Online Zoom Forum - Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace

There will be five talks, each of 12 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion among the speakers and the chair, followed by Q & A.

Speakers:
Jan Vermeiren:
Title: Why Compassionate Leadership is crucial during times of change and in change projects.
Bio: Jan Vermeiren is the author of 4 books including The Compassionate Leader and Life is a Game!
Jan and his current and previous teams have worked for more than 450 organizations all over the world including large multinational companies like Alcatel, Deloitte, IBM, ING, LinkedIn, Nike, Orange, Philips, Rabobank, Siemens and lots of associations. Jan was also a guest lecturer at the international MBA programs of Vlerick Business School (Belgium) and Rotterdam School of Management (Netherlands). According to HR Tribune Jan is one of Belgium’s top 10 speakers.

Dr Kathryn Waddington:
Title: Developing and Supporting Compassionate Organisational Cultures and Practices.
Description: In this talk Kathryn will draw upon her experience as an academic leader in the higher education sector, and the evidence-base to support the development of compassionate organisational cultures and practices.
It will include reflections on the importance of compassionate followership, and the challenges that leaders who lead with compassion may encounter.
Bio: Kathryn is an Emerita Fellow in Psychology at the University of Westminster, British Psychological Society Chartered Coaching Psychologist and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
She has extensive experience in higher education leadership and management roles, facilitating individual and team learning and organisational development.
Her research interests and publications focus on the development of compassionate organisational cultures and practices, and the role and meaning of gossip as organisational communication and knowledge.
Kathryn cares deeply about research and scholarship that bring academics and practitioners together, and which makes a positive difference in people s lives.

Evan Harrel:
Title: Bringing Compassion into Organizations.
Description: While many people are comfortable with the idea of compassion as an individual practice, compassion competence can also be developed within organizations. Compassionate leaders lead WITH compassion in their personal interactions at work and they lead FOR compassion by creating environments that help alleviate suffering and address the underlying causes of the suffering. Come learn how to grow in both of these dimensions – treating others with compassion in organizations and designing the organization itself to foster greater compassion.
Bio: Evan Harrel is the Co-founder of the Center for Compassionate Leadership. He leads the Center’s thought leadership efforts and the integration of scientific and business research into the work of the Center. For the last twenty years, he has worked in the nonprofit field in many leadership roles. Prior to beginning work in the nonprofit sector, Evan was an investment manager for over twenty years where he managed a thirty-billion-dollar equity mutual fund. He was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree, with distinction, from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Princeton University.

Chris Adler:
Title: The I, We, It, and Its of Evolving Leadership.
Description: One of the most important aspects of leadership in the workplace today is perspective taking. The ability to see from multiple perspectives at once and make informed and inclusive decisions based on these sometimes diverse and conflicting perspectives. Leaders are facing increasing complex problems to solve, where there is no obvious way forward, and our old style of leader as expert and hero is no longer serving us, our workplace cultures, or our planet; we need a different way.
Once simple tool that Integral Theory gives us is the 4 Quadrants, based on Plato’s big three of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, and explained into the 4 simple, yet illuminating perspectives we can take in any situation, the I, We, It, and Its perspective.
Join Chris Alder, Executive Coach and Consultant to explore how leaders can weave these 4 perspectives into their leadership to create more empathy, compassion, and inclusive leadership.
Bio: Chris Alder, Senior Partner at Evolution, has been coaching leaders and their Executive teams for the past 12 years. He is passionate about helping leaders evolve themselves, their businesses, and their cultures to be more impactful, inclusive, and effective in the rapidly shifting environment we find ourselves in.
As well as being an Integral Master Coach, he also weaves in his deep spiritual insight and practice as a Zen Priest, bringing faith, love, and spiritual trust to the leaders he works with to help evolve consciousness and culture.

Prof Kathryn Riley:
Title: Compassionate Leadership and the Invisible Cord: Creating the conditions for school belonging.
Bio: Kathryn Riley: Emeritus Professor of Urban Education.
Distinguished educator Kathryn Riley is Emeritus Professor of Urban Education at the IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education. She began her work in education as a volunteer teacher in Eritrea, later teaching in inner-city schools, before holding political office as an elected member of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and becoming a local authority chief officer.
As a practitioner, policymaker, academic and change agent, Kathryn’s life’s work has focused on equity and social justice. She has published extensively and has a distinctive writing style, possessing the rare skill of producing material that is both lively and original, and based on robust evidence. Her two first major book publications were Whose School is it Anyway? (Falmer Press, 1988) and Why children lose interest in school and what we can do about it (with E. Rustique-Forrester: Chapman Sage, 2002).
Kathryn’s extensive international profile includes heading up the World Bank’s Effective Schools and Teachers Group. Her engagement in research, policy and development work on educational reform and school leadership has taken her to many parts of the globe and involved her in partnerships with a range of organisations, including the OECD, UNICEF and the British Council.
Kathryn lives in London, spending time in Bali with her family who have settled there. She was born in Manchester and like so many others, traces her family roots to diasporas forced to leave their countries of origin. With the late DancePoet TioMolina, she co-founded TheArtofPossibilities, working to help create vibrant school communities which foster young people’s sense of agency and belonging. Her books in the field of place and belonging include Leadership of Place: Stories from Schools in the US, UK & South Africa (2013) and Place, Belonging & School Leadership: Researching to Make the Difference (2017).
Compassionate Leadership for School Belonging (2022) is fast becoming a seminal work www.uclpress.co.uk/products/171324 Kathryn is in demand as a key-note speaker and her blogs, videos and publications can be found at www.theartofpossibilities.org.uk along with her podcast series on belonging and exclusion which includes five specially commissioned, and highly popular, Rapps! Kathryn’s heart is in change and transformation. With Dr Kelly-Ann Allen, she co-leads the Bali Global Leaders in Belonging Roundtable which aims to establish a universally applicable and inclusive manifesto for fostering school belonging. She is currently developing a theory of change for school belonging and completing Inspiring School Belonging: Across Borders and Inclusive of all Learners, a book which shines the lens of belonging on schools as places of joyful possibilities for all young people.

