Upcoming events.
Rooting in the Sacred: A Journey of Reverence & Reimagining
“Our generation must walk the spiritual path that is available to us only in this time, with its own unique combination of wisdom and creation.” -adrienne maree brown
“Worlds are cracking open. It's time to make new gods.” -Bayo Akomolafe
In a time of profound transformation, spirituality holds the power to anchor us, inspire meaning, and foster connection and belonging—with ourselves, others and our world. Rooting in the Sacred: A Journey of Reverence & Reimagining is a yearlong virtual course designed to guide seekers, dreamers, and changemakers on a deeply personal and collective journey into the emerging future of spirituality. Together, we will explore how wisdom traditions, contemporary practices, and our unique connection to the sacred can transform our lives and inspire positive social change.
Guided by a wide-ranging and eclectic constellation of teachings from indigenous cosmologies, mystical pathways, ecological wisdom, and modern philosophies, we will discover the threads that unite us across cultures and generations, craft practices and rituals that honor our histories, and give life to radically inclusive futures.
This course invites participants to engage in spirituality as a living, breathing force for personal and societal transformation. Through a curated blend of reflection, practice, ritual-making, storytelling, and beloved community building, we will journey through timeless wisdom, embrace the dynamic creativity of contemporary practices, and weave a tapestry of meaning that meets the complexities of our lives and realities of our times.
Rooting in the Sacred is not merely a return to the sacred—it’s an evolution; a path of contemporary spiritual formation; a portal to transformative futures; a process of awakening and living fully with presence, groundedness, and reverence in our everyday lives.
Whether you are a lifelong seeker, an agnostic who is spiritually curious, or someone simply yearning to cultivate more meaning and connection in our ever-fractured world, this course offers a profound opportunity to root yourself deeply in the sacred.
A Time To Gather Retreat
A Time To Gather
The Power of Beloved Community
April 4 - 6, 2025
Grass Valley, CA
“Building community is to the collective as spiritual practice is to the individual.” -Grace Lee Boggs
“Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
As we navigate this challenging time of disruption and uncertainty, we need the power of beloved community more than ever: to provide care and mutual support; to grieve, heal and transform; to connect across our differences and stand in solidarity; to laugh, sing, and find joy together; to deepen in our dreaming and collaboration on the path of building a loving, just and flourishing world.
A Time To Gather is a weekend retreat for organizers, activists, healers, artists, community builders and other caring humans to find refuge in a space designed for connection, authenticity, support and the building of beloved community. We will cultivate relational skills and our capacity for bridging and belonging to strengthen our relationships, social groups, workplaces, movement spaces, and society at large. As the spring season awakens, we will relish in its revival, allowing the natural beauty of Haven, the place where we will gather, to nourish our connection with the Earth and each other.
LEARN MORE & SIGN UP HERE! Space is limited, apply today.
A Sacred Story for Our Time: Wisdom, Practice & Belonging
"Spirituality and different stories serve different people at different times. And at certain moments, their stories stop being able to meet the needs of those times. We are capable of developing new stories. We have histories, but we also have futures. We have possibilities, and we have imagination."-john a. powell
“We are among the first peoples in human history who do not broadly inherit religious identity as a given, a matter of kin and tribe, like hair color and hometown. But the very fluidity of this—the possibility of choice that arises, the ability to craft and discern one’s own spiritual bearings—is not leading to the decline of spiritual life but its revival.” -Krista Tippet
Join us for a A Sacred Story for Our Time: Wisdom, Practice & Belonging with beloved journalist, author & public intellectual Krista Tippett (Host of the On Being Podcast & author of Becoming Wise) and renowned scholar, professor and belonging advocate john a. powell (Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute & author of The Power of Bridging).
At a time of breaking when so much is falling apart, something powerful is happening at the forefront of human meaning and connection: people are coming together to rediscover reverence, reimagine spirituality and revitalize our life and culture. For those that are called to participate in this vital unfolding...how can we bridge tradition and innovation, honoring our past and welcoming our future? What are the life-giving stories, generative questions, and emerging practices needed to navigate our modern times? Join us for this timely, heartfelt, and soul-searching conversation at the intersection of meaning, belonging, wisdom and spiritual imagination.
