The Wellbeing Summit Dakar – Thiès 2023, hosted by Tostan in Thiès, was a transformative and unique gathering of more than 180 social change agents, mostly young people.

In an increasingly challenging global context, a focus on holistic wellbeing has never been more relevant, especially for those at the center of social change and wellbeing efforts.

As part of a global movement of Regional Wellbeing Summits initiated by The Wellbeing Project, the  Wellbeing Summit Dakar – Thiès 2023 was a time  for breathing, sharing and listening, for dancing, painting and for reflection on the the meaning of individual, collective and planetary wellbeing from an African perspective.  

A diverse group of community leaders, academics, policy makers, and artists from all over Africa, discussed a range of issues related to well-being, such as: intergenerational trauma, youth mental health, social norms, ecology and sustainability in the African context, art therapy, and systems change in Africa.

Youth  engagement at the heart of the Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès 2023

As key contributors to positive change on the continent, youth were not to be outdone at the Summit! They made up the majority of speakers at this groundbreaking event, and their contributions during the various sessions were invaluable.

With the support of our partners, young African leaders from twenty countries shared their experiences and visions of wellbeing, as well as their innovations for improving the wellbeing of their communities.

A pivotal moment of the Regional Wellbeing Dakar-Thiès was Tostan’s pledge to host a #YouthSummit in 2024. This summit will be a fantastic opportunity to enhance youth leadership for wellbeing in Africa!

Together as a community, we also explored how different forms of creative expression, whether traditional or contemporary, contribute to individual and collective wellbeing. Hence, contemporary art installations, dance and painting workshops, and concerts was part of the summit, offering participants a unique experience in the exploration of individual and collective wellbeing.

In collaboration with the 12th edition of Partcours, a contemporary art festival in Senegal, a new exhibition entitled “Yoonu ci biir: The Inner Path” presents personal journeys to wellbeing through the artistic creations of Fatime Soumaré and Omar Diouf (Yafane), both accomplished Senegalese artists.

Journalists from national and international media were invited to this unique gathering to tell the story of wellbeing in an Africa from an African perspective.

Building on the success of The Wellbeing Project’s first-ever global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, the wellbeing movement is growing around the world! Hosted by members of the Project’s international network, the Regional Wellbeing Summits create space for changemakers to explore wellbeing solutions to social challenges through the lens of their own cultures, environments, and languages. Embracing the Project’s vision – wellbeing inspires welldoing – these gatherings offer a transformative experience to build knowledge and community while exploring how wellbeing can encourage and impact social and systems change, right at home.

At the Regional Wellbeing Summits, participants enjoy a wealth of perspectives, opinions, and knowledge from other changemakers and thought-leaders embracing wellbeing for social change – encouraging growth, creativity, shared understanding and, most importantly, connection and community within our movement.

Celebrating the diversity of this global network of changemakers, the Regional Wellbeing Summits also welcome local artists, dancers, musicians, performers, and other creatives to encourage us to experience and reflect on wellbeing in a unique way. Across the Regional Wellbeing Summits, participants are also all invited to participate in “Wellbeing of the World – a Global Symphony”, an international, collaborative music project by composer/inventor Tod Machover. With his team at the MIT Media Lab, the initiative unites voices from global changemakers to co-create a tapestry of sounds reflecting our collective wellbeing journey. The Regional Wellbeing Summits embody a deep connection with and respect for planetary wellbeing as well by holding sustainability at the heart of their design.

The global expansion of the Regional Wellbeing Summits marks an incredible evolution of our collective journey to catalyze a culture of wellbeing for all changemakers. Together, we are cultivating the growth and global reach of the wellbeing for social change movement, empowering communities to create lasting social change by starting within. Join us as we celebrate local perspectives inspiring transformative impact on a global scale at the following Regional Wellbeing Summits in 2023.

The Wellbeing Project is the global leader in researching and advocating for the wellbeing of changemakers, and for wellbeing in changemaking. Co-created with Ashoka, Georgetown University, Impact Hub, Porticus, Skoll Foundation and Synergos, The Wellbeing Project is a network of more than 400 organizations dedicated to:

• Strengthening the research case for inner wellbeing at the heart of social change
• Connecting a growing network of organizations building a culture of wellbeing
• Accelerating the growth of wellbeing initiatives around the world
• Convening Summits at the intersection of inner, organizational, societal and planetary wellbeing
• Mainstreaming a wellbeing and social change narrative 

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With thanks to our partners