Sacred Activism Gathering

From Grounding to Action

In times when the world feels overwhelming and creating change seems challenging, this gathering offers a space to recenter, ground, and reconnect with your core values, nature, and community, helping you find the strength needed for meaningful action.

location

The Grove, Montenegro—an oasis of nature, surrounded by olive trees and ancient trails.

Date

12-18 May 2025

Contribution

Sliding scale €300 - €650 based on contribution and accommodation

About the gathering ​

In a world increasingly marked by social inequality, mass species extinction, and systems of oppression, those working for change often feel the weight and intensity of these challenges. These crises impact not only our communities but also our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

This invitation is for individuals committed to creating impact in the world. Whether you’re an activist, artist, healer, educator, community organizer, or someone striving in your own way for a more just world, this gathering welcomes you. Our aim is to bring together people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to support one another, share wisdom, and find ways to respond to the crises we face.

This gathering is designed to replenish your inner resources, reconnect with your core values through a week filled with community, learning, healing, and immersion in nature. This experience creates a unique space to slow down, reflect, and recharge among like-minded individuals. Here’s what you can expect:

Build meaningful connections with fellow change-makers across diverse causes, fostering a shared sense of purpose and solidarity.

Engage in sessions where participants from different background share tools, knowledge, and experiences for sustainable and regenerative activism.

This gathering invites you to immerse yourself in nature and explore creative expression as paths toward grounding and resilience

Begin each day with breathwork, meditation, and movement to reconnect with your body and spirit. Somatic practices will help release tension and foster emotional healing, building resilience for your ongoing work.

"In times of crisis, a radical act is to pause, reconnect, and let our actions rise from a place of clarity and compassion"

Booking, Prices & Accommodation

For a 7-day (6-night) gathering, your booking includes all sessions, accommodation, and nourishing meals in a beautiful, community-centered environment.

Community Effort & Affordability
To make the Sacred Activism Gathering as affordable as possible, we ask each participant to contribute with 2-3 shifts of about 2 hours each, primarily in meal prep and kitchen support. This shared effort helps minimize costs and fosters a spirit of community care.

If you prefer not to participate in shifts, an additional €100 will be added to your fees.

Creators

The team behind the gathering, shaping the vision, structure, and holding space for the experience.

Marijana Lemm

Creator

Marijana Lemm

Marijana is the founder of Tara Retreats, a community organizer, and a complementary medicine practitioner. For the past seven years, she has been hosting and teaching at women’s retreats, combining movement, art, and nature-based learning. Her work is devoted to inspiring collective healing, social justice, and strengthening our connection to the land, with her roots stemming from both Montenegro and Germany.
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Saeed abu alhassan

Creator

Saeed Abu Alhassan

Saeed is the founder of Shams Community, is a Palestinian-Jordanian artist, facilitator, activist, and community organizer based in Berlin. He believes in the power of community to drive social change, collective liberation, and social justice.
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Rawan Roshni

Creator

Rawan Roshni

Rawan is an Palestinian/Balkan artivist, singer-songwriter, and facilitator who lives life to its fullest expression as a global citizen, co-creating a new reality on this earth. Her work focuses on conflict transformation, collective liberation, feminine leadership, and conscious relating. Rawan fuses sound, movement, and intuitive rituals, weaving in group singing, vocalization, whirling dance, and nature-based practices.
Website

Contributors

The facilitators, artists, and volunteers who enrich the gathering with their unique offerings.

 

Jamila Al-Yousef

Contributor

Jamila Al-Yousef

Website

Rajaa Sabbagh

Contributor

Rajaa Sabbagh

Rajaa is a holistic multidisciplinary practitioner dedicated to integrative care and social impact. A trauma-informed sound healing practitioner, drawing expertise from social work, human rights, NLP, and Mediation. Her mission is to foster universal healing by holding safe(r) spaces where you can Root in Peace and Rise in Trust and Love, guiding inner transformation through sound and inspiring collective change.
Website

Giulia Di Benedetto

Contributor

Giulia Di Benedetto

Giuls is a multidisciplinary creative passionate about movement and human connection. Originally from Sicily, she is a dedicated yoga and meditation space holder and the founder of Mango Yoga Collective, a safe and inclusive space for self-exploration. Beyond yoga, she actively works to uphold the rights of vulnerable groups through her role at an NGO focused on energy justice and human rights. Committed to social and climate justice, Giuls weaves these values into everything she does.

Mariona Miret

Contributor

Mariona Miret

Mariona Miret is an activist committed to the revitalisation of endangered languages. From Catalonia (Spain), she focuses on raising linguistic awareness and exploring the emotional ties we have to our mother tongue. She organises retreats to address the grief of language loss and integrates body, voice, and language in her therapeutic approach to support healing.
Website

Sîdal

Contributor

Sîdal

Sîdal is an abolitionist, yoga teacher, and community organizer committed to empowerment and liberation. Their tools for collective healing and resistance—movement, rest, and reconnection—are rooted in anti-capitalist and anti-colonial struggles. They also offer foraging/walks and explore food imperialism as a cook, fostering resilience through ancestral knowledge and land connection. These practices cultivate strength and clarity in revolutionary struggles, where care and resistance are deeply intertwined.

Sîdal

Contributor

Razan Alreem

Razan, originally from Syria and based in Barcelona, runs Dagon, a food project celebrating Mediterranean Levantine cuisine. Passionate about community, she also volunteers with refugees and explores mental health through yoga, breathwork, and meditation.

Our Host

The Grove, Montenegro

A beautifully converted old mill house nestled in the historic town of Stari Bar, Montenegro. The Grove offers a quiet escape from the busyness of everyday life, surrounded by olive trees, walking trails, and a freshwater stream flowing through the land. Stari Bar, located just 20 minutes from the coastline, is a historic old town rich in charm. Guests can explore trails leading into olive groves, discover waterfalls, and wander through the ancient fortress

Organizers

The Sacred Activism Gathering, organized in collaboration between Shams Community and Tara Retreats

Shams Community

Shams aims to foster the power of community to drive social change, collective healing, and social justice. At Shams, we organize and facilitate a variety of community gatherings, including dialogue sessions, workshops, talks, retreats, and tours. Through these events, we create spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds can connect, learn, and grow together.
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tara retreats

Tara Retreats in Montenegro brings people together to reconnect with nature, each other, and themselves through movement, creativity, and land-based practices. Rooted in the wild beauty of Montenegro, our mission is to foster supportive spaces for personal and collective healing.
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Frequently asked questions