Birthing New Gods: Rooting our Lives in Sacred Ground
“Worlds are cracking open. It's time to make new gods.” -Bayo Akomolafe
“Sometimes the sacred breaks through the cracks of our lives and lights up everything.” -Mirabai Starr
Join us for a timely and provocative conversation Birthing New Gods: Rooting our Lives in Sacred Ground with internationally acclaimed philosopher Bayo Akomolafe and best-selling author & spiritual teacher Mirabai Starr.
James Baldwin wrote, “An old world is dying, and a new one, kicking in the belly of its mother, time, announces that it is ready to be born." Indeed, new worlds are rising from the ashes all around us - we see it clearly in our rapidly changing religious and spiritual landscapes.
The old gods are dying, and out of the cracks and openings, new gods are being born. What is being asked of us in this soul-searching time of disruption and shape-shifting? How can we root our lives in sacred ground, welcoming in the practices, rituals and ways of being that can transform our lives and world? Gather with us for an illuminating conversation at the intersections of cracking worlds, meaning-making, belonging and sacredness in these times.
We Will Rise: Embracing Grief & Joy in Times of Radical Loss
"We bereaved will remind those who seek to disenfranchise our loss, confiscate our hope, and weaponize our identity: We will rise from rubble, we will dance like the dust. Wherever our love is, there will be living, after all."-Malkia Devich-Cyril
Join us on Sunday, Jan 26th for We Will Rise: Embracing Grief & Joy in Times of Radical Loss with beloved media activist, writer and speaker Malkia Devich-Cyril and the heart-opening, soul-stirring voices of Wildchoir.
Heartbreak and grief surround us—in the news and our politics, in the climate and rising authoritarianism, in our movements and daily lives. When our hearts feel heavy, how do we create sacred space for our grief and cultivate the joy that sustains us in these times? Let's come together - to connect, to sing, to honor what we’ve lost and what we still hold dear. As Malkia Devich-Cyril encourages us, let us rise from the rubble and dance like the dust.
Thrive Together: A Gathering of Grief, Care & Action
Join us this Monday, Nov 11th at 6pm PT / 9pm ET for Thrive Together: A Gathering of Grief, Care & Action.
In the wake of the election, we recognize that we are holding pain and despair, shock and outrage, numbness and depression. These are the times when we especially need to call upon the power of beloved community. Let's gather to honor all of our feelings, to offer the gift of community care, and explore how we can begin to channel our energy into action for what comes next.
When: Monday, Nov 11th from 6 - 7pm PT / 9 - 10pm ET
Where: Zoom (a link will be shared when you sign up)
A Politics of Joy & Belonging
"Find joy where you can, stay steady, and keep breathing. We will get there, I know we will." -Akaya Windwood
Join Thrive in downtown Oakland or virtually on Sunday, Sept 22nd for A Politics of Joy & Belonging with award-winning leadership trainer and transformation facilitator Akaya Windwood (co-author of Leading With Joy) and beloved musician, activist and song leader BenjaSoul.
It's happening. We are welcoming JOY back into the life and soul of our society. In these times of escalating division and despair, how can we find the wisdom, courage and resilience needed to keep showing up? As a multiracial majority rises in our democracy, how can we create "a politics of joy & belonging" that brings us together to build a world that works for all? Come get uplifted as we gather at the intersections of freedom, love, justice, song and renewal.
Hold Everyone Up! The Power of Song, Healing & Community
“A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you." -Melanie DeMore
Join Thrive & Oakland Center for Spiritual Living on Sunday, May 5th for a special concert and community gathering - Hold Everyone Up! The Power of Song, Healing & Community - with grammy-nominated singer, composer and vocal activist Melanie DeMore, and the heart-opening voices of the Wildchoir.
When the struggles of our world feel too heavy to bear, we are called to hold each other up and keep on marching to freedom's song. Music is one of the most powerful sources of healing and liberation, a force that grounds us and energizes us. It keeps our hearts open and our movements vital. We invite you to join us - in Oakland or virtually - for a lively, interactive, and song-filled gathering as we share in the power of music, love, healing, hope, joy and beloved community.
