WAMIP member Maamankhuu Sodnom, appointed as the Asia Pacific region representative at Nyéléni Global Steering Committee in September 2024, attended the in-person meeting of the Nyéléni Global Steering Committee held in Sri Lanka from the 5th to the 9th of May, 2025.
During the mística, a collective expression through art and ritual, anchoring the forum in cultural and spiritual reflection, Maamankhuu Sodnom shared the cultural and ecological significance of the traditional Mongolian ger (yurt).
A yurt or ger is a portable, round tent covered and insulated with fabric or skins, and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct mobile indigenous and pastoralist groups in in the steppes and mountains of Central Asia. Maamankhuu explained how this ancestral dwelling, passed down through generations, is ingeniously adapted to the extreme climate of the steppes — cool and breathable in summer, warm and protective in winter. Withstanding temperatures from -40°C in winter to 50°C in summer, and powerful spring winds, the ger reflects the resilience, adaptability, and deep ecological knowledge of Mongolia’s mobile herder communities.
The mística is a valuable practice in addressing the need to invest in resilience and regeneration while creating space for developing other competencies such as transformative collaboration, and this moment highlighted the strength and diversity of cultures, rooted in traditional knowledge and ways of life.