FAQ
Slow Up for Humanity is a national initiative calling for a slowdown in a society that structurally exhausts people and the planet. The action takes the form of a national bed-in: participants slow down for 25 hours, at home or in public spaces.
It is part of a broader movement initiated by Worried Citizens. In 2025, they organized Show Up for Humanity, a positive and celebratory event focused on music and on bringing people together around one shared goal: more humanity in our society. Show Up for Humanity at the Atomium in Brussels, was a large-scale cultural and social event centred on empathy, solidarity and active hope, with over 11,000 visitors, 700,000 livestream views and wide media coverage.
Show Up for Humanity centred on connection, joy and collective presence, while Slow Up for Humanity invites reflection, rest and care.
Both actions share the same mission: helping people transform their worries into meaningful action. They call for a world in which everyone gets a fair chance, where every person matters, and where human dignity and solidarity come first. It is a simple idea. Because it should be.
Slow down often sounds like stepping back. Slow up flips that logic. It suggests a conscious shift upward: toward care, attention, connection and dignity. It is an active choice, not a passive one.
By slowing up, we resist a culture of constant acceleration without opting out of the world. We choose depth over speed, presence over productivity, and humanity over exhaustion. Slowing up is not giving up. It is showing up, differently.
On the weekend of 24–25 October 2026, as we shift to winter time, we invite everyone to slow down for 25 hours. The seasonal shift marks a natural moment of slowdown. Yet our economy moves in the opposite direction, demanding constant availability, production and consumption. The result is visible everywhere: rising burnout, exhaustion and loneliness, growing inequality and ecosystems pushed beyond their limits.
Slow Up for Humanity aims to nourish public debate on exhaustion, wellbeing and ecological limits, and to encourage policy makers to make structural choices that protect people and the planet. In addition, stepping out of the daily race is a win-win for participants in itself: it creates space for rest, attention and recovery. By slowing down together, the social fabric is strengthened as well, people reconnect and collectively build strong, caring communities.
Slow Up for Humanity is organized by Worried Citizens vzw, a citizen-led collective founded by Eline Goethals, Tijs Delbeke and Elisabeth Van Lierop. They are aiming to turn societal concerns into active hope through cultural and public actions. Worried Citizens brings together everyday people who believe in a society rooted in kindness, empathy and fairness.This initiative is a work in progress. We’re a citizens collective constantly learning and evolving. Do you have any questions or advice? Drop us a line
The goal is to turn worry into collective action. In a world marked by accelerating climate breakdown, growing inequality, rising authoritarianism and increasing mental distress, many people feel powerless or resigned. Worried Citizens exists to counter that feeling.
The challenges we face are not individual failures but structural problems, rooted in political choices. We are outrunning ourselves and the planet and the burden falls unevenly on women, people of colour and precarious workers. Even in a wealthy country, burnout, loneliness and insecurity are becoming normal. At the same time, human dignity is under pressure worldwide, from migration, climate injustice to human rights that are under attack.
Worried Citizens aims to unite people, break through apathy and show that another, more humane path is possible. Change is a matter of choice — and this is the moment to pressure our policy makers to choose differently.
Slow Up for Humanity is supported by a broad coalition of civil society organizations, trade unions, companies, thinkers, writers and artists. The organization also works with ethical partners who share the same core values.
This coalition-based approach is both intentional and essential. Slow Up for Humanity is not about “us versus them”, but about building shared ground between climate action, the right to dignified work, cultural voices and social justice. Through intersectional alliances, we bring together climate stakeholders, cultural institutions, labour movements, ethical businesses and citizen initiatives.
By building bridges across these fields, we strengthen one another and work collectively towards a society in which as many people as possible can live a dignified life on a liveable planet.
The initiative is not aligned with any political party. It’s not about left vs. right or us vs. them. But, as the feminist slogan "The personal is political.” says: anything we do, say, or think can acquire political meaning. From the clothes we wear to what we post online, it all carries not just personal significance but also the weight of political meaning, whether we intend it to or not. We're calling for empathy and solidarity to be guiding values in all decisions we make as a society. It addresses policy makers with a call to change course and to treat wellbeing, care, culture, peace and a liveable planet as priorities.
Everyone can take part: individuals, families, schools, sports clubs, cultural institutions and organizations. Participation is possible individually or in groups.
At the same time, Slow Up for Humanity actively invites locations and organizations that share our core values: empathy, planetary responsibility, and a commitment to slowing down the culture of constant acceleration. We welcome partners who align with our call to resist the exhaustion of people and planet, and who want to help create spaces for rest, connection and reflection.
Participation can be simple and joyful. Participants slow down for 25 hours. Take it easy. Have a real conversation, play a board game, have a potluck, or simply be present. This can mean staying in or around bed, avoiding unnecessary purchases, reading, reflecting, or making time for art and beauty. Or put your phone aside for 25 hours, stop doom-shopping, read a book, or make time to play a game with neighbours on the pavement. Organize a sleepover at your sports club, workplace or school. Or spend the night in one of our unique locations.
There is no fixed program.
We do urge you to register and be counted, though. ;-)
Slow Up for Humanity takes place at many locations across Belgium, including your own bed, cultural centres, museums, schools and second-hand shops. Everyone is also invited to organize pyjama parties and sleepovers with friends and family. The full list of participating locations can be found at www.slowupforhumanity.be/stories. Let us know what you are planning to do, so we can feature your story on our socials and website. Get in touch
From now on. Register and be counted. You could win even a night in a museum or a yoga session in a second-hand shop.
First and foremost, by slowing down. Step out of constant acceleration. Reflect, rest, and make time for real connection. Vote with your money by making ethical choices and boycotting unsustainable brands. Invite your neighbors, parents and friends, and share moments of care, conversation and presence.
Beyond that, there are many ways to actively support the movement. Organizing nationwide initiatives as a citizen-led collective takes time, energy and resources. You can join us by volunteering or by making a donation. Every contribution, big or small, helps strengthen this movement.
Discover all the ways you can support us here:
Every contribution, big or small, helps us grow this positive, citizen-led movement and make Slow Up for Humanity possible. Your support enables us to organize the action, reach more people and amplify its impact.
Any surplus will be reinvested in similar future initiatives that align with our values. All use of funds will be communicated in a transparent way. Together, your support helps ensure that Slow Up for Humanity creates lasting, positive change.
More information, visual material and contact details are available via info@worriedcitizens.com
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