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: Oakland & Bay area folks...come out in person and bring a friend. For folks in other locations, experience the magic by joining us live on Zoom.
WHAT: THRIVE SUNDAYS are an opportunity to connect with a diverse and inspiring group of activists, healers, artists and caring souls; to be uplifted by music and song; and to experience the transformative power of community in service to a world of love & belonging.
WHEN: Sunday, May 5, 2024 from 4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET (arrive on time!)
WHERE: Oakland Center for Spiritual Living - 5000 Clarewood Dr, Oakland, CA 94618
We Bridge to Thrive: A Winter Solstice Celebration & Benefit
"We have seen enough of what othering can do. We have glimpsed the ways it could potentially end us. It's time for a new vision." -Ben McBride
“Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me.” -Sojourner Truth
Join us on Sunday, December 17th for Thrive's Winter Solstice Celebration & Benefit "We Bridge to Thrive: The Transformative Practice of Radical Belonging" featuring internationally recognized bridge-builder and visionary leader Ben McBride (author of Troubling the Water: The Urgent Work of Radical Belonging) along with cherished wisdom teacher, imaginal practitioner and elder Isoke Femi.
The world is unraveling before our eyes and our hearts are breaking. As we experience the ongoing pain of war, inequality, ecological devastation and deepening divisions in our societies, we are all being called to the urgent work and practice of radical belonging. Who do we have to become in ourselves to be able to act courageously from wholeness and healing? How can we transform the ways we other - and same - people so that we can truly build bridges and co-create a world that we all want to belong to? As we honor the winter solstice and turn toward the light of a new year, join us for an inspired evening of song, ritual, wisdom, reverence and community.
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THRIVE: This event is Thrive's Winter Solstice Celebration and a Benefit for Thrive's bridging, building & belonging work. You can support the vital work of Thrive by purchasing tickets to this event and by making a donation to our year-end campaign.
RITUAL NOTE: Please have a candle and something to light it with during our time together.
WHEN: Sunday, December 17th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (arrive on time!)
Rooting in the Sacred: Ritual, Community & the Waters of Life
"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, can we make our relations with the world sacred again?" -Robin Wall Kimmerer
"Here are the taproots; let us draw from the deep." -Yeye Luisah Teish
Join us on Sunday, June 4th for Rooting in the Sacred: Ritual, Community & the Waters of Life with celebrated author, ritualist & spiritual teacher Yeye Luisah Teish, beloved musicians, vocalists & songwriters Honey of the Heart, and soul-stirring voices from the Wildchoir.
We live in a dominant culture that has uprooted its connection to the sacred. What role can ritual and earth-based spirituality play in restoring relationship to our ancestors, each other, the places we live and the more-than-human realms? How can we root our lives in a spiritual interconnectedness and reweave a sense of the sacred back into the heart of our culture? Join us as we gather to experience the power of community, music, song, ritual and the waters of life.
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: Oakland & Bay area folks...join us in person and bring a friend. For folks in other locations, be part of the power & magic by joining us live online.
RITUAL INVITATION: For those joining in person, we invite you to bring a drum or small instrument to contribute to the collective ritual we'll be engaging in. For virtual participants, you will receive specific instructions for how you can create your own ritual space and engage in our ritual process from where you are.
WHAT: This event is part of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for June is on "Honoring the Sacred."
Creation + Liberation: Art, Trauma, Healing & Joy
"Art is the heart's explosion on the world. Music. Dance. Poetry. Art on cars, on walls, on our skins. There is probably no more powerful force for change in this uncertain and crisis-ridden world." -Luis J. Rodriguez
"Art is a radical act. Joy is a radical act. This is how we keep fighting. This is how we survive." -Rebecca Makkai
Join us on Sunday, May 7th for Creation + Liberation: Art, Trauma, Healing & Joy with celebrated artist, activist & cultural strategist Favianna Rodriguez (co-founder of The Center for Cultural Power) and award-winning poet & multi-disciplinary artist Alixa Garcia (co-founder of Climbing PoeTree).
