One of my oldest memories of belonging is when I was about five years old. It was in the eighties and we would go to the south of Sweden with my dad every year to visit our family. It was that time when you could put blankets and cushions in the back seats of the car to make a bed. So that’s what we did, since we used to start driving after my dad’s evening nap, leaving around 2am, me and my two years younger brother on the cosy back-bench, arriving at my uncle’s farm around noon, visiting my grandma later in the day or having dinner in a family members house with her and our aunties, uncles and cousins. Me and my brother didn’t speak Swedish or English yet, so we couldn’t really understand anything verbally, but we felt so loved, well cared for and truly welcome, that we were -and still are today- always excited, moved and happy to be there.

I am sure that this is one of the privileges and core elements that shaped my trust and belief in the importance of community and collective resilience. Today I'm adding the lessons I learn with my (now teenager) kids to my mission of holding space for next generations to build and transform culture, aware of privileges and power dynamics, connecting with heartfulness and care for ourselves and each other. These and some other personal stories, have lead me towards fighting for social justice and radical inclusion, by inviting the power of the collective.