African Contemplative Practices for Healing the Past, for Transforming the Present and for Future Flourishing

There is an urgent need for a rigorous empirical qualitative description of African contemplative practices in terms of the current science and Buddhist frameworks, in order to bring the African academic community into the global research efforts to alleviate suffering and enhance human flourishing. The discussion over the 3-day retreat will center on defining contemplative practices in the African context. This Think Tank seeks to bring together scholars and contemplative practitioners from different African traditions to: 1) categorize African embodied (predominantly movement-based) contemplative practices; 2) develop a scheme of classification of their perceived state and trait benefits; 3) design a collaborative, interdisciplinary research agenda; and 4) form a professional learning circle of colleagues committed to community building, knowledge- and resource-sharing, and social transformation through contemplative practice in order to heal the past, transform the present, and allow for future flourishing.

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Participants