A Vigil to Channel Pain into Acts of Love and Resistance

This gathering is for anyone carrying the weight of what’s happening in the world right now: war, violence, the climate crisis, authoritarianism, and the erosion of justice. Whether you’re directly impacted or watching from a distance, you are welcome here.

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we will convene with healers, activists and artists in a virtual space for ritual, music, and honest conversation. We will grieve what needs grieving, renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy, and consider acts of love – both big and small –  to carry out in these challenging times. We’ll explore the question: How can our grief and pain become sources of power and love?

This event is the kick-off for a month-long program launching the following week:  Channeling Personal and Collective Loss into Acts of Love. This program is for anyone navigating the impact of loss, whether recent or long-held, expected or sudden, visible or quietly carried. Loss takes many forms, not only the death of a loved one, but also the weight of societal, ecological, and justice crises, or the loss of a job, a marriage, a role, or a chapter of life that has come to an end. What if your grief could become a source of connection, meaning, and even love? Over four weeks, you’ll join a guided group experience led by Dara Kosberg and Mangda Sengvahnpheng, expert Reimagine facilitators. Together, we will explore how small acts, toward yourself, your loved ones, or in memory of what has been lost, can become meaningful expressions of care.

Special guests include writer and soul activist Francis Weller, death doula and artist Mangda Sengvanhpheng, nurse and activist Sarah Warren, RN, and Twin Cities-based leaders from Singing Resistance.

Francis Weller is a psychotherapist (retired), writer, and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, Indigenous cultures, and poetic traditions. He has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. He founded and currently directs WisdomBridge, an organization that offers educational programs that seek to integrate the wisdom from Indigenous cultures with the insights and knowledge gathered from Western poetic, psychological, and spiritual traditions. His writings have appeared in anthologies and journals exploring the confluence between psyche, nature, and culture, including The Sun magazine, the Utne Reader, Kosmos Journal, and Ruminate. He is the author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow, In the Absence of the Ordinary, and is currently completing his fourth book, Facing the World with Soul and Why It Matters. Entering the Healing Ground: The Wild Edge of Sorrow Official Workbook was released in February from North Atlantic Books.

https://www.francisweller.net/

Mangda Sengvanhpheng is an artist, contemplative care practitioner, and the Founder of BACII, inspired by all of her experiences with loss and life, and specifically the loss of her mother. This life-changing experience of helping her mother through the dying process included being with her in the final moments, washing and dressing her body, arranging a funeral service, and managing a household of tasks that come with death. This experience revealed to her how difficult and isolating grief and loss can be. This led her to reimagine our society’s relationship to the end-of-life as a healthier and more supportive experience. Driven by these experiences, Mangda became a certified death doula through Going with Grace and an end-of-life volunteer. She then launched BACII as a platform to integrate death into our lives so that we can better support ourselves and those we love. She leads The Grief We Carry, is a program designed specifically for immigration legal service workers that provides practical tools for processing grief and sustaining long-term resilience.

https://bacii.co/

Sarah Warren is a Dominican-American registered nurse, writer & activist who uses storytelling across social media & creative mediums to help humanize care. Sarita explores healthcare and humanity through critical analysis of oppressive systems to challenge us to build a just world together. Her lived experience and background growing up in an immigrant household shapes how she navigates spaces with an intense sense of justice and desire for systemic change. She is the co-founder of 501c3 non profit Don't Clock Out, a community organization dedicated to supporting healthcare workers through the impacts of moral distress.

https://sarahewarren.com/