Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy - Contemplative Policy Retreat

Building trust and sustaining presence in the age of AI and acceleration

Over four days, senior policy leaders are invited into a contemplative space for practice, ethical discernment, and reflection on AI governance and democratic renewal. In a time defined by speed and pressure, this retreat offers silence, depth, and community—helping restore the inner conditions from which wisdom and moral clarity can emerge.

The invitation

When attention is shaped for profit, trust feels fragile, and democratic institutions struggle to keep pace with technological change, this retreat offers a chance to pause. It is an invitation to reconnect with what many already know: that public decisions must be rooted in humanity, love, and compassion.

This four-day residential retreat brings together senior public leaders, policymakers, journalists, civic actors, scholars, and technology leaders for a rare step back from constant noise, urgency, and decision pressure. The aim is to reconnect with the deeper moral and human foundations of public work.

Drawing on contemplative traditions adapted for public life, the retreat creates a disciplined yet spacious setting for strengthening ethical judgment, deepening attention, and exploring how human discernment can be protected within AI-mediated systems.

What sets this contemplative policy retreat apart

The daily rhythm is gentle but intentional, inspired by the Benedictine balance of prayer and work. Each day combines silence, contemplative practice, shared meals, reflective dialogue, and focused policy workshops. Practices such as Lectio Divina, meditation, and the daily examen are adapted as secularisable disciplines of attention, welcoming participants from a wide range of professional, religious, and cultural backgrounds.

What we will do together

Across four days at Broughton Sanctuary, you will join 25-30 other leaders in a rhythm of silence, contemplative practice, and deep discernment. Together, we will work with adapted Benedictine practices including lectio divina, clearness committees, examen, and policy discussion circles.

You will also engage with GCRD’s Contemplative Policy Matrix, moving beyond surface-level problem solving toward questions of human flourishing: Whose voices are missing? What fears shape each position? What would love do here?

What you’ll leave with

You will return to your work with a personal Rule of Life and practical tools for moral discernment. You will also become part of a peer network of like-minded leaders that continues well beyond the retreat.

What to expect

• Four days of silence, contemplative practice, and policy discernment at one of Britain’s most inspiring sanctuaries, set within 2,500 acres of Yorkshire beauty.
• A small cohort of 25-30 senior leaders from civil society, government, and corporate sectors, creating peer connections that can sustain you through difficult decisions.
• Benedictine wisdom adapted for modern leadership, including lectio divina, clearness committees, and examen—practices that help restore moral clarity under pressure.
• A move beyond technical governance toward deeper questions of human flourishing: Whose voices are missing? What fears drive each position? What would love do?

About the facilitator

The retreat will be led by a carefully curated team of facilitators with the experience to hold both policy discussion and human-centred dialogue.

It will be anchored by Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, Founding Executive Director of the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy (GCRD). His work sits at the intersection of democratic governance, emerging technologies, and contemplative leadership formation. As a Benedictine spiritual director, he brings together moral attention and contemporary policy challenges, especially those shaped by technology and institutional fragmentation. His work is grounded in the belief that sustainable democratic renewal requires not only stronger institutions and systems, but also leaders with the discernment to navigate complexity without losing their humanity.

He will be joined by guest faculty and facilitators whose expertise spans contemplative traditions and frontline policy work, enriching the formation experience.

Broughton Sanctuary

The retreat takes place at the 2,500-acre Broughton Sanctuary, just outside Skipton, at the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales. Established in 1097, Broughton Hall has been home to the Tempest family for more than 900 years and carries a rich history that stretches back over a millennium.

The Sanctuary is also home to one of Britain’s most exciting nature recovery projects, supported by extensive tree-planting and rewilding efforts. In 2025, beavers will join the Sanctuary alongside native cattle and Iron Age pigs.

Rooming

Accommodation is available across the Sanctuary’s collection of Retreat Houses, as well as in the 16th-century historic home, Broughton Hall.

Please note: the images below are examples of the type of room you will be booking, and all rooms are subject to availability.

Rooms in Broughton Hall

Rooms in Retreat Houses

How to apply

STEP ONE: Click the button below to access the online application form and submit your application to attend. Applications are reviewed daily, and GCRD will respond within 48 hours.

STEP TWO: If your application to this cohort is successful, you will receive a link to a third-party ticketing platform so you can book accommodation for the retreat.

For any questions, please contact the Sanctuary team.