The Glia Institute of Collective Care
Our Foundation: Care as Collective Responsibility
Glia was founded on the belief that care is not charity, but a collective responsibility rooted in dignity, equity, and solidarity. Our work has always challenged systems that isolate care to moments of crisis or limit it to clinical spaces alone.
Why the Institute Was Created
As our community has grown, so has the need for spaces where we can slow down, ask better questions, and deepen our understanding of one another. The Glia Institute of Collective Care emerges from this need, as a branch of Glia dedicated to care through dialogue, reflection, and shared learning.
Our Purpose: Deepening Understanding Across Difference
This Institute exists to help us understand one another more fully: to listen across difference, to name what we do not know, and to explore how care looks, feels, and functions in different contexts. By building spaces for honest questions and collective reflection, we strengthen our ability to care for one another with intention, humility, and responsibility.
How We Gather: Online Reflection Circles
We are launching the Glia Institute of Collective Care through Online Reflection Circles, hosted on Zoom to make these conversations accessible to people across countries, cultures, and lived experiences. Meeting online allows us to gather knowledge and perspectives we may not otherwise be exposed to — learning directly from one another rather than relying on a single narrative or framework. This diversity becomes a shared resource, helping us understand each other more deeply and expand how we think about care.
What Reflection Circles Look Like
Reflection Circles can take many forms, including:
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Film screenings with guided discussion
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Spiritual halaqas
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Art-based reflection spaces
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Research sharing and dialogue
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Book discussions
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Facilitated conversations rooted in lived experience
Rather than lectures, these spaces are guided by facilitators or contributors who offer context and insight to help us think together — creating room for questions, discussion, and mutual learning grounded in compassion and care.
If you believe care is something we build together, we invite you to join us.