Art and joy are sources of survival, wellsprings of resilience, and a foundational strategy for creating a world where we all heal, belong and thrive. What are the deeper sources of creativity that can uplift our lives and movements? How can we transform our personal and societal trauma into justice, joy and freedom? Gather with us at the intersections of creative expression, personal healing and collective liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for May is "Creating Meaning, Art & Joy."
Listening to the Earth: Wisdom for Rooting, Relating & Restoring
"While racial capitalism has attempted to sever our connection to the sacred earth for 400 years, Black people have long seen the land and water as family and understood the intrinsic value of nature." -Leah Penniman
Join us on Sunday, April 2nd for Listening to the Earth: Wisdom for Rooting, Relating & Restoring with farmer, educator & food justice activist Leah Penniman (cofounder of Soul Fire Farms, author of Farming While Black & Black Earth Wisdom) and hip-hop, R&B artist & community curator Jada Imani.
The medicine we need is rooted within us and beneath us. How can we listen to the earth and find guidance for restoring our relationships with the land, water and each other? What are the pathways for transforming racial violence, food apartheid and climate injustice into the flourishing world we know is possible and already emerging? Join us as we gather at the intersections of soil, community, music, life and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for April is "Caring for the Earth" If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in our Spring series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
RSVP for an individual ticket on Eventbrite here.
Creating a Liberation Economy: Reparations, Redistribution & Radical Resourcing
"The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love." -Michelle Alexander
Join us on Sunday, March 5th for Creating a Liberation Economy: Reparations, Redistribution & Radical Resourcing with author, poet. journalist and poverty scholar Lisa "Tiny" Gray-Garcia (co-founder of POOR Magazine), beloved artist, activist, pianist and composer Kev Choice, and the soul-stirring voices of the Wildchoir (previously known as Thrive Choir).
As the social and political vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. evolved, he became increasingly focused on the issues of poverty and economic injustice. Dr. King knew that to truly build the Beloved Community we needed "a radical redistribution of political and economic power." What are the ways we shift our resources away from an oppression economy to a liberation economy? How can we make a just transition to the next economy, one that is rooted in the principles of interconnectedness, community reparations, healing and economic well-being for all? Join in as we gather at the intersections of belonging, justice, music, art and liberation.
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: For our Oakland & Bay area folks...please come out, bring a friend and join us for our second in-person event since the pandemic. For folks in other locations, be part of the power & magic by joining us live online.
WHAT: This event is part of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for March is on "Growing the Next Economy." If you haven't already signed up, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey
Transforming Justice: The Healing Power of Racial & Restorative Justice
"We are so good at causing harm, but history is asking us to become healers." -Fania Davis
Join us on Sunday, February 5th for Transforming Justice: The Healing Power of Racial & Restorative Justice with author, civil rights trial attorney and restorative justice practitioner Fania Davis and award-winning spoken word & hip hop artist Kane Smego.
Out of a long history of harm and injustice, a healing tide is rising. While there is a tremendous amount of structural and cultural transformation still before us, there are countless bright spots lighting the way. What does a more healing and restorative approach to justice look like in our lives, communities and society? How are our racial and restorative justice movements leading the way to a more loving and liberated world? Join in as we gather at the intersections of healing, justice, spirit, language and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for February is "Transforming Justice & Power." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite.
Changing the Narrative: The Power of Story to Transform our World
"The world changes according to the way people see it. If you can alter the way people look at reality, then you can change the world." - James Baldwin
Join us on Sunday, January 8th for Changing the Narrative: The Power of Story to Transform our World with celebrated culture hacker, activist and author Alnoor Ladha and beloved Billboard charting singer-songwriter John Stringer.
If you want to change the world, change the story. Narrative power is our ability to reimagine and change the norms, rules and codes of our society. How can we decolonize our minds from the life-destroying narratives of our dominant culture? What are the stories we can inhabit that hold the power to heal and transform our world? Join us in kicking off the new year at the intersections of story, social change, music and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for January is "Changing the Narrative." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.
