BAATN Online Conference 2025 Speakers
Belonging: An Act of Visibility and Revolution
Unseen and Unacknowledged: From the Invisible Wounds of Childlessness to Finding Where We Belong
This keynote explores the often unspoken grief and identity complexities of childlessness, particularly for those from Black and global majority communities. Framing childlessness as both a personal and political experience, the talk highlights the emotional toll of societal invisibility and cultural silence. Through personal narrative, cultural reflection, and collective insight, it invites a reimagining of belonging—where childless lives are seen, honored, and given rightful space.
Yvonne John is an author, activist, and public speaker, as well as a facilitator of the Sacred Woman Retreat and an ambassador for World Childless Week.
Belonging: Black Being as a Politics of Presence
This talk explores the crucial yet often overlooked role of belonging in sustaining Black life, identity, and well-being within a society dominated by whiteness. Belonging transcends mere feeling; it’s a political stance and a healing practice essential for thriving. It shapes our identities, influences self-perception, and empowers us to engage with the world. When we feel we belong, we can express our true selves and celebrate our complexities. For Black individuals, belonging must be actively claimed, nurtured, and protected.
Wanderley Santos is a Brazilian intercultural psychodynamic psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. He specialises in working with children and young people
(My)A Refugee Journey: A Journey I Never Chose.
This workshop aims to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis, with a particular focus on my lived experiences as an Eritrean refugee. I will explore the complex journey from persecution in Eritrea, through the dangers of escape, to the ongoing challenges of resettlement in a new country.
Fleeing Eritrea at the age of seven and a half, too young to fully understand what was happening, this workshop offers a personal lens through which I reflect on the losses, hidden strengths, and deep yearning for belonging that so often defines the refugee experience.
In the hope of understanding, empathising, and honouring the resilience of those who are forced to leave everything behind in search of safety.
Misgana Berhane is a therapist who supports individuals through trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and racial identity through mindfulness, EMDR, and body-mind approaches.