Inside the First Beloved Community Cohort:
A 9-Month Journey of Healing, Connection, and Radical Transformation
Introduction: A Vision for Transformation
How do we transition from a world of violence, domination, and extraction to a world of love, resilience, and regeneration? With the current state of the world, this transition is more urgent than ever—and it is in our reach. Inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Grace Lee Boggs, and decades of transformative practice, our journey to answer this question began with Transition Labs—our generative convenings program intended to deepen the inquiry into how to intentionally transform our world for the betterment of all. Over six years, these labs wove a rich tapestry of connection and embodied practice that continues through the work of Beloved Communities Network (BCN), an organization with a sole purpose—to build Beloved Community.
With a clear organizational direction, the story of how this “transition” from convenings led to the creation of BCN needed to be told. To truly build a movement that fosters the growth of the Beloved Community vision and educates around the governing principles of that vision, the 10,000 Beloved Communities Graphic Novel and Guide was created—a work by Visual Storyteller, World-Builder, and Navigator, Kristen Zimmerman. The graphic novel was a call-to-action for those that share in the vision of building Beloved Community and are ready to roll up their sleeves to make that vision a reality.
The Beloved Community North Star: Principles and Practices
The nature of the work required to build Beloved Community is embodied in our guiding statement: “Beloved community is both our destination and our way forward.” In a nutshell, according to Sophie Lan Hou, Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at Movement Strategy Center, “we envision a future where every life—human, plant, and animal—is recognized as sacred, and we reach this destination through intentionally creating spaces that foster deep connection, radical care, and mutual support.”
The Evolution: From Transition Labs to the Beloved Community Cohort
In the aftermath of COVID-19, we began to reimagine the next iteration of Transition Labs. In a collaborative pilot between Movement Strategy Center (MSC) and BCN, we launched the inaugural Beloved Community Cohort. This was a 9-month program bringing together nation-wide movement leaders rooted in transformative work, with the intention of deepening their inquiry into community building through weekly online engagements culminating in an in-person retreat.
The Beloved Community Cohort program responds to the urgent call for a more interconnected, caring, and resilient future—where building Beloved Community is not merely an abstract ideal, but a daily, lived practice. The cohort program was structured around eight essential elements laid out in the Graphic Novel and Guide, encouraging members to implement key practices in their own lives and communities. During weekly engagements, cohort participants met online to explore the practices of healing, radical connection, and collective resilience–all fundamental aspects of leadership along the lines of Beloved Community-building. Following 9-months of work, the cohort came together at a final retreat, which provided a sacred space for connection, reflection, and rejuvenation.
“The Beloved Communities Cohort retreat was nothing short of profound—a convergence of souls who had journeyed together for nine months in virtual space, now stepping into embodied presence with one another. There are no words that can fully capture the depth of what it meant to finally be together, to move beyond screens and into the shared physicality of community, to feel the weight of each other’s presence in a way that no technology could ever replicate.”
-Bethsaida Ruiz Natal, Thrive Network
How to Build Beloved Community: The 8 Essential Elements
Building a Beloved Community isn’t a lofty idea—it’s a daily practice rooted in intentionality and deep relational work. A clear, bold vision is the foundation, with collective understanding of what a world of love, resilience, and regeneration looks like. Our cohort framework was designed around this vision and understanding, and the eight essential elements for building Beloved Community.