WHEN: Sunday, January 8th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in breakout groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET
WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)
We Belong: Building Bridges, Weaving Community
“Building bridges can expand our social networks, revitalize our communities and establish a more fair and equitable society.” -john a. powell
"Forgiveness is saying we choose to meet hatred with love." -Lyla June
Join us on Saturday, Dec 17th for We Belong: Building Bridges, Weaving Community with beloved social justice advocate john a. powell (Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute) and indigenous activist, poet & songwriter Lyla June (All Nations Rise, North Star).
We live in a fractured and frayed world of extreme separation, division and othering. What are the bridges we need to build and practices we need to engage in to shift from a culture of breaking to a culture of belonging? How can we repair and re-weave the fabric of care and connection in our communities so that all life can flourish? Join us for this special half-day retreat of heart and soul connectedness, timely conversation, ritual, song, and community practice.
WHEN: December 17, 2022 from 9am - 12:30pm PT / 12pm - 3:30pm ET (arrive on time!)
Please note we will take a short break halfway through our time together.
WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)
Building Together: A World of Belonging
"The future belongs to us all." -Angela Glover Blackwell
Join in & get lifted with Thrive (LIVE in Oakland or virtually) on Sunday, Dec 4th for our 2022 Winter Gathering & Celebration - Building Together: A World of Belonging - featuring nationally celebrated leader & racial equity advocate Angela Glover Blackwell (founder of PolicyLink and host of Radical Imagination), legendary vocalist & songwriter Jenn Johns, and the soul-stirring voices of the Thrive Choir.
We live at a time of radical opportunity to bridge, heal and uplift the whole of our society. How can we build together in transformational solidarity to create greater justice and equity for all? What does it truly take to create a world of belonging where everyone can thrive and realize their fullest potential? We have profound challenges to overcome, yet when we build together in beloved community, so much more becomes possible.
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: It's been too long. For our Oakland & Bay area folks...please come out, bring a friend and join us for our first large in-person event since the pandemic. For folks in other locations, please be part of the power & magic by joining us live online.
WHAT: This event is Thrive's 2022 Winter Gathering & Celebration and also part of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you only want to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.
WHEN: December 4, 2022 from 4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET (arrive on time!)
WHERE: 2323 Broadway, Oakland CA 94612 (one of Oakstop's new locations, formerly Impact Hub Oakland and Evolve)
Or virtually on Zoom (link shared when you register)
COST / DONATION: A $10 - $20 contribution is suggested, or support the work of Thrive by making a donation $25, $50, $100, $500 or more. (If you sign up for the Beloved Community Journey, this event is included and you do not need to sign up here unless you are wanting to make a donation.)
INVITE A FRIEND: Feel free to invite your family and friends, and invite folks on Facebook here.
VOLUNTEERS for In-Person: We are seeking volunteers to help with the set-up and break-down of this event. If you are available to arrive early or stay late, please let us know at: team@thrivenetwork.org
Children: Little ones are welcome to attend. We will not be offering childcare during this event though we plan to return to that offering in the new year.
We look forward to gathering!
A Time of Reckoning & Repair: Realizing our Dreams of Reparations
"We must think about reparations and decolonization together." -Robin D.G. Kelley
"We are the dreaming. We are the freeing." -Aja Monet
Join us on Sunday, Nov 6th for A Time of Reckoning & Repair: Realizing our Dreams of Reparations with beloved public intellectual, historian and professor Robin D.G. Kelley (author of Freedom Dreams) and spoken word poet & climate justice activist Aniya Butler (organizer with Youth Vs. Apocalypse).
We are a generation building on the movements of so many, future ancestors committed to the radical healing of our world. What is required for us to transform 500+ years of history and how can we engage in reparations and decolonization together? What dreams of reparations and freedom can carry us forward today and help us fundamentally remake our society? Join us for this timely gathering as we explore the intersections of healing, repair, radical imagination and our movements for collective liberation.
"We have a unique chance in history to rebuild a world where every living thing thrives." -Aniya Butler
WHAT: This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.
WHEN: Sunday, November 6th from 4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET (arrive on time!) Please track the Daylight Savings Time Change on this day.
