This event is part of our 12 Days of Peace virtual event series.

In a time when “power-over” theologies and politics can leave us feeling worn down, disconnected, or hopeless, resilience becomes more than a personal strength. It becomes an act of resistance. This interactive workshop invites participants to learn and practice emotional first aid: simple, accessible tools for grounding, regulation, and self-awareness that can be used in daily life when stress or overwhelm sets in. Together, we will explore how oppression shows up in our bodies and emotions, and how cultivating resilience allows us to reclaim presence, agency, and dignity.

Because resilience is not only an individual practice but also a collective one, we will share stories and practices that strengthen community care and nurture “power-with” in place of “power-over.” Through embodied exercises and reflective dialogue,  participants will leave with practical strategies to sustain themselves and one another in challenging times, carrying forward renewed energy for justice, care, and hope.

MEET THE PRESENTER

Mirela Popaja-Hadžić

Born in Sarajevo in the 1980’s, Mirela had a front row seat to the breakup of Yugoslavia and the siege of Sarajevo. In her twenties, Mirela realized that the war impacted her more deeply than she had previously acknowledged, and this realization launched her into an introspective journey to grapple with and heal from her own trauma. It also catalyzed a process of theological and philosophical reflection about how to lament and embrace the hardships of life. Her own unaddressed grief and trauma came to the surface, and she came to understand the importance of grief as part of the process of healing and reconciliation. 

As a Bosniak Protestant from a Muslim background, Mirela had prejudice toward Serbs and Croats despite the fact that she grew up with them. Dealing with her own grief helped her become open to and connect with people across ethnic divisions, so that she saw their grief, wounds, and stories as similar to her own.

This individual healing process clarified her sense of personal calling and mission: to work for individual and collective healing through mental health and peacebuilding work. She has over 10 years of experience working in both for-profit and non-profit sectors in project coordination, program management, training, facilitation, and translation. She is currently specializing in Gestalt Psychotherapy to become a trauma therapist to more effectively address the unengaged trauma manifesting in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as depression, anxiety, and addictions. She is also an affiliate trainer with Trauma Free World and holds a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Sarajevo.