The value of Making Space for Quiet Reflection in a busy conference programme… and life in general…
Since lockdown and the move to virtual meetings it often seems that meeting agendas are packed and our aims can be over ambitious for the short time we have available. Equally when we meet in person our conference programmes are full of competing parallel sessions and side meetings with very little chance to pause in between or take a breath… once we leave the event, we rush back into our home lives and day jobs and the learnings, reflections and follow up can quickly fall by the wayside…
I have recently written about the amazing energy of the NTD NGO Network (NNN) 2026 programme and community. Alongside the vibrancy it also felt so good to offer a quiet reflection space at this year’s NNN 2026 Conference and we received so much positive feedback from those who attended.
As a facilitator I am really interested in creating a calm space to pause, reflect and make sense, as well as using creative techniques as a tool to open dialogue and conversations. Our room offered silence with different self-led activities on each of the tables, eg. gentle reflection activities related to the conference, a well-being check-in and I brought my own supply of mindful dot-painting and doodling materials – I am secretly hooked – as finding my own creative flow enables me to process my learnings and think more clearly.
Here are some photos of this special moment shared together. Thank you to everyone who joined and also to my creative peers, AMC Newton FRSA Amelia Wakeford, Alice Havill and Vicki Rhodes whose sessions I have attended in the past. It’s exciting to collaborate and learn with you all.
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Prendre le temps de faire une pause dans un programme chargé est essentiel. Lors de la conférence NNN 2026, l’espace de réflexion a offert aux participants un moment de calme pour réfléchir, se recentrer et assimiler leurs apprentissages. Grâce à des activités créatives et à des temps de silence, cet espace a été très apprécié et a rappelé l’importance de ralentir, de prendre du recul et de favoriser le bien-être au cœur de nos événements comme de notre quotidien.
Credits: Anonymous NNN Artists