We Heal & Rise Together: The Power of Practice, Resilience & Care
"There can be no well-being of me without a well-being of we." -Kerri Kelly
"We have an opportunity to reveal what most of us feel: deep heartbreak, resilience, and the desire to heal." -Michelle C. Johnson
Join us on Sunday, Oct 2nd for We Heal & Rise Together: The Power of Practice, Resilience & Care with organizer & wellness activist Kerri Kelly (author of American Detox), teacher & practitioner Michelle C. Johnson (author of Skill in Action), and celebrated singer-songwriter Santos Soul (Changing the World by Changing Me).
Healing is both personal and collective, a process that holds the power to transform our bodies, communities and world. How can we integrate deeper healing & resilience into our lives and movements? What are the practices we can engage in that cultivate freedom, embodiment, justice and community care? Gather with us as we root down and rise up on the journey of healing, love and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the launch of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for October is "Healing & Care." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up for the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
WHEN: Sunday, October 2nd from 4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET (please arrive on time!)
WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)
Rooting in the Sacred: Nature, Magic & Social Change
"The earth is sacred. We have a responsibility to care for the living systems that sustain us and we have a responsibility to take care of each other." --Starhawk
"We are the ancestors of the future and what we do now will have an impact." --Yeye Luisah Teish
Join us on Thursday, June 16th for Rooting in the Sacred: Nature, Magic & Social Change with legendary elders & spiritual activists Starhawk (author of "The Fifth Sacred Thing" and "The Spiral Dance") and Yeye Luisah Teish (author of "Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals").
Rooting in the sacred can take many forms: honoring our ancestors, venerating nature, upholding spiritual traditions and engaging in meaningful social change. What role do our women elders play in guiding us through these complex times? How can Earth-based spirituality and rituals provide the grounding, healing and energy we need for transforming our world? Please join us for this special event between two esteemed luminaries as they converse about the sacred across traditions and lifelong practices.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, an ongoing series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive.
Learn more & RSVP on Eventbrite here!
Recovering the Sacred
"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, to make our relations with the world sacred again?" - Robin Wall Kimmerer
"Let us journey to a place where you can recover your sacredness." - Jerry Tello
Join in on Sunday, June 5th for Recovering the Sacred with internationally recognized elder, healer & wisdom keeper Jerry Tello(co-founder of the National Compadres Network and author of Recovering Your Sacredness) and the heart-opening, soul-stirring voices of the Thrive Choir.
We live in a society that has largely uprooted its connection to the sacred. As a result, so many of us are spiritually sick and empty, morally lost and longing for something more. How can we rediscover the wisdom of our ancient traditions and the ways for honoring life and all our relations? How do we ground in our spiritual interconnectedness and reweave meaning, wholeness and reverence back into the heart of our culture? Join us as we root into the sacred together and uplift our spirits with the power of song, story, and community.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for the month of June is "Honoring the Sacred." You can learn more about the full series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey
WHEN: Sunday, June 5th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET(please arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in small groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET
Creative Liberation: The Power of Art to Transform the World
"Be an artist. Draw something. Sing a song. Write a story. Experiment. Express yourself. Change the world." --Favianna Rodriguez
"If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." --Emma Goldman
Join us on Thursday, April 21st for Creative Liberation: The Power of Art to Transform the World with celebrated artists & culture workers Jackie Fawn (Indigenous graphic artist), Austin Willacy (singer-songwriter & producer) and Julio Salgado (Migrant visual artist & cultural strategist) hosted by René Revolorio Keith.
Art and creative expression are powerful forces for transforming our world. We create art to make meaning, resist oppression and to birth new possibilities. It is a way of survival and a practice in joy, resilience and liberation. Join us for this lively conversation as we explore the role of artists, songwriters, media makers and cultural practitioners in creating healing and social change.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, an ongiong series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive.
The Art of Joy & Liberation
"Pleasure gets lost under the weight of oppression, and it is liberatory work to reclaim it." -adrienne maree brown
"The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible." -Toni Cade Bambara
Join us on Sunday, April 3rd for The Art of Joy & Liberation with internationally acclaimed artist, poet and activist Sonya Renee Taylor (author of The Body is Not an Apology), celebrated folk & gospel duo MaMuse (We Shall Be Known, Force of Nature & more) and beloved Mazin Jamal of Thrive Choir.
