Bart Weetjens, Founder of APOPO & Zen Buddhist Monk
"If we engage in the world from a place of anger, we risk to propel that anger..."
In this conversation, Bart Weetjens - Zen priest and internationally celebrated social entrepreneur - shares his journey from childhood, to his LSD experience at university, to becoming the founder of APOPO (a humanitarian organisation that trains giant African pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis), to his experience of burnout and leaving APOPO to become a Zen Buddhist monk.
He discusses the challenges of leadership in humanitarian work, the importance of self-care, and the need for compassion and awareness in nonprofit leaders.
"It takes courage to address your own issues..."
Bart emphasises the significance of inner work for sustainable leadership and offers advice for aspiring humanitarians that draws from his zen practice.
Find out more about Bart and his work here:
https://www.innerpreneurs.org/en
https://bartweetjens.be/
https://apopo.org/who-we-are/our-history/
Episode takeaways:
- Bart's childhood struggles shaped his empathy for vulnerable populations.
- Zen Buddhism has been a guiding force in Bart's life and work.
- The idea of using rats for landmine detection came from a combination of personal experience and scientific research.
- HeroRAT's are effective because they can detect landmines without triggering them.
- The journey to establish APOPO was filled with doubts and challenges.
- Public health interventions using HeroRAT's have been developed to combat tuberculosis.
- Leadership in humanitarian work requires balancing personal needs with organisational goals.
- Self-care is crucial for leaders to avoid burnout and maintain effectiveness.
- Over-identifying with a cause can lead to personal neglect and stress.
- Sustainable leadership comes from a place of compassion and awareness.
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