On the evening of the equinox, WIL members came together with members of our community in The Hague for the final event of the block. This open mic session on the themes of “Rebirth and Renewal” took place in the cozy setting of the Coasters bar. Organized in collaboration with the Creative Writing committee of LUC The Hague, the inspiration behind the event was celebrating the new year of 2019 and the growth and change that often accompanies temporal milestones. Members and non-members alike recited poetry and prose they had written, or otherwise simply shared some words of kindness that resonated with the crowd. Ultimately, an atmosphere of mutual support and acknowledgement created a truly comforting safe space that allowed a beautiful evening celebrating growth to take place.
While WIL events are often centered around professional development, this event was an opportunity for WIL members to come together in a more intimate way. Personal growth is a value that has become a core component of WIL’s mission, one we believe goes hand in hand with exemplifying leadership in achieving your personal ambitions. In this regard, a key theme of this evening was drawing strength from vulnerabilities, as so elegantly expressed by WIL member Daniela Alvaran.
It was truly an evening of opposites, one filled by inspiring stories of overcoming and growth, but also by touching stories of struggle and hardship in that process. There was self-love and self-hate; renewal, but also regression. Above all, courage resounded from the pieces that were shared on this night and the individuals behind them. In the words of Communication team member Ana Nico Clement, “I think the main thing I can take away from yesterday is how impressed I am by how people have been able to capture their feelings in such eloquent ways. I find it so bold and a true reflection of growth how the speakers yesterday had the confidence to speak up and be vulnerable.” We would like to thank the Innovation team organizers for ending our block on such an empowering note and we look forward to the many things to come later this spring.
By Ana Ghiban
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