CONFERENCE AIMS
The world and our society are going through significant changes. Our goal is to provide a space where people can come together to talk, ask questions, and feel inspired. Together we will explore the role of mindfulness in response to the many possibilities and challenges we face today.
ICM:2024 will have an exciting programme and a rich range of speakers, partners and sponsors to make this a truly collaborative conference with the widest possible reach and impact.
We will bring together mindfulness researchers, trainers, supervisors, teachers, and practitioners, with contemplatives, policy makers, service users and the general public.
We will aim to include (as speakers and participants) the diverse perspectives and voices of those who historically have not been at the table.
We will raise the challenging questions and dilemmas that we are all facing as we inquire into what is most needed in the world at this time.
conference theme
The theme of the 2024 conference is Mindfulness in a Changing World. Watch Professor Rebecca Crane and Dr. Ken Lunn discuss this at the Manchester Mindfulness Festival in October 2023. For accessibility, enable closed captions by clicking the ‘CC’ button or access the transcript by clicking the ‘Transcript’ button.
Using our five main strands, the conference will explore how mindfulness can contribute to the challenges of social disruption, inequality, lack of inclusion and diversity, and climate and biodiversity breakdown, as well as inquiring into mindfulness approaches in education, workplaces and health and well-being.
Our five strands
about the ICM series
The International Conference on Mindfulness (ICM) series was initiated in 2012 and led by Prof Nirbhay N. Singh, Medical College of Georgia, emeritus founding editor of the international journal, Mindfulness, in collaboration with Prof Antonino Raffone, University of Rome, and Fabio Giommi, mindfulness teacher, Italy.
The ICM series now aims to schedule a biennial conference held in the northern hemisphere and in the Asia Pacific region. Professor Antonino Rafone now leads the ICM series.
The series has included the following events:
- 2013 Rome University, Italy, chaired by Prof. Antonino Raffone
- 2016 Rome University, Italy, chaired by Prof. Antonino Raffone
- 2018 Amsterdam University, chaired by Profs Anne Speckens and Susan Bogels
- 2019 Auckland University, New Zealand, chaired by Prof Christian Krägeloh ·
- 2020 Aarhus University, Denmark chaired by Prof Lone Fjorback
- 2022 Aarhus University, Denmark chaired by Prof Lone Fjorback
- 2022 Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, chaired by International Conference Mindfulness Asia-Pacific Nov 2022 (Non-AACBT event) | AACBT
Future conferences planned in the ICM series:
- 2024 Bangor University, chaired by Prof Rebecca Crane and directed by Dr Ken Lunn
- 2025 Hong Kong, chaired by Dr Samuel Wong
- 2026 South Korea, chaired by Deoksang Jo
Outside of the ICM series the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University organised and hosted eight international conferences in Bangor and Chester in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. The early conferences were organised by Judith Soulsby and the later ones by Sharon Hadley when she was based within the Bangor team. Professor Rebecca Crane, Eluned Gold, Dr Dusana Dorjee and Dr Gemma Griffith chaired and hosted the events with support from the Bangor teaching team.
Offering these spaces for community building and shared inquiry for mindfulness teachers, researchers, practitioners, and partner colleagues has been an important part of our process. Bangor University is delighted to be holding the baton for the ICM 2024 conference through co-hosting with The Mindfulness Network.