Art and joy keep our lives lifted and movements vital. What is the role of pleasure, joy and self-love in creating a liberated world? How does the power of creative expression heal us, expand us and free us? Join as we wage beauty together and unleash the spirit of music, words and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for the month of April is "Creating Meaning, Art & Joy." You can learn more about & sign up to participate in the next three months of the series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite.
WHEN: Sunday, April 3rd from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (please arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in small groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET
WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)
Transforming the System: Inside and Out
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” - Angela Davis
Join us on Thursday, Feb 17th for Transforming the System: Inside and Out with racial justice organizer Chinyere Tutashinda (Executive Director at the Center for Third World Organizing), climate justice organizer Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish (Sr. Program Manager at Climate Innovation), and restorative circle facilitator Garry Malachi Scott(Community Restorative Justice Coordinator at Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth) hosted by conflict transformation leader AddieRose Mayer (Executive Director at SEEDS Community Resolution Center).
Injustice is everywhere. From the carceral systems to racial inequities to environmental destruction - our systems need a radical transformation. How do we create systemic change in ways that bridge the fierce shifts we're creating in our structures with the restoration we're needing inside ourselves through healing, compassion and love? What are practices we can use for addressing harm, conflict and oppression that can be deeply transformative for us all? Join us for an inspiring conversation with community tenders from Restorative Justice, Movement for Black Lives and Environmental Justice.
WHEN: Thursday, February 17th from 5pm - 6:30pm PT / 8pm - 9:30pm ET (please arrive on time!)
WHERE: Online on Zoom
The Ecology of Justice: Pathways to a Just Transition
We Are Made of Stories: Changing the Narrative, Transforming the World
We Are Made of Stories: Changing the Narrative, Transforming the World
We Are Made of Stories: Changing the Narrative, Transforming the World
Belonging Together: Building Bridges, Weaving Community
"We see the other until we develop a kinship. We see the other until we develop community. We see the other until we're able to establish some sense of who we are together." -Resmaa Menakem
“Walls turned sideways are bridges.” -Angela Davis
Join us on Wednesday, Dec 15th for Belonging Together: Building Bridges, Weaving Community, a conversation with celebrated bridge-builders and belonging leaders Ben McBride, Uma Viswanathan & Hi’ilani Shibata hosted by Cherine Badawi.
In an era of deep division and polarization, we are increasingly challenged and called to remember that we belong together. Our planet and collective well-being require it. What facilitates bridge-building with people who are different from us and with whom we might strongly disagree with? How can the act of bridging with others give rise to a fuller sense of who we are and help reweave the fabric of care & community? Join us for an illuminating conversation at the intersection of building bridges, healing divides, honoring culture & co-creating a world where we all belong and thrive.
This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more about the full series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.
A Bridge To Belonging: The Practice of Beloved Community
"Us all standing on your body
Floating through outer space
I bow to your love
And intrinsic intelligence"
-Alixa Garcia
"This is how we nurture love. This is how we build belonging. We can build a circle of humanity where no one is outside.” -john a. powell
Join us on Sunday, December 5th for A Bridge to Belonging: The Practice of Beloved Community with celebrated author and professor john a. powell (Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute) and beloved artist, activist & poet Alixa Garcia (co-founder of Climbing PoeTree).
We are fundamentally interconnected as a human family yet the chasm of separation meets us on all sides. At a time when our world needs the heart and wisdom of all of us, how can we build bridges across our divides and weave the fabric of beloved community? What are the principles and practices for bridging that will allow us to find healing and belonging together? Join us as we explore the power of bridge-building, love, vulnerability and co-creating a bigger We that welcomes us all.
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This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
A Crack In Time Can Heal The World
“This is a time for straying, for losing one’s way, for asking new questions.” - Bayo Akomolafe
"DREAM of the world you desire to exist in. Look for the places in your new dreams that have parts of the old world and remove them. What is the dream then? From there we can add to the collective weaving of whatever it is that is next.” -Sonya Renee Taylor
Join us on Saturday, Nov 20th for an intimate and revelatory conversation A Crack In Time Can Heal The World with beloved elder & wisdom teacher Isoke Femi and cherished writer, provocateur & philosopher Bayo Akomolafe.
