Author Archives: Alessandra Pigni
The Workplace Revolution
Lucky me I was in London last week and had the chance to meet writer and activist Liam Barrington-Bush at his book launch. I connected with Liam back in the summer when I heard about his upcoming crowd-funded book Anarchists in the … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged activism and aid work, guest posts, organizational culture in aid
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The Time to Reconnect
In our lives immersed in technology, we rarely shut everything off. We turn on when we wake up, and are on our devices until we go to sleep. I’m not immune to this. Very few people these days are. And … Continue reading
Where is home?
“For more and more of us, home has really less to do with a piece of soil than, you could say, with a piece of soul. If somebody suddenly asks me, “Where’s your home?” I think about my sweetheart or my closest friends or the … Continue reading
Less distractions, more focus: how to survive in the field
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape” said an unknown sage. And she was right. I doubt you have rabbits to run after, but no doubt you have way too many commitments, meetings, paperwork, reports to write. Life in the … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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Living life in the midst paradoxes
“How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one’s culture but within oneself? If there is a stage … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged reflection and action
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Mindfulness at the checkpoint
Transformation, the new section of Open Democracy, just published my reflection on mindfulness, burnout and ‘doing good’ in Palestine (and beyond). The Original article appeared on here on July 17, 2013. *** Is caring for ourselves an act of self-indulgence or social change? Alessandra … Continue reading
How to beat burnout in NGOs
Once again we are discussing staff care and how to create better workplaces over at the Humanitarian Professional Group on Linkedin. If you work for an NGO or UN agency you may want to take a peek at the brilliant … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, organizational culture in aid
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Mandela on peace of mind
“I have always believed that exercise is not only a key to physical health but to peace of mind,” wrote Nelson Mandela… Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged activism and aid work, reflection and action
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Mindfulness is an outward journey
What’s your idea of mindfulness? A person sitting cross-legged with eyes closed? Peaceful bamboo trees? A serene zen garden? In spite of much research to illustrate the difference between mindfulness and relaxation, mindfulness is still perceived by many as a … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged mindfulness for aid workers, reflection and action
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Burnout is an organisational issue
Burnout tends to hit idealists. People like you, who want have a meaningful job, while making some kind of contribution to this messed-up planet. Staff within NGOs, UN agencies, small community-based organisations, are at risk of burnout. Here’s a thought: … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, organizational culture in aid
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