Are you looking for… coming home? A peace of mind? A safe space to reflect? Your roots? Belonging? A community you can relate to? If this applies to you, meet Rooted! Rooted is a newly established organization in The Netherlands that supports people with a migratory background in rooting. At Rooted we believe rooting goes beyond finding a job, learning a language and joining a community. Rooting is about living as your authentic self, integrating your memories of the past and dreams for the future in the present. It is about accepting that you have multiple identities, multiple homes and that there is a place for all of that in the present moment. At Rooted we provide a safe space, increased consciousness and concrete tools to be your true and wholesome self.

Participants may apply by filling in a form on the Rooted website, following which they will be contacted by Rooted for an intake conversation to explore if their expectations and desires align with what Rooted can offer. There will be space for a maximum of 15 participants.

Dates and time
All information about upcoming Rooted weekends can be found on the Rooted website.

Cost
We ask all participants to contribute on a donation basis. We ask for a minimum of 75 euro’s. Through subsidies Rooted will cover the outstanding budget. The real price per person is around 600 euro. You decide how much this investment in yourself is worth and what you are able to contribute. If the price is too high, please still register. The money should not be a barrier in participating. We will find a fitting solution.

Who will be the other participants?
Based on the applications, we will form a group that is diverse but also has the capacity to form a community that can relate to one another. If you prefer to participate in an all-male or all-female retreat, please indicate this in the intake form.

What language will we speak?
The main language during the weekend will be English and a basic level will be required. At Rooted we do encourage the expression as your full self and thus in your native language. There will be time and space in the program to express yourself in your own language. There will be Dutch, English, French and Arabic-speaking facilitators present.

Who will be facilitating the retreat?
The retreat will be facilitated by a group of people who have experience and expertise in coaching, psychology, soft skill building, voice liberation, wilderness and nature retreats amongst others things. Several Rooted facilitators are experts by experience.

What will we be doing?
We will be engaging with different dimensions of ‘rootedness’ through a range of methods, including a silent walk, workshops and storytelling. During the intake conversation we can provide you with more information.

Food & housing
You will sleep in a comfortable private bedroom in a beautiful and peaceful location close to Hilversum, surrounded by nature. Vegetarian meals will be provided. We can accommodate your dietary preferences upon request.

Are you joining?
By choosing to participate in Rooted, we invite you to take ownership of growing your roots in the Netherlands and ultimately, in your self. There will be plenty of time for silence, relaxation and grounding.

Noor Cornelissen was born in the Netherlands. She lived across the world, mostly working with communities on issues related to migration and displacement. Whether it was in Libya, Palestine or the Democratic Republic of Congo, she often crossed paths with people who felt uprooted. After ten years of living abroad, she came home to the Netherlands and was faced with her own ‘uprootedness’. Noor holds the strong belief that everybody has the right to not only have a home, but to also feel at home. She observes this remains untouched in the current Dutch integration system. Thus, in 2023 she founded Rooted in co-creation with a group of people who have walked their own paths towards rootedness. Through research, reading and in-depth conversations with people with and without a migratory background, Noor developed the Rooted framework. The Rooted framework explores rootedness along six dimensions: temporal, spatial, physical, emotional, mental and social. During the retreat, rootedness will be strengthened along all six dimensions.

Babah Tarawally is an activist, author and journalist. He dedicates his life to understanding the alienation felt by minority groups and gaining rights for racial minorities in particular. He also trains young migrants about building a new home and a new beginning. “Dancing between different cultures has made me an artist”.

Sacha Post is a wilderness guide, facilitator, and philosopher who facilitates wilderness journeys, retreats, and courses that enable an authentic and embodied connection with nature and the wilderness. He aims to inspire people to live deeply rooted, aligned with the cyclical flow of nature.

Wick Lichtveld is co-owner of Veldsterkte, a center for personal development. His activities as trainer and development-coach are based on positive psychology, the principles of Zen and Non-Duality as well as Buddhist psychology. Wick is also a photographer making portraits of people around the globe (Portraits of Life).

Samar Nafie is a consultant in the public sector with a specialisation in Governance of Migration and Diversity. She supports various (local) governments and public organisations through research and advice on reception, housing and integration of asylum seekers and refugees.

Hester Dam is a singing teacher, workshop leader and voice liberation facilitator. After her studies and career in classical singing she decided to dedicate her time to letting other people’s voices and hearts sing too. She coaches people in finding their inner voice and the expression thereof.