Registration opens for free Wadadli Healing Symposium

Observer News Desk
Registration has opened for a free two-day national symposium aimed at helping Antiguans and Barbudans address historical and community trauma while strengthening young people, families and communities.
The Wadadli Healing Symposium, which begins on October 6, is being organised by the Jane E. Toussaint Foundation in partnership with The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus and Be The Healing Inc.
Organisers said admission is free, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will close once capacity is reached.
The symposium will bring together internationally recognised speakers and practitioners and their local counterparts to explore healing, culture and community wellbeing, while sharing practical tools to support productive youth and stronger families and communities.
The opening day will feature a cultural showcase at which poet Dotsie Isaac will debut an original work commissioned for the symposium. Panorama champions Hells Gate Steel Orchestra will also perform.
The showcase will be followed by a keynote address by Dr Joy DeGruy, whose work focuses on healing, culture, race relations and contemporary social issues. Be The Healing Inc. is the nonprofit arm of DeGruy’s work.
The second day will include a session on male engagement led by Dr David C. Miller, who conducts healing circles with men and boys. His work addresses decision-making, impulse control, mental health awareness, joy and anger management.
Miller will also co-facilitate a workshop with licensed mental health counsellor and certified clinical trauma professional Persephone Modeste. The session, intended for young people ages 15 to 24, will focus on identity, belonging and emotional wellness.
Elder Michael Campbell and Eldress Jackie Campbell, a husband-and-wife team who have spent decades developing and delivering culturally responsive programmes for Black youth and families, are also scheduled to participate.
DeGruy will lead an in-depth professional development session for mental health therapists, social workers, counsellors and traditional healers. The workshop will examine contemporary healing approaches designed specifically for people of African descent.
Residents may register at www.janetoussaintfoundation.org.