'It is important to take a break and process everything that is going on'

“These are not strategic meetings, they are not a call for action. It is rather a space to let out sentiments about what is going on in our university and the world,” emphasises one of the coordinators of the group. All coordinators asked to remain anonymous in this article. DUB’s editors know their identities. The gatherings aim to provide support, foster a community, and fuel a deeper sense of trust among protesters and supporters.

The group held their second Community Day on Sunday, May 19, at Moira Expo. A wide range of activities were organised between noon and 7:00 pm, focusing on rest, recovery and community building. People came together to share food, reflections, and music. The programme included debriefing sessions where people could open up to each other and receive emotional support, collective check-ins to identify areas of stress and concern, a body workshop to channel inner tension through movement, and a pot-luck dinner. 

“We want to create moments in which people can feel close to one another and safe to share their experiences and struggles,” explains the team. “We aim to rethink activism according to personal needs and capacities. People are different and have different ways of getting involved and engaging with the current student movement. And all of them are equally valuable and necessary,” concludes one of the coordinators. “Being in the front is not the only way to be involved, there is so much happening behind the scenes,” they add.

Everyone is welcome to join. “It is a place to share experiences, but also ask questions, or just observe, paint, or read,” explains a work group coordinator.

A space for everybody
So far, the Community Days have seen the participation of a group of about 30 people, being UU students, employees, alumni, and activists from Utrecht Students for Palestine.

Some of them joined because they wanted to be with other people to deal with the overwhelming emotions that the current situation has brought about. Others because they were looking for a place to reflect and listen to different perspectives. Some students needed to decompress and take a break from everything. Finally, some participants were simply curious to see what it was about. “I am craving community and I want to listen to other people’s insights, ideas, doubts, and concerns to cope with mine,” says a participant. “It is important to take a break and process everything that has been going on,” he continues.

“Our role is to facilitate discussions and conversations to the best of our abilities. Within the movement, there are plenty of people with specific backgrounds that can help us in this process, coordinating these creative activities or moderating sharing circles,” explains another member of the organising team.

Avoiding a burnout
The wellbeing group believes that these gatherings are essential to ensure the longevity of the movement. If activists don’t take a moment to “go from protesting to processing”, they risk burning out, the organisers argue. 

They aspire for the project to endure over time, continuing to provide support and encourage conversations regarding future actions, seeking to nurture solidarity between activists and supporters.