BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:26108@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:SPORA: Different Roots\, Common Ground DTSTAMP:20260814T184230Z DTSTART:20260918T170000Z DESCRIPTION:Building Community Through Dialogue\n\nHave you ever walked int o a room and felt like your story didn’t quite belong\nthere? For many in diaspora communities\, that feeling is all too familiar. Yet\nfor decades\ , community organizers\, creatives\, and thinkers have been building\nspac es where we do belong.\n\nSPORA builds on that tradition. Our goal: a plat form in the Netherlands for\nvoices\, stories\, and ideas\, growth\, inter generational education and visibility.\nA space for voices from the Africa n and Caribbean diaspora to speak freely\,\nconnect deeply\, and share ide as on their own terms\, where diaspora narratives\nare not translated\, fi ltered\, or minimized\, but expressed fully. Because when we\ngather\, we grow.\n\nFor our first edition\, three changemakers explore what it means to connect. To\nnature\, to each other\, and to ourselves:\n\nKriticos Mwa nsa – “The Art of Bringing People Together”\nCommunity can’t be manufactur ed\, but we can create the conditions for it to\nflourish. In an era where “community” is often reduced to a buzzword\, Kriticos\nshares insights on gathering people in a way that feels organic and sincere.\nFrom spatial a rrangements to conversation prompts. True belonging isn’t\nengineered\; it surfaces when people feel genuinely invited\, safe\, and when we\nintenti onally design the room for connections to take root.\n\nGlenn Helberg – “D ispersion of Seeds”\nWhat we call culture is often something that exists a s a reaction to the\nenvironment. Glenn explores the nervous system\, the behaviors we show\, and\nunderstanding why that behavior is shown\; adapta tion to what our cultures used\nto be or meant to be.\n\nJody Morgan – “To uch Grass”\nHow does nature shape our identity\, culture\, wellbeing\, and sense of belonging?\nWhat can nature teach us about connecting with ourse lves and with others? Humans\nare inherently relational\, and we often thi nk of nature as scenery\, but what if\nit’s actually one of our oldest rel ationships?\n\nMet in dit programma Jody Morgan Bite the Bullet podcast Ho st and Entrepreneur\n[https://www.instagram.com/itsjojorenee/] Kriticos Pa ndelis Mwansa Cultural\ncurator\, founder of The Book Club [https://www.li nkedin.com/in/kriticos-mwansa/]\nGlenn Helberg Psychiater\, directeur prak tijk voor psychiatrie en psychotherapie\n'Introspect' [https://www.linkedi n.com/in/glenn-helberg-baa441b]\n\n\nMORE ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS...\n\ nGlenn Helberg is a psychiatrist\, author\, speaker\, and activist who has spent\ndecades improving the position of Antilleans and Arubans in the Ne therlands. He\nbroke multiple taboos within the Caribbean community\, incl uding absent\nfatherhood and homosexuality. In 2011\, he initiated the fir st Antillean boat at\nAmsterdam’s Pride Canal Parade. He received a royal knighthood in 2013\, the\nBlack Achievement Award oeuvre prize in 2019\, a nd the Jos Brink Oeuvre Prize in\n2021 for his work as a mental health fat her of the queer community. Helberg is\nco-founder of the Expertise Center for Transcultural Therapy.\n\nKriticos Mwansa is a Zambian-born creative with deep Tanzanian roots\, a cultural\ncurator\, and the visionary founde r of The Book Club. He has cultivated a vibrant\ncommunity centered on a r efreshing premise: “No reading required to spark an\nincredible dialogue.” By bridging literature with music\, art\, and culinary\nexperiences\, Kri ticos reimagines reading as a shared cultural journey rather\nthan a solit ary task. From intimate dinners to prisons\, to prestigious museums\nand p rivate members clubs\, his mission remains constant: gathering curious min ds\nto exchange knowledge and foster connection through the power of conve rsation.\n\nJody Morgan was born on the beautiful island of Saba. Her cult ural identity has\nbeen shaped by her island home and the countries of her parents: Suriname and\nSt. Lucia. Moving to the Netherlands at 17\, Jody began pursuing her dream of\nbecoming an entrepreneur and making a positiv e impact in the world. She has\nstarted businesses ranging from designing jewelry that represents Saba and\nislands across the Caribbean\, to graphi c and web design\, to consultancy for\nCaribbean companies. Today\, she is also the co-host of the Bite the Bullet\nPodcast. Through all her venture s\, Jody continues to find avenues that keep her\nclose to her culture. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/spora-different-roots-common-ground GEO:52.376857;4.9220756 LOCATION:Pakhuis de Zwijger - Piet Heinkade 179\, 1019 HC Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,books,community,dinner,eastern docklands,menta l health,music,pride,queer,social,stories X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Building Community Through Dialogue

