Summary

Theme: Sacred Ecology: Within & Around — reweaving inner development and living systems; cities as living, relational organisms grounded in interbeing and nested ecologies.

Research Basis: Interbeing + living-systems science; Ubuntu and Indigenous/lived wisdom; vertical development with the Inner Development Goals; embodied intelligence via the five knowledge centers (head–heart–gut–hands–vital energy).

Thematic Action Ideas: Sacred opening/attunement practice; awe micro-interventions; five-center somatic check-ins; co-sensing/closing circle; regenerative place-making and “designing for and with life.”

Key Question: How do Indigenous, spiritual, developmental, and embodied ecologies converge; what shifts when we see the city as a living organism (not a mechanism); and what practices sustain coherence between personal soul and the soul of place?  

Expected Outcomes: A shared frame that makes the relational field visible; leadership/design principles aligned with living systems; practical examples and commitments to place-based prototypes that cultivate the soul of the city.

Panelists

Wendy Ellyatt (Cheltenham, UK) – Founder of the Flourish Project; architect of the EcoSystemic Flourishing (ESF) framework and education toolkits aligned with SDGs/IDGs; Project Lead, Galileo Commission Worldviews Study, Global Council Member, Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), Co-author Unitive Narrative, Founder, Global Healing Day, Unitive Age Research Colab and UK Spirituality in Education Alliance (SIEUK)

Dr Paddy Pampallis (Cape Town, South Africa) – Founder & CEO of the Integral+ Africa Institute and The Coaching Centre (TCC); Founder & Board Member of the Ubuntu Coaching Foundation; leadership maturity researcher & practitioner working globally with Dr Susanne Cook-Greuter.

Valerie Gleeson (Cork, Ireland) – Transformative Executive Coach & Vertical Development Consultant with 30+ years cross-sector leadership; accredited Senior Practitioner with Global European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Non Executive Director in Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland.                          

Dr Dumi Magadlela (Cape Town, South Africa) – Founder & President of the Afrika Coaching; Vice-Principal in the The Coaching Centre (TCC); Executive Coach, co-founder of the Ubuntu Coaching Foundation (UCF).  

Nicole Klassen (McGregor, South Africa) – Indigenous healer and systems/family/organisational constellations facilitator working with land, elements, ritual, arts, and ancestral healing; supports people, organisations, and communities to reconnect with body, land, and heritage; host of The Soul Hum podcast.

Eric Kohner (Pasadena, California, United States) – Founder of the EkcoSYSTEM; internationally recognized executive coach, keynote speaker, and long-time Senior Faculty/Associate Partner at Co-Active Training Institute (CTI); creator of the Five Knowledge Centers model; designer of BADASS Leadership and Accessment methodologies.  

Host Organisations: Ecocivilisation & Living Cities Action Research Ecosystem (LCARE)