There was no agenda, no fixed outcome to chase – just a question, held loosely by a group of participants from different corners of the world: what if sustainability isn’t only about systems and strategies, but also about aliveness, and the quality we bring to our relationships? That question sat at the heart of the AMA event 2025 in Potsdam, where participants let go of certainty long enough to actually listen – to each other, and to something larger than themselves. The insights that emerged were as varied: for some, aliveness meant permission to cry, to laugh, to be angry, to hug someone they loved without holding back; for others, it was something quieter – being grounded enough in their own body to stay open to someone else’s, and to the more-than-human world. One insight surfaced again and again: aliveness isn’t the opposite of struggle. It includes tension, uncertainty, grief. A grief circle became one of the most meaningful moments of the gathering, a reminder that joy and sorrow aren’t opposites, but both signs of being fully in touch with what’s real.
The gathering wasn’t about arriving at shared conclusions. It was about learning to see each other as human beings first, across cultures, disciplines, and ways of being in the world. We are thankful for exploring together, with open-minded and open-hearted AMA friends, what it means being human today. If you are curious please follow this link to our little film on the event made by Felix Anton Faller.