Flourishing Symposium 2022

Flourishing symposium, 2022

It was a privilege to host our third flourishing symposium with Dr Rofique Ali. We explored flourishing as something interpersonal and relational, involving connection with others and ourselves recognising our humanity, vulnerability and brokeness and engaging with compassion and care for self and others.

Flourishing invites a more ecological approach to our inner lives than perhaps resilience (often conceptualised as toughing it out alone or springing back from our challenges... ). The metaphor of the tree allows us to think of the soil on which we have grown, the season that we are going through or the weather that we are facing.

We experienced voices from the frontline - patient, student and GP, expressed through image and poetry.

We were so grateful to hear from Dr Sarah Willen from the University of Connecticut, Associate Professor of Anthropology, taking a critical view on flourishing. Sarah asks, how can we promote human flourishing without considering structure and power, or listening to those whose opportunities to flourish have been limited?

Click here for symposium resources