Holding Hope: How can we navigate uncertain times and cultivate resilient communities?

What is Holding Hope?

Social, environmental, economic, and political crises have created human societies in crisis. This can lead us to feel grief, despair, and loss, which in turn can make us feel stuck and unable to create change. What keeps us resilient in these uncertain times? So many people have had no choice but to be resilient, some people don't know if they are resilient, and some people do not know what resilient really means.

In the words of Vanessa Machado de Oliveira Andreotti, “instead of drowning in hopelessness, how can we learn to face our reality with humility and accountability?” How can we learn to feel our emotions in a healthy way? What skills do we need to feel empowered to take action? How can we collaborate to make change in our community?

What events have taken place already?

We held a 2-day workshop series in October 2024, cosponsored by The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, Wesleyan Sustainability Office, Center for the Arts, ARTFARM, and CNTR, open to all in the Middletown area. Participants of all ages were invited to share, listen, and discover how our community - young and seasoned alike - have stayed centered and hopeful. Together, we explored, broke bread, discussed, and learned from each other's valuable gifts of resiliency. Each participant took home tools and resources to build a “toolkit” to support their efforts to stay centered, resilient, and connected as individuals and a broader community.