in groups. The question that concerns her: how do we achieve a better world, for all living beings? To this end, she draws inspiration from big questions, philosophy, rituals and art. Merel works for the Humanistisch Verbond. A philosophical organisation committed to a just and sustainable world and a meaningful existence for all. The ecohumanism programme focuses specifically on how we can transform to a different relationship as humans with the earth. They do this through seasonal celebrations, Active Hope workshops and the How to start a movement project, among others.
Sam’s curiosity for the different ways people give meaning to their lives brought him to the field of Religion Sciences. It was within this field, he started to understand how difficult it actually is to define religion. He noticed how the public had this old fashioned idea of what it entails, but he also noticed how self-proclaimed secular people were part of social groups that had certain rituals, even dogma’s, and he asked himself: isn’t this just a new form of religion? It fuelled the idea for this programme series wherein he wants to investigate the broadness of the spectrum of religion and spirituality and he hopes the series can serve as a mirror for people to reflect on their own spirituality. Sam is currently doing his Bachelor Religious Studies at the University of Amsterdam.