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Turning our values into action:
How we can do good without losing ourselves, or each other
The Sanctuary presents an immersive online gathering with activist and author Anthea Lawson and neuroscientist Dr Brian Pennie. Inspired by the Sanctuary’s vision of ‘Nourishing Personal Growth for Greater Social Impact’ this offering aims to help us collectively explore:
How do we turn our values into action without losing touch with our humanity?
Who is this for?
This offering is directed at those who are working in the charity/NGO sector and/opassionate about making positive contributions to their community and feel stifled by the polarised political landscape as well as the detrimental impact of modern life on our connections and ability to focus.
Date and Time: Monday 2ndNovember 2026, 10am-1pm, Online
“If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time,but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let uswork together.”
― Lilla Watson, Aboriginal Activists Group, Queensland
Dr. Brian Pennie will begin the day with a presentation onconnecting with ourselves and others and the neuroscience attached to this. Hethen will explore the concept of values-based decision making over emotion-baseddecision making. This is not about diminishing or neglecting our emotions butfeeling our feelings and engaging with the world from a more grounded, centredplace that is less likely to harm ourselves and others. At a time when ourattention is being pulled in countless different directions all day, every day –it can feel like we’re being pushed into endless distractions designed toprovoke strong emotions in us. Brian helps us to understand what we can do on apersonal level to mitigate these challenges of being alive in 2026. There willbe time for reflection and questions.
Anthea Lawson will follow on with a presentation exploringhow we can pursue social change on a local and more national level withoutfalling into self-righteousness, purity or division. Anthea has researched thisarea extensively through her books, The Entangled Activist and morerecently How Not to Save the World, and helps us see a path towards amore humble, relational approach to social change. These vital insights are soimportant right now in the midst of highly polarised cultural and political. Therewill be time for reflection and questions.
The third section of this online gathering is an exchange between Brian and Anthea based on the intersection of their presentations as well as the themes that are arising for the group of attendees. This will be interactive with substantial time allocated for questions and answers.
About the Speakers:
Anthea Lawson
Anthea Lawson is an activist and writer who has worked on campaigns to shut down tax havens, prevent banks from facilitating corruption and environmental devastation, and control the arms trade. At Global Witness, she launched a prize-winning campaign that changed the rules on secret company ownership and resulted in new laws in dozens of countries. She has published opinion pieces in the Financial Times, Guardian and New York Times, and essays in Dark Mountain, where she has worked as an editor.
Anthea began her career as a reporter at The Times,where she also had a book review column. She was a judge for the Betty TraskAward in 2004. She is still campaigning to get a safe pedestrian crossing atthe end of her road.
Her first book, The Entangled Activist: Learning toRecognise the Master’s Tools, was published by Perspectiva Press in 2021.Anthea’s new book, How Not to Save the World, is published byOneworld and is available. She lives in Devon.
Dr. Brian Pennie
Dr. Brian Pennie is a neuroscientist, resilience expert, andmotivational speaker whose journey from a heroin addict to a PhD holder is bothremarkable and inspiring. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Brian’s life took a dramaticturn when he overcame a 15-year heroin addiction in 2013. This pivotal momentled him to pursue an education in psychology, where he excelled, ultimatelyearning a PhD in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin.
Brian is the founder of “Change is Possible,” a platform dedicated to helping individuals and organisations embrace change, build resilience, and achieve personal and professional growth. He is also a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, where he shares his knowledge and insights with students. His personal story of transformation, combined with his academic expertise, makes his talks both deeply personal and scientifically grounded.
As an author, Brian has written the book “Bonus Time,” whichdetails his journey from addiction to academic and professional success.Brian’s keynotes are known for their emotional impact and practical takeaways.He covers topics such as resilience, mental health, meditation and breathwork,and emotional awareness, drawing from his own experiences and extensiveresearch. His engaging and authentic speaking style leaves a lasting impressionon his audiences.
Cost: €50
