OUR VOICE MATTERS

Natalia Sarata

RegenerAction Foundation / Fundacja RegenerAkcja

Natalia Sarata – human rights activist since 2002, involved especially in feminist and LGBTQIA+ movements in Poland, social researcher and facilitator. Founder and leader of the RegenerAkcja Foundation (eng. RegenerAction), the first organization in Poland aimed at counteracting activist burnout and traumatization associated with social activism. She focuses particularly on human rights and minority organizations and human rights defenders’ support. She experienced activist burnout herself, and since 2017 has been supporting activists, organizations and collectives to take care of themselves. She helps CSOs introduce solutions to prevent human rights movements from breaking apart under oppression.

She conducts anti-burnout workshops, facilitates support groups for tired activists. She also supports organizations in diagnosing the culture of burnout and introducing a culture of mutual care / collective care. In 2023, her organisation, RegenerAkcja, will launch a training school for anti-burnout trainers according to Natalia’s original concept, as well as a system of respite scholarships (activist sabbaticals) for human rights defenders at the risk of burnout. Together with other human rights activists, Natalia has been working on the concept of a recovery and regeneration center for human rights activists.