In a quietly resonant afternoon in Abu Dhabi, The Courage to Be Whole made its soft yet certain debut—a private, purposeful gathering. Initiated by SocioCultural Lifestyle (SCLC), this evolving initiative centers culturally rooted women leaders as architects of community, culture, and voice—three foundations the world urgently needs in today’s shifting global landscape.
This wasn’t a launch. Not yet. But it was unmistakably a beginning—intentional, personal, and deeply grounded.
The gathering was about alignment. Women didn’t come seeking healing—they arrived offering insight, holding space, and anchoring the dialogue in heritage, wisdom, and generational strength. These are not just women influencing households or industries—they are actively shaping the cultural and social ethos of tomorrow.
What began with formal introductions and polite reserve quickly unfolded into powerful, unguarded exchange. The setting—intimate and reflective—cultivated sincerity, authenticity, and mutual respect. What emerged wasn’t merely connection—it was momentum. Women from diverse walks of life found resonance in one another’s values, cultural fluency, and shared readiness to lead—not perform—within their spheres.
These women—leaders in their own right—did not come to be empowered. They came to connect. As carriers of generational knowledge and cultural depth, they created a space that was as grounded as it was transformative. The result: a collective affirmation of leading from a place of wholeness.
Strangers became kindreds. Unfamiliarity gave way to shared language and deeper knowing. No agenda was imposed, yet clarity rose: The Courage to Be Whole isn’t just timely—it’s necessary. And these women are all willing and ready to get the word out and support the campaign.
This campaign rests on years of deliberate, behind-the-scenes groundwork. MJ Maria, founder of SCLC, shaped The Courage to Be Whole through decades of cultural and social advocacy. Her journey began inspired by her father’s legacy of public service and as a teenager leading a women’s concern club. Deeply engaged in behind the scenes community work, intercultural dialogue, and values-driven initiatives, she cultivated a lived foundation that informs the campaign’s intent: to elevate women’s roles not through slogans, but through lived clarity, competence, and cultural grounding.
This gathering echoed a shared hunger—for spaces where womanhood isn’t tokenized, leadership isn’t reduced to buzzwords, and cultural identity isn’t diluted for palatability. These women aren’t asking for space—they’re already mentoring, leading, and quietly reshaping narratives in their homes, institutions, and communities.
At its core, The Courage to Be Whole isn’t a response to brokenness—it’s an affirmation of the emotional, cultural, and social architecture women carry every day. It reflects a readiness to lead not despite it, but through it.
As another signature addition to its fast growing in-house portfolio, SCLC reaffirms its role as a Category Creator in building Productive Intercultural Competence—a pioneering framework that weaves heritage, emotional depth, and socially intelligent leadership into sustainable, values-driven living.
As The Courage to Be Whole continues to unfold—amplified by new voices and growing support—its reach will extend across cities, sectors, and cultural landscapes. It’s a campaign grounded in purpose, connecting women not just to each other, but to the futures they’re already shaping.
This private invitational event was made possible through the unfailing support of Helen Montebon Campos of TEEM Studio, Timeless/Cadre, and FIPA Schools Abu Dhabi. Special thanks to Jessie Balasi Intendencia of XOXO Events for the flowing refreshments and gracious hospitality at the soon-to-launch XOXO Café on Khalifa Street, where the space’s relaxed European charm set the tone for an evening of meaningful connection.
