Mauma Sarmin Sumi:
Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation organised the first-ever Dhaka Wellbeing Summit at the Bangla Academy premises in the capital. The summit began on Friday and will continue till Saturday, according to a press release. The summit aimed to create a national well-being strategy, prioritising the holistic well-being of people in Bangladesh, with the slogan ‘From Generation to Generations’ at its core.
The event has been organised in collaboration with The Wellbeing Project, a France-based mental health and wellbeing organisation, BRAC Institute for Educational Development at BRAC University, Heroes for All, Map Photo Agency, and Liberty.
The summit emerged as a force to elevate mental health awareness and underscored the significance of individuals’ inner well-being as a fundamental indicator of societal advancement in Bangladesh, it said.
The summit brought around 200 change makers together worldwide to promote inner well-being for all, spark meaningful conversations, inspire actionable insights, and catalyse positive change on both individual and societal levels across Bangladesh and beyond.
The opening ceremony featured Meerjady Sabrina Flora, ADG, DGHS as the chief guest and Professor Dr Avra Das Bhowmik, director, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as the guest of honour.
Flora lauded IWF for its proactive initiative and shared an inspiring quote from Rabindranath Tagore on the holistic well-being of individuals. “We both live and celebrate. We should celebrate life.”
Dr Avro underscored the paramount importance of the Wellbeing Summit in Bangladesh, particularly in the global context of mental health awareness.
Later, Mirzadi Sabrina Flora, accompanied by IWF Founder and Executive Director Monira Rahman, led the opening ceremony, which received an enthusiastic response from all the guests present. Over two days, participants had the opportunity to express their well-wishes on a “kalpataru” tree regarding their own wellbeing, the release also said.
Moderated by journalist Shahnaz Munni, the opening session of the conference’s final day showcased
storytelling. Shawn Mahmud, daughter of the martyred intellectual Altaf Mahmud, shared strategies for addressing intergenerational trauma from her own life experiences.
Dr Mohammad Robed Amin, director of the Non-Communicable Disease Control (NCDC) line, who served as the chief guest at the closing ceremony, extended gratitude on behalf of the Ministry of Health to IWF.
He remarked on the comprehensive exploration of well-being in social and personal spheres facilitated by the Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation through the Wellbeing Summit.
Amin highlighted the establishment of wellness centres at Chirir Bandar and Netrakona Sadar Hospital, where individuals are screened upon seeking mental health care and healthcare professionals are trained in mental health services. Over 1000 psychological counselling sessions have been conducted, predominantly with female clients, exceeding expectations.
He expressed plans to expand the wellness centre concept nationwide and pledged support for the development and implementation of the well-being strategy paper derived from the summit’s activities and discussions.
Monira Rahman, executive director of Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation and Country Lead of Mental Health First Aid Bangladesh Office, expressed, “Mental health is a fundamental right for everyone.
To prevent mental illness before it occurs, it’s important to stay informed, acquire mental health techniques, and apply them to our daily routines. We collaboratively reflected on the Wellbeing Action Strategy for Bangladesh and established a network to ensure its implementation across all levels. We will collectively advance the program of well-being from generation to generation.”
The summit culminated with cultural performance of Baul music by Tutun Shah Fakir, leaving the well-being seekers inspired and invigorated to continue the journey toward holistic well-being.
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