Amidst the great disruptions of our time, a portal has opened, new possibilities are emerging and we are finding our way together. How do we uproot the old ways that are no longer serving, decolonizing our minds, curing the cult of whiteness and dispelling the myths of supremacy and capitalism? How can we make sanctuary as beloved communities that are healing and restorative as we open to new stories, imaginations and sacred ways of relating to each other and our world? Join us for this wide-ranging conversation mixing cosmology, syncretism, emergence and unconventional wisdom to support our collective healing and liberation.
WHAT: This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. You can learn more about the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
WHEN: Saturday, November 20th from 9am - 10:30am PT / 12pm - 1:30pm ET (arrive on time!)
WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)
Learn more & RSVP on Eventbrite here!
Reparations & Rematriation: Returning Land, Restoring Life
"We must do what is just. It is time for reparations." -Nikole Hannah-Jones
"We are all human beings on this land. We need to learn how to live in reciprocity together." -Corinna Gould
Join us on Wednesday, Nov 17th for Reparations & Rematriation: Returning Land, Restoring Life, a conversation with celebrated activists & community leaders Konda Mason (Jubilee Justice), Ariel Luckey (Sogorea Te' Land Trust) and Krystal Two Bulls (LANDBACK Campaign) hosted by Rajiv Khanna.
Ours is a time of repair and return, healing the harms of history and remembering our connection with each other, the sacred and the land. As a readiness rises across our society to make reparations real, how can we do so in ways that transform and heal? How can the process of returning land to its original stewards help heal our cultures and restore the balance of life? Join us for a lively conversation at the intersections of land, culture, money, spirit and liberation.
This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite here.
A Time of Reckoning & Repair: Healing our Wounds, Restoring our Wholeness
"We can bring down the entire system, but if we haven't healed our traumas and learned how to be in authentic relationship with each other, we will corrupt any new system we put in place. We can heal every person's trauma, but if we haven't dismantled the structures that perpetuate injustice at a systemic level, we'll replicate the conditions for new traumas to constantly be created." - Kazu Haga
"Diyin Dine’é ashoondi, Creator of life, nourisher of hearts, strum us like strings, beat us like drums, beat us like wings, let’s make the symphony that begins to heal all things." - Lyla June
Join us for A Time of Reckoning and Repair: Healing our Wounds, Restoring our Wholeness with author, activist and Kingian nonviolence trainer Kazu Haga and Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer Lyla June.
How do we reckon with the wounds of history and begin to heal the layers of trauma we hold individually and collectively? What are the ways we can make reparations real at all levels and restore a culture of wholeness and radical interconnectedness? As we move deeper into a time of reckoning and repair, join us in the work of building beloved communities and healing movements that embody the power of love and liberation.
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This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
Healing & Collective Care: A Conversation on Trauma, Ancestry & the Sacred
"The only way to survive is by taking care of one another." - Grace Lee Boggs
"The health of the people & the wellness of all people should be our guiding light and principle." -Rupa Marya
Join us on Thurs, Oct 28th for Healing & Collective Care: A Conversation on Trauma, Ancestry & the Sacred with cherished healers and community organizers Carla M. Pérez, adélàjà simon and RaheNi Gonzalez hosted by Aryeh Shell.
Healing is a personal and collective process that holds the power to transform our bodies, communities and world. At a time when our peoples are carrying so much trauma and grief, how can we restore ancestral and traditional modalities of healing that are rooted in cultural understandings of wellness, interconnectedness, and regenerative relationship with people and the Earth? How can we respond with collective care in our movements and communities as we work to bring forth a healed and just world? The Healing Clinic Collective, based in the Bay Area, holds a central intention "to plant the seed for a return to the Sacred." They have developed a network of over 100 natural, traditional wellness practitioners and healers that offer their services for free and low cost to populations who experience systemic oppression & trauma. Join us for an inspiring conversation with HCC founder and Lead Coordinator, Carla Pérez and HCC Core members adélàjà simon and RaheNi Gonzalez.
This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.
Learn more about this specific event online here.