Contributing to a Lighter and More Beautiful Life on the Balkan Peninsula
Project Light is an inner social impact platform dedicated to contributing to a lighter, more beautiful life on the Balkan Peninsula through three key pillars: Awareness and Intentionality, Transformational Learning, and Collective Trauma Healing
Our Three Key Pillars:
Awareness and Intentionality
Shedding light on the objective state of our collective inner landscape to foster mindful, intentional choices
Transformational Learning
Enabling young adults to step into authorship of their story, and make informed, conscious choices from there
Collective Trauma Healing
Bridging divides, unfreezing and integrating our shared collective trauma to unlock its inherent wisdom
By collaborating with individual leaders from all sectors and stakeholder groups who are also committed to contribute to a similar aspiration, we aim to support the inner development of 5% of the population living in the Balkans until 2050.
In the first phase (2023-2027), our focus is on the Western Balkans (ex-Yugoslavia).
Meet Nikola, the Founder
When I was 7, we went on a school expedition to the Tara mountain – a lush Yugoslav national park. But this was no ordinary trip – we were here to become Pioneers! During the ceremony, I gave my word to “study diligently… develop brotherhood and unity… and value all people of the world”. Little did I expect that before I turned 10, conflict would break out… and the country fragmented.
I have since been walking with this question: How is it that after more than 40 years of peace, brotherhood and unity, we could collectively descend into such a dark place, so quickly? What was missing?
Project Light was born as an invitation to journey with this question. It is the highest contribution I can imagine making. And I am encouraged by how many others feel the same. It is a collective question, which necessities a collective response. Project Light was born as a platform to enable this response.
Before founding Project Light, I worked in McKinsey & Company for 14 years, where I led the Culture & Change service line for the ~90 countries of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In this role I had the opportunity to learn about leadership and culture transformation working with over 200 leading public and private sector organizations around the world.
The ideas and organizations that have shaped me are both more intellectual (McKinsey & Company, London School of Economics, The Economist Group) and more intuitive (coaching, facilitation, spent >20k hours in workshops and >5k hours in silence).
Our Principles: How We Work
We Cultivate the Inner World
We focus on recognizing, developing, and nurturing the inner world to contribute to positive collective outcomes and address social challenges
People and Organizations that Inspire Us
Tomas Bjorkmann
co-author of Nordic Secret and co-initiator of the Inner Development Goals
Zoran Todorovic
leading global master coach for mindset transformation
Anthea Indira Ong
Singapore based leading social entrepreneur and ex-MP
Bob Anderson
founder of the Leadership Circle Profile leadership assessment
Hans Andeweg
pioneer in creating large scale (e.g. Europe wide) healing ecosystems
Paul Mojzes
academic of genocide and ethnoreligious studies with 50 year career, author of Balkan Genocides
Thomas Hubl
pioneer in the field of collective trauma, integrating science and spirituality
Gita Bellin
master facilitator and wisdom carrier in the field of Conscious Evolution
Alan Watts
leader of the human potential movement, spiritual entertainer, bringing eastern wisdom to the west
Gabor Mate
global expert on trauma, addiction, stress and childhood development born in Hungary
Our Projects
Ruzica Ray
Awareness and Intentionality
Balkan Ecosystem Healing (BESH)
Creating a natural healing ecosystem on the Balkan Peninsula by 2027
Partner
Help2Heal Europe Foundation
Funding
The Pocket Project, Project Light and volunteer facilitators
Duration
Dec 2022 to Dec 2027
Get Involved
Susanne Stillhammer
Collective Trauma Healing
Collective & Transgenerational Trauma in the Balkans Lab II
Exploring the Balkan’s history to foster healing and inclusivity through gatherings that process trauma, build trust, and inspire collective action
Partner
The Pocket Project
Funding
The Pocket Project, Project Light and volunteer facilitators
Duration
January to December 2024
Get Involved
Nikola Jurisic
Awareness and Intentionality
Project Light Silent Retreats
Supporting the Project Light community in deepening personal practice and strengthening the collective healing field through retreats happening twice a year
Funding
Participant self funded
Duration
Every 6 months
Get Involved
Danijela Debelic
Awareness and Intentionality
Lighter Heart
Supporting the Balkan Cluster of the GCP 2.0 project (measuring consciousness to bring humanity together)
Partner
HeartMath Institute
Funding
Citizen Scientist self funded; Project Light supported
Duration
May 2022 to Ongoing
Get Involved
Marko Milicevic
Transformational Learning
PEAT Academy
Scale up the impact of Balkan born PEAT method to help >1m people heal
Partner
PEAT International Association
Funding
TBD
Duration
Nov 2022 to Ongoing