For the past decade, Lira Low has been practicing the art of conflict resolution and mediation in (armed) conflicts all around the world. Along the way, she specialized in trauma interventions, and more recently pivoted to mediation and mental health support for individuals, families and businesses with mixed cultural backgrounds.
Due to her work and personal experience, Lira is deeply aware that we all carry pain, shame and trauma. And she knows that most of us don’t realize how that affects our mindset and choices, especially when we are in a conflict situation and the stakes are high.
Each time something inside us breaks, it results in pain, shame, trauma and vulnerabilities, and we try to cover up the deepening wounds even more. We might inflict pain on others to draw attention away from where we are hurting ourselves.
But there’s hope, as empathy can change things. It is when we begin to become aware of and understand our pain that we can take a small step towards seeing ourselves in the other, and our innate humanity and clarity are revealed in coming to solutions and resolving differences.
Join Lira as she opens up on why brokering peace is her life’s mission, her ongoing battle against her inner voices of shame and defeat, dealing with life’s lemons and the continuous cultivation of empathy amidst the challenges of starting her own company in trauma-informed conflict resolution and mediation for private individuals and companies - all made more interesting with an intercultural twist.
WOMEN'S HUB DAY ZURICH
EMPATHY IN CONFLICT: A MIRRORED SELF IN PAIN
FROM WOUNDED TO HEALER: The transformative power of gentle touch
As a sensitive being born into an emotionally distant family, Esther Janssen felt herself forced to leave home at a young age. That was the start to an adventurous life, living all over the world, and working as a dancer. She lived life to the fullest, experiencing incredible adventures, but also being exposed to extremely painful experiences and hardship.
Esther was always a giver, denying her own needs and feelings, until she ended up in a severe burnout. With no energy, and no zest for life left, she started her healing journey with the help of a psychologist, and various spiritual and energetic therapies. But the key to her healing and self-love were the tantric massage courses she took, that finally allowed her to heal her trauma and move forward.
Now, Esther recognizes that the terrible experiences she has been through have shaped her essence as a therapist. Through her gentle tantra massage, she now helps other women heal their traumas, reconnect to their bodies, learn about their needs and feel self-love.
Even though she was told that women would not be open to receive tantra massages, Esther has already massaged 400 women. But her vision is much bigger than that. She recently started a passion project where she brings together a wide range of therapists and healers to help heal women who suffer(ed) from abuse and have limited or no financial means. And she doesn't stop there...
At the WOMEN'S HUB stage, Esther will share what the world could look like if all women embraced their primal power, and what she does to make that vision a reality.
WHEN PLAYING BY THE RULES FEELS LIKE PRISON: A REBEL ABOUT BEING TAMED.
This is a story of a girl who grew up in a cultural environment that she doesn’t fit in. But she didn’t know…
At age 18, Büşra noticed that there’s a different world outside, and her small world collapsed for the first time. Trying to work against her inner voice, she lost herself even more, until the wrecking ball hit her with 26 when she married a man that made it clear to her that this wasn’t the world she wanted to live in. Only when she divorced and turned 30, she understood who she actually is and lived her life to the fullest.
But then, after her soul found freedom and was able to live free in Berlin, the city of no rules, she again had to let go of who she was when moving to Switzerland 3 years later to follow her love, the man who helped her to break through and find herself.
7 years passed by, and she’s still in the process of finding herself again. Following her desire of not playing by rules she doesn’t like, she left the corporate world. Now, she is also on a journey to find her authentic ‘business self’ as a founder, product management coach and trainer at Producteer GmbH.
Büşra's talk at the WOMEN’S HUB stage is part of her journey to let her unique self shine both in her personal and her professional life 💛🖤
LAYERS OF IDENTITY: Unwrapping the journey of an Indian chocolate entrepreneur in Switzerland
How did an Indian expat end up owning a thriving business in one of the most Swiss products of all? 🍫
This is the story of Siddhi, who grew up in Europe, born to two Indian parents from Mumbai. From a very young age, she had mixed feelings about her heritage. She cherished her Indian roots, but when her mom wore a bindi at a school event, she felt embarrassed and didn’t want to stand out.
Now a mom herself, Siddhi feels it is time to show up as her full self. But this is hard, and something holds her back…
At the Women’s Hub stage, Siddhi will share about her rich family history, her journey in embracing her heritage, why she thinks it’s important to reconcile with your roots, and her next steps as an Indian entrepreneur in Switzerland.
BUILDING YOUR FUTURE: Exploring your dreams brick by brick
Remember the endlessly creative worlds you made with legos as a child? Maybe you are still ‘borrowing’ your kid’s or cousin’s lego to build the most wonderful things 😇
During the next WOMEN’S HUB DAY in Zurich, you will have full permission to unleash your inner child and let your imagination run wild during a LEGO® Serious Play® workshop!
It’s our mission with the WOMEN'S HUB to inspire you to live your dream and become the truest, boldest version of yourself 🔥 We know that may sound slightly intimidating, and that’s why we invited Sandra, supported by Kristin, to help us explore what that looks like for us in a fun and accessible way.
Sandra and Kristin will guide us through an exciting and potentially transformative process, in which we will explore our dreams and our potential with these versatile little blocks.
You will be surprised by what the blocks will show you!
ABOUT SANDRA
Sandra Roth is a certified coach, supervisor and organizational consultant with a sound background in psychology (PhD). She consults teams and companies on their journey towards self-organized, collaborative and agile ways of working.
Using her background in psychology, coaching and more than a decade of leadership experience in a global environment, she provides the best and comprehensive support and individualized service to her clients.
To relax and recharge she regularly does sports, enjoys being in nature, painting, reading, listening to scientific audio books, and spending quality time with her two children, her husband, her extended family and her friends.
Ginetta is a digital agency specialized in human-centered design and development. The experiences they create are fast, simple and beautiful. While they focus on the user, they talk business: Through their work, they help their clients thrive very successfully in a digital world.
They offer a respectful, creative and result-oriented environment in which everyone can perform at their highest level. They work hard, sweat the details, and celebrate their progress with drinks at the end of the week.
Since Ginetta was founded thirteen years ago, it has, against all odds, managed to maintain a pretty steady 50/50 male/female team ratio, which for agencies and technology companies is quite rare.
