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A ebook that documents and celebrates ReAwaken Australia - compassion, connection and meaningful action of a wonderful community who came together to shift paradigms in mental health, trauma and addiction
A ebook that documents and celebrates ReAwaken Australia - compassion, connection and meaningful action of a wonderful community who came together to shift paradigms in mental health, trauma and addiction
I think a big part of what makes <strong>ReAwaken</strong> special is rooted first in the depth of connection between the organizers. Through regular video chats, the four of us have taken the time to really connect on a soul level. We have gotten to know each other’s families and now we are family. Yes, we all share similar visions and values, but without the truly amazing connection we have, <strong>ReAwaken</strong> could have been just another conference. Now to the conference itself. It was important to the organizers that <strong>ReAwaken</strong> was inspired by the film Healing Voices, but not about the film. We all felt <strong>ReAwaken</strong> needed to be its own thing. The basis of the <strong>ReAwaken</strong> concept is that our society is asleep in many ways. We have been growing more and more disconnected from each other and the environment and are now in some sort of collective psychosis. <strong>ReAwaken</strong> Australia was to bring leaders from the mental health, trauma, and addiction fields to have an open and honest dialogue about where we are at and where we should be going. I’m happy to say we accomplished the goal of bringing these leaders together, but we wanted to accomplish something more. We wanted to live this reawakening in real time. This is why we chose a beautiful retreat center in the countryside rather then a hotel in the city. This is why we chose to meet for a full week and discourage attending for just one day. This is why we chose to limit the number of participants. This is why we limited the number of presentations and encouraged every presenter to include an interactive component. This is why we included film presentations followed by dialogues each evening. This is why we had so many creative outlets, free time, and opportunities to connect. This is why we had the home groups for people to connect with throughout the conference. This is why the organizers decided to live communally in “The Den” right on the conference site, which was such a beautiful, connected, and fun experience. This is why we chose the themes of connection, compassion, and meaningful action. And I think this is why <strong>ReAwaken</strong> still lives and breathes in my veins and I am brought to tears just writing this. Because <strong>ReAwaken</strong> went beyond my hopes and dreams and my soul connection went beyond our core group of organizers to literally all 110 people who attended. I have never experienced anything like it. Yet I think what I experienced there is what all humans crave and what we have lost as we have moved from living tribally and communally to industrialized and profoundly disconnected. 12
I hope as you read this book that you too are inspired by it, our Manifesto, and other meaningful actions, and it leads you to create your own <strong>ReAwaken</strong> events that will lead to more amazing connections and meaningful actions. To me <strong>ReAwaken</strong> goes way beyond just mental health, trauma, and addiction. To me the future of humanity depends on this reawakening. Oryx Cohen 13
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