June 2025
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I’m writing to share a deeply personal and exciting update. As of July 4th, 2025, I will be taking a one-year sabbatical from my role as Executive Director of Mindbridge. During this time, the remarkable Dr. Asia Eaton will serve as our Interim Executive Director.
Stepping back from a role I’ve held since Mindbridge’s inception is bittersweet. I’m excited to complete the final year of my PhD training as I join the VA Maine Health Care | Veterans Affairs Psychology Department, where I’ll be working with Veterans living with PTSD, particularly combat-related trauma. At the same time, I step away with a keen awareness of the growing authoritarianism and escalating assault on human rights here in the United States. These are not ordinary times and they are precisely why the mission of Mindbridge matters so much.
When I founded Mindbridge, it was with the belief that psychology and neuroscience - the study of what drives us, connects us, and divides us - must be central to efforts to protect human dignity and advance human rights. That belief has only deepened with time.
Over the past years, and now across five continents, Mindbridge has worked to advance human rights by building coalitions that defend democracy, belonging, and justice. As the U.S. faces intensifying polarization, disinformation, and the targeted oppression of marginalized communities, our mission has become more urgent than ever. With growing threats to dignity and truth, understanding how identity, fear, and belonging shape human behavior isn’t optional…it’s essential. If we want to interrupt cycles of violence and division, we must make it our business to understand what’s driving them.
Dr. Eaton brings to this work extraordinary depth and vision. A professor of psychology, author, researcher, and consultant, she is nationally and internationally recognized for her work on gender justice, intersectionality, and systemic change. As Founding Director of the Power, Women, and Relationships Lab and the Applied Social and Cultural Psychology Ph.D. Program at Florida International University, she has trained and mentored hundreds of scholars. Her applied work includes collaborations with Meta, the United Nations, the U.S. Marines, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Perhaps most importantly, Asia is someone whose integrity, leadership, and heart I trust without hesitation. Her intersectional feminist leadership and unwavering commitment to public scholarship and bridging to those most affected reflect the very spirit of Mindbridge. I know she will not only safeguard our mission but continue to grow and evolve it in ways that serve this moment.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, and endlessly grateful to the people who have believed in and shaped Mindbridge along the way. Thank you for walking with us. I look forward to returning with new energy and perspective, and in the meantime, I leave you in the best of hands.
Onward.
With gratitude and conviction,
Laura Ligouri
Founder & Executive Director (on sabbatical)
Mindbridge
I Am A Human Rights Defender
Laura Ligouri
Human rights defenders seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights
as well as the promotion, protection and realization of economic, social + cultural rights.
- OHCHR
“What human rights work often misses is placing the human at the center of the
frame. It is through psychology and neuroscience that we can truly come to understand the extraordinary complexity and honor the dignity of humans we seek to engage.”
April Program Recap
We’re excited to welcome Dr. Christine Brugh to the Mindbridge Institute team as our new Content Expert. Christine brings a unique blend of research depth and lived insight, with a Ph.D. in social and community psychology and a focus on how identity, systems, and belonging shape human behavior, for better or worse. She’ll be helping us shape and develop Mindbridge’s content in ways that inform and truly resonate, and we’re so glad to have her voice and vision with us.
This month, the RED welcomes our new Research Assistant, Alex Morgan, who comes to Mindbridge from the University of Maine as a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Abnormal and Social Psychology. As a member of the RED, Alex will blend her education, previous research in extremism, and thoughtfulness to support the team in its next steps, such as our research within the Countering Extremism Directive.
Looking ahead, the summer holds many exciting developments on external collaborations formed with other nonprofits and academic laboratories. The RED is also excited to maintain its ongoing collaborations with the Mindbridge Institute and the Healing Racial Trauma Initiative, supporting a new era of growth for Mindbridge with consistent, high-quality research!
As we’ve wrapped up our first pilot training, Culturally Responsive Therapy 11-part Series led by Dr. Janeé Steele we thank her and all our participants for such an incredible pilot program. We are excited to share some up and coming events with the community this summer and early fall.
HRTI is also happy to announce we are hiring! We are looking for a compassionate and experienced individual to come and join our team as our HRTI Circle Facilitator. You would be responsible for facilitating, program development, and much more. Click here to learn more and apply!
Happenings & Events
Upcoming Days of Observance:
6/1: Start of Pride month
June marks the beginning of Pride month, a time to recognize and celebrate LGBTQIA+ individuals identities, stories, and causes. This month-long holiday reflects on and honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Check out our social media page to see the upcoming Pride events this month throughout the state of Maine, and an extra special shoutout to other nonprofits in the area who champaign LGBTQIA+ rights.
6/8: World Oceans Day
The United Nations (UN) recognizes June 8th as World Oceans Day. Covering over 70% of our planet, the world’s oceans are vital to biodiversity, food security, and clean air. Did you know that our oceans produce more than half of the world’s oxygen? With the impacts of climate change and human industrialization, our oceans need our help mobilizing toward greater sustainability.
6/12: World Day Against Child Labor
World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12, aims to raise awareness about the global issue of child labor and promote efforts to eliminate it. The day highlights the importance of education, social protection, and legal frameworks in combating child labor and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow and develop in a safe and supportive environment.
6/18: International Day for Countering Hate Speech
The 18th of June is recognised by the UN as a day focused on countering hate speech globally. Since 2021, the United Nations General Assembly has noted hate speech as a growing concern globally, especially with the rise of social media use. Their resolution calls for new ways to counter discrimination and increase intercultural dialogue. At Mindbridge, we remain committed to our efforts in applying key psychological and neurobiological principles to emerging human rights issues, including the alarming rise of hate speech especially within the United States.
6/19: Juneteenth
June 19th is a federal holiday that represents the nation’s second independence day. Juneteenth not only celebrates African American resilience, but also the importance of preserving the stories and achievements of Black Americans who promoted racial and personal advancement before and after that first “Freedom Day” over 160 years ago.
6/20: World Refugee Day
The United Nations recognizes June 20th as World Refugee Day. Every sixty seconds, twenty people have to leave everything behind in order for them to escape war, persecution or terror. This includes asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless persons, and returnees.
The UN Notes: “Solidarity with people forced to flee also means finding solutions to their plight – ending conflicts so they can return home in safety, ensuring they have opportunities to thrive in the communities that have welcomed them, and providing countries with the resources they need to include and support refugees”.
6/21: International Day of Yoga
This June marks the 11th anniversary of the international day of Yoga. It is an ancient practice originating from India, and the United Nations describes yoga as a transformative practice that “represents the harmony of mind and body, the balance between thought and action, and the unity of restraint and fulfillment”.
6/26: International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Established by the United Nations in 1997, this day honors and supports victims and survivors of torture worldwide. It serves as a reminder of the absolute prohibition of torture under international law and the need for accountability and justice for those affected. The observance also emphasizes the importance of rehabilitation and support services for survivors.