Chair: Giada Gaslini
Originally from Milan, I have spent the past two decades traveling the world in search of spiritual and personal growth, blending this journey with over 25 years of international corporate experience. From exploring the vast landscapes of Australia in a campervan to finding peace in a Buddhist monastery in Nepal, my path has been anything but ordinary. Along the way, I have immersed myself in Buddhist teachings, yoga, and shamanism, becoming a Shamanic Teacher, Forest Therapy Guide, Esoteric Numerologist, Shamanic and Integral Yoga Teacher, and Ikigai Coach.  In 2013, I settled in Edinburgh, where I later founded the Art and Spirituality Centre in Gorgie—a social enterprise dedicated to healing through creativity and the mental and physical journey of the soul (recognizing that spirituality transcends wellbeing). The Centre features a Studio Room, a Therapy Room, and a Cafe. Additionally, I established the School of Shamanism, where I guide others on their transformative journeys through training programs and individual healing sessions.
You can connect with me at www.artandspirituality.co.uk and www.schoolofshamanism.co.uk.

Register here for this online event. This event is by donation, 10 - 40 GBP by donation. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.

with Matthew Legge

What can we do in the face of so much deep societal polarization and unrest? Learning to communicate with one another more effectively and compassionately is crucial. Join us for an inspiring, practical, and interactive workshop with author Matt Legge, who will share practical tips for better quality disagreements and conversations across divides. As well as learning the theory, there will also be an opportunity to practice and hone your listening and communication skills with others in Zoom.

Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.

with Paul Gilbert, Steven Hayes, Chris Germer and Daniel Ellenberg

You are invited to a thoughtful, powerful, and important conversation on the transformative power of compassion and self-compassion for boys and men. We have the good fortune of learning from three major thought leaders and practitioners in the integration of psychology, mindfulness, and compassion. Our panelists are central theorists and developers of Compassion Focused Therapy (Paul Gilbert), Mindful Self-Compassion (Chris Germer), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Steven Hayes). The panel moderator will be Daniel Ellenberg, founder of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition. The conversation will include their own experiences, research findings, and practical recommendations on both why we need to focus on compassion and self-compassion as essential male traits and how we can overcome the factors that stop compassion and self-compassion from becoming core male traits. The conversation will be both thought-provoking and practical.

Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.

How do different perspectives shape mindfulness? In this strand, take a look at mindfulness-based approaches in light of today's big challenges, like social inequality, racial injustice, and the ecological crisis, and how these affect individuals and groups. In the keynote "Deepening the Roots of Socially-Engaged Mindfulness: Awareness-based Support for Change and Transformation in Troubled Times," Rhonda Magee examines how mindfulness may be the key to developing the moral flexibility and empathy needed to better manage today’s challenges. The address describes why and how socio-ethical mindfulness can maximise our capacity to choose actions that connect rather than divide, and to deepen the roots of wellbeing for us all in these times.

This event is part of the International Conference on Mindfulness (ICM:2024) post-conference programme. Open to all.

Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.

In today’s world, the ability to consistently innovate and keep delivering hits is more important than ever before. But what are the secrets behind repeat innovation? How do some creators manage to not only break through once but continue to produce innovative work time and time again? In this talk, Justin Berg will dive deep into the mechanisms that fuel continuous creativity and success. Drawing on his cutting-edge scientific research, Justin will unveil the patterns, practices, and mindsets of those who achieve sustained innovation, using compelling case studies to bring these concepts to life. He will explore the benefits of building a diverse portfolio of ideas and experiences, the critical balance between leveraging past successes and venturing into new territories, and the role of continuity and conviction in overcoming inevitable setbacks. 

Host: Monica Worline, Faculty Director, Center for Positive Organizations

Speaker: Justin Berg, Associate Professor of Management & Organizations, University of Michigan

Justin Berg is an award-winning researcher and teacher on the science of creativity and innovation. He holds a PhD in management and organizational behavior from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. After spending a decade on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, he realized his longtime dream of returning to the University of Michigan – his undergraduate alma mater – as a tenured professor at the Ross School of Business. His groundbreaking research reveals how we can identify our own and others’ most promising ideas, and what differentiates “one-hit wonders” who struggle to repeat their initial success from “hitmakers” who are able to consistently produce successful innovations.

Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.

The importance of leading with empathy is more evident than ever in the modern business world. Leading with Heart: The Power of Compassionate Leadership will take a look at the transformative impact of empathy and understanding in leadership roles.

Through this webinar, we will explore how leaders can foster a supportive and inclusive environment that not only enhances employee well-being, but also drives organizational success.

Dr. C. Allen Gorman will highlight the benefits of compassionate leadership, including improved team dynamics, increased employee engagement, and higher levels of productivity. Participants will not only gain insights into practical strategies for integrating compassion into their leadership style, but will also leave with actionable takeaways that they will be able to immediately apply in their professional lives.

Dr. C. Allen Gorman is an Associate Professor of Management in the Collat School of Business at UAB, where he teaches classes in Human Resource Management and Leadership. In addition to his academic role, Dr. Gorman provides consulting services within the domains of human resource management and organizational development, particularly in the areas of employee selection, performance management, and leadership development. His expertise and experience make him a sought-after speaker and consultant in the field.

Register here for this free online event. Please note, this event has been standardized to the Eastern Time Zone.