IDG Hub The Best Journey Ever Presents: Inner Power

Join us for an inspiring series of three workshops designed to explore the dimensions of power—inner, interpersonal, and collective—and how to harness each to create meaningful and sustainable impact.

Quote:“Power is our capacity to mobilize resources to attend to needs.” - Miki Kashtan

Workshop Sessions:

Session 1: Inner Power Date: [Wednesday 3rd July] | Time: [17:30] | Location: [Equals]

Facilitators: Marietta Benkhoff, Maria Grazia Testa, Sofia Mourato, Maaike van den Velden and Simone Beerepoot.

Discover the essence of self-awareness and inner power. Learn to identify and mobilize your internal resources to drive external change. This session will guide you in nurturing your inner power, understanding what generates it, and recognizing factors that lead to feeling powerless. Unleash your potential and use your capacities wisely to create the change you wish to see.

Session 2: Interpersonal Power Date: [Wednesday 11th September] | Time: [17:30] | Location: [Equals]

Facilitators: Marietta Benkhoff, Maria Grazia Testa, Sofia Mourato, Maaike van den Velden and Simone Beerepoot

Delve into the dynamics of power in relationships. Explore how to move beyond "power over" to "power with," fostering collaboration with an equal mindset. Respecting each other fully, we'll uncover the potential and resources that both you and others bring to the table. This session emphasizes the importance of mutual respect and equal partnership in building powerful connections.

Session 3: Collective Power [Wednesday 11th December] | Time: [17:30] | Location: [Equals]

Facilitators: Marietta Benkhoff, Maria Grazia Testa, Sofia Mourato, Maaike van den Velden and Simone Beerepoot

Embrace the power of togetherness. Learn how communities can distribute power effectively and harness the collective capacities and potential of all members. This session focuses on generating sustainable impact through shared power, ensuring that everyone's voice and abilities contribute to the greater good.

In these 3 workshops you will experience, learn, share and connect by:

Discover the IDG framework: Learn how to adopt tools developed by system thinkers, cognitive and social scientists, and psychologists from Harvard to MIT, integrating power dynamics into your professional life for sustainable impact.

Learn an integration decision making process: Learn a new way of working together - to resolve conflicts, communicate effectively and make decisions that work for everyone. Harness your power compassionately in line with your purpose using the nonviolent communication model principles.

Networking: Engage with a vibrant cohort of professionals committed to transforming self and society through their understanding and use of power.

Watch Party: Inner Development Goals Summit Date: [ Wednesday 16th October] | Time: 9:30 - 17:30 | Location: [Equals]

Facilitators: Marietta Benkhoff, Maria Grazia Testa, Sofia Mourato, Maaike van den Velden and Simone Beerepoot

Join us for a live streaming of the first day of the third edition of the Inner Development Goals Summit, this year with the theme ‘The Space in Between’. Get to know a network of cross-sector changemakers shifting the narrative on sustainability and human development towards more hope and action by harnessing the power of inner development for outer change.

IDG Hub The Best Journey Ever facilitator’s:

Sofia Mourato

Sofia Mourato, is The Communication Ecologist. Just like an ecologist cares for our natural ecosystems, her mission is to regenerate trust, hope and human connection in workplace ecosystems. She equips leaders with effective communication, decision making and conflict resolution skills grounded on the principles of Nonviolent Communication.

Maaike van den Velden

Maaike’s mission is to foster your inner growth and leadership, so you can generate impact in both work and life. She is founder of ColourFields coaching & training. With 20 years of experience in coaching, organizational and team development, she has primarily worked with international organizations driving social change. Maaike translated these experiences into an effective coaching and training approach and guided many changemakers on inner development and leadership. 

Maria Grazia Testa, The Best Journey Ever

Maria Grazia Testa is founder of The Best Journey Ever and one of the global coordinators of the Inner Development Goals. For 25 years she has led global organisations going through radical change, running operations in 6 continents, driving transitions for multinational corporates worldwide, as well as global programmes in public and civil society affecting ecology, people and economy.

Next to her professional, environmental and societal commitment, she is a Mindfulness and Contemplation practitioner since 25 years.

With her organization, The Best Journey Ever, she leads organisational Transitions and Transformations where Inner Development Goals (IDG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are central, stimulating change with wisdom in complex environments, while enabling healthy ecosystems that start from the individual to transform the collective.

About Inner Development Goals:

Individual development and culture change are necessary for societal evolution.

• The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) are considered the inner, human counterpart of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• They are a framework collecting the human capabilities and skills required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, elaborated by neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists and experts in adult learning over the course of the last years to face the unprecedented social and environmental crisis and the evident struggle humanity is facing trying to change mindsets, behaviours and systems that are no longer sustainable.

• With a resolution on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals, on June 23rd 2022 the European Parliament has recommended The Inner Development Goals as an important framework to achieve the SDGs, “to educate, inspire and empower people to be a positive force for change in society, thereby accelerating progress towards achieving the SDGs".

The framework includes 5 dimensions, 23 skills and a toolkit of methodologies emerging from validated scientific research to train adults in the specific skills addressed.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Equals Clubhouse, Raamgracht 6, Amsterdam, Netherlands