Reconnect as Human Kin
Deep, authentic relationships are at the core of Beloved Community. Radical connection involves intentionally creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued—cultivating trust and vulnerability.Interdependent Thriving
Moving away from competition and extraction, interdependent thriving emphasizes collectivity and mutual support. It’s about creating environments where everyone can flourish, celebrating unique contributions, and building a resilient network that nurtures growth.Unshakeable Belonging
We may not love, or even like, everyone in our community. We may even be in active conflict. And still, if strong enough, the container of Beloved Community holds us all with unshakeable belonging.Spirit Guides Us (to new and rediscovered ways of being)
Connection to Spirit allows us to access and discover new and rediscovered ways of being in ourselves and with each other. Spirit means many things to many people, but one key aspect is that it connects us to things larger than ourselves, including our vast, unbounded relationships to ourselves, each other, our ecosystems, and the universe.Embodiment (through rigorous practice)
Transformation engages the whole self. Embodiment encourages reconnecting with our physical presence through rigorous mindfulness, movement, and other somatic practices. By tuning into our bodies, we become aware of our needs and open to the healing essential for growth.Deep Democracy (and governing with sacred responsibility)
As a governing stance, Beloved Community “trusts people to wield power with, instead of power over.” By re-imagining governance and governing with the principles of Beloved Community, we shift from a hierarchical sense of government – where few make decisions for all – to one where we all take responsibility for parts of the whole.Conflict Transformation (and a capacity to hold tension and difference)
Being in Beloved Community takes a rigorous commitment to conflict transformation. This includes cultivating a capacity to hold conflict, tension, and difference in ways that transform and evolve relationships.Courage (to see what is, face harm and transform)
We must develop our capacity to see what is, know what we long for, face the places of harm, and transform them. Beloved Community is purposeful – it’s about creating the experience of love and belonging for ourselves and everyone else.
We can transform personal and isolated efforts into a powerful universal movement for collective change by integrating these 8 Essential Elements in daily practices and organizational initiatives. Throughout the cohort, participants explored these themes via interactive workshops, reflective exercises, and creative embodiment practices—realizing that healing and transformation are nurtured within the supportive presence of community.
Impact and the Next Chapter: We Are What We Need
There were so many moments where inner child me got to come forward and be witnessed and be in good company with others. This was mostly people I had never met in person before, yet I felt that we could come together from our core selves and be in an imaginative, creative, caring, and tender space.
– Yesenia Veamatahau, Resonance Network
The experiences of the members of the inaugural Beloved Communities Cohort over the past 9 months continue to ripple outward and influence work around de-incarceration, racial justice, climate justice, and cultural strategy, to name a few. The deep connections forged have set the stage for the expansion of Beloved Community practices across many diverse fields.
After many months of work together, the retreat served as a restorative and transformative experience for cohort members. Coming together in person provided a healing and restorative space to deepen relationships with one another and set the stage for the expansion of beloved community practices across diverse fields. Through dialogue on conflict, grief, and resilience, participants found solace in knowing they were not alone. As shared by Jose Pineda, Executive Director at After Incarceration, the cohort reinforced that “we are what we need”—reminding everyone that the abundance and wisdom they seek already reside within the community.
The success of this pilot cohort has fueled our commitment to continue this transformative work. Here’s what lies ahead:
A Second Cohort:
We are already designing the next iteration, incorporating the lessons learned to further deepen our practices.Public Workshops:
Upcoming workshops will offer a taste of our process, inviting more community members to experience the principles of beloved community firsthand.Innovative Tools:
New resources, including a healing justice assessment, are in development to support individuals and organizations in implementing these practices in their own communities.Ongoing Connection:
By holding space for continual learning and deepening relationships, we aim to build a network of 10,000 Beloved Communities that embody love, interdependence, and resilience.
Join the Movement
If you are inspired by the vision of a world grounded in love, healing, and radical connection, we invite you to join us on this transformative journey:
Stay Informed:
Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates on future cohorts, workshops, and new resources.Get Involved:
Explore opportunities to support our work—whether through fiscal sponsorship, volunteer engagement, or simply sharing our story with others.Embrace the Practice:
Remember, building beloved community isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing, everyday practice. Reach out, connect, and take small steps toward creating spaces of healing and belonging in your own community.
Subscribe to BCN’s email list to learn about future cohorts and to stay current on our latest news and events. For more details on our programs and the philosophy behind our work, visit Beloved Communities Network.