Have yo u ever walked into a room and felt like your story didn’t quite belong the re? For many in diaspora communities, that feeling is all too familiar. Ye t for decades, community organizers, creatives, and thinkers have been bui lding spaces where we do belong.

SPORA builds on that tradition. Ou r goal: a platform in the Netherlands for voices, stories, and ideas, grow th, intergenerational education and visibility. A space for voices from th e African and Caribbean diaspora to speak freely, connect deeply, and shar e ideas on their own terms, where diaspora narratives are not translated, filtered, or minimized, but expressed fully. Because when we gather, we gr ow.

For our first edition, three changemakers explore what it mea ns to connect. To nature, to each other, and to ourselves:

Krit icos Mwansa – “The Art of Bringing People Together”
Community can ’t be manufactured, but we can create the conditions for it to flourish. I n an era where “community” is often reduced to a buzzword, Kriticos shares insights on gathering people in a way that feels organic and sincere. Fro m spatial arrangements to conversation prompts. True belonging isn’t engin eered; it surfaces when people feel genuinely invited, safe, and when we i ntentionally design the room for connections to take root.

Glen n Helberg – “Dispersion of Seeds”
What we call culture is often s omething that exists as a reaction to the environment. Glenn explores the nervous system, the behaviors we show, and understanding why that behavior is shown; adaptation to what our cultures used to be or meant to be.

Jody Morgan – “Touch Grass”
How does nature shape our iden tity, culture, wellbeing, and sense of belonging? What can nature teach us about connecting with ourselves and with others? Humans are inherently re lational, and we often think of nature as scenery, but what if it’s actual ly one of our oldest relationships?

Met in dit programma Jody Morgan Bit e the Bullet podcast Host and Entrepreneur Kriticos Pandelis Mwansa C ultural curator, founder of The Book Club Glenn Helberg Psychiat er, directeur praktijk voor psychiatrie en psychotherapie 'Introspect'

More about the keynote speakers...

Glenn Helber g is a psychiatrist, author, speaker, and activist who has spent decades improving the position of Antilleans and Arubans in the Netherland s. He broke multiple taboos within the Caribbean community, including abse nt fatherhood and homosexuality. In 2011, he initiated the first Antillean boat at Amsterdam’s Pride Canal Parade. He received a royal knighthood in 2013, the Black Achievement Award oeuvre prize in 2019, and the Jos Brink Oeuvre Prize in 2021 for his work as a mental health father of the queer community. Helberg is co-founder of the Expertise Center for Transcultural Therapy.

Kriticos Mwansa is a Zambian-born creati ve with deep Tanzanian roots, a cultural curator, and the visionary founde r of The Book Club. He has cultivated a vibrant community centered on a re freshing premise: “No reading required to spark an incredible dialogue.” B y bridging literature with music, art, and culinary experiences, Kriticos reimagines reading as a shared cultural journey rather than a solitary tas k. From intimate dinners to prisons, to prestigious museums and private me mbers clubs, his mission remains constant: gathering curious minds to exch ange knowledge and foster connection through the power of conversation.

Jody Morgan was born on the beautiful island of Saba . Her cultural identity has been shaped by her island home and the countri es of her parents: Suriname and St. Lucia. Moving to the Netherlands at 17 , Jody began pursuing her dream of becoming an entrepreneur and making a p ositive impact in the world. She has started businesses ranging from desig ning jewelry that represents Saba and islands across the Caribbean, to gra phic and web design, to consultancy for Caribbean companies. Today, she is also the co-host of the Bite the Bullet Podcast. Through all her ventures , Jody continues to find avenues that keep her close to her culture.

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