Andrew Soren, MAPP ’13is the founder and CEO of Eudaimonic by design, a global network of facilitators, coaches and advisors who share a passion for wellbeing and believe that organizations should be designed to enable it. Together they harness the best of scholarship and years of experience to advise organizations and design systems that unlock potential and bring out the best in people. Andrew is also Co-Chair of the 8th IPPA World Congress on Positive Psychology. Andrew’s articles are here.
Dear Positive Psychology News Reader,
Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, student or admirer of the field, the 8th IPPA World Congress is an unmissable event for everything related to positive psychology! As Co-Chair, I personally invite you to four incredible days of cutting-edge research, practical application, and special events that will leave you feeling connected to a vibrant community of like-minded peers.
From seasoned positive psychology speakers to newbies, this conference has something for everyone. We are thrilled to facilitate an experience that will fill you with awe. Here are the details (but read on for a sample of the in-store lineup):
If you’re like me, positive psychology has already had a profound impact on your life. I first discovered the domain after reading To flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He exquisitely described something that I knew in my heart and saw in my experience, but previously had no words to describe. The more I dug into the field, the more I realized that there weren’t just words, there was a whole world of science and evidence-based practice that was growing exponentially every day and helping us all find ways to be ever better versions of ourselves.
A few decades later, I have the true honor of being part of a team that programmed this world-class Congress. To whet your appetite, let me tell you a bit about three sessions I can’t wait to see on the main stage.
To whet your appetite, let me tell you briefly about three sessions that I’m looking forward to seeing on the main stage at this year’s conference.
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Compassion
Rick Hanson leads a conversation about how positive psychology should address the full range of human experience, including highs and lows. To do this, we need compassion, which involves being motivated to address and relieve the suffering of others and ourselves and to try to change the causes of suffering in the world.
Joining Rick will be Tania Singer discuss the neurobiology of empathy and compassion and its trainability; James Kirby on a “compassionate case” in terms of its psychosocial and therapeutic benefits; And Mamphela Ramphele which will explore compassionate action to change the structural systems that cause much preventable suffering in the world.
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Connect Nature & Well-being
John Zelensky And Holli-Anne Passmore bring together an extraordinary panel to explore how nature is linked to our well-being. Together with Kelley Bird-Naytowhow, Louise Chawla And Thomas Doherty, they will explore the effectiveness and key ingredients of nature-based wellness interventions; why it seems that so many people underestimate the impact nature has on our well-being; and how nature can be a pathway to well-being for all, especially in the current era of climate crisis.
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Communicate positive psychology to a massive audience
Jason Marais of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley leads a conversation with Tal Ben Shahar And Sonja Lyubomirsky on how, for positive psychology to have its greatest impact, science must reach a truly massive global audience in an efficient and ethical way.
Based on pioneering lived experience, each will share their own strategies for translating research into clear, compelling, and actionable terms for the general public, especially those without a background in psychology. They will discuss the challenges involved in this work, including the need to make positive psychology engaging without compromising its accuracy or integrity and the need to address universal issues while recognizing the differences that exist between individuals, sectors and cultures.
International reach
It’s the World Congress, and the speakers come from all over the world. Even these three conferences have speakers from the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa, First Nations and Israel.
And much more…
Of course, that’s just three sessions and a handful of speakers at a congress where more than 590 researchers and practitioners will present their work in panels, keynotes, workshops, and posters. Over the course of four days, attendees will not only see the latest innovations in the field of positive psychology, but they will also meet and connect with 1500 passionate people who want to learn and grow together.
Do not wait. Register now at ippworldcongress.organd I’ll see you in Vancouver!
Andrew Soren, Co-Chair, IPPA World Congress
