Lead Editor–Newsgathering
ryan.bachoo@cnc3.co.tt
In the fast-paced world of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, it may seem unthinkable—especially for negotiators—to pause for a mindfulness exercise. “What’s that doing there in the first place?” some might ask.
But T&T–born Knellee Bisram has done exactly that. At the Children and Youth Pavilion, she has created a rare moment of stillness each day at COP30, leading listening circles, mindfulness practices, and safe spaces for voice and storytelling.
Bisram is the founder of the Art of Happiness and Mindfulness (AHAM) Education, and has brought her practice to the global climate stage. She serves as a United Nations representative for her organisation, and is an observer with the Southeast Climate and Energy Network and the US Climate Action Network, where she co-chairs the Regenerative Economies Action Team.
She told WE Magazine: “Our advocacy is always about making sure that when we talk about resilience, loss and damage, and sustainability, that it’s people-centred and inclusive of the well-being of people, all forms of life, and the planet.”
Some may say she is in the wrong space, but Bisram believes she is exactly where she needs to be. COPs are notoriously high-pressure environments, and young negotiators often experience anxiety as talks intensify.
“We started with the intention to provide evidence-based tools for people to be resilient and well,” she explained. “And because of my background in international relations, we realised that not just negotiator or stakeholder well-being is important, but that those inner skills—our skills of being, relating, caring, and collaborating—actually help us negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes. It changes the way we solve problems.
“So, for instance, when we talk about loss and damage, we’re not just talking about physical damage to the environment. We’re also talking about restoring community bonds, cultural heritage, and healing the trauma of climate impacts.”
During one session, a Romanian negotiator admitted how easy it would have been to skip the opportunity to pause—and how much she needed it.
“We did a nature-centred mindfulness exercise. I invited them to become nature, to remember that we are the elements, we are nature, and the very thing we are fighting for is already a part of us,” Bisram recalled. “When they slowed down and regained perspective, they were amazed that this grounding wasn’t part of their negotiation routine. They went straight back to bilaterals, more confident.”
Another activist broke down in tears as she reflected on how difficult her journey to COP30 had been.
The impact of Bisram’s work, particularly through the Children and Youth Pavilion’s Mental Health Corner, has been so profound that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has expressed interest in learning more about how these practices can better support youth needs.
And her efforts extend far beyond COP.
“This is a strategy that we’ve taken into all UN spaces,” she said. “We co-organise well-being and community spaces, side events on regenerative mindsets, and storytelling-for-hope circles at the Commission on the Status of Women, the High-Level Political Forum, and the United Nations General Assembly. At COP, it’s expensive to organise events, so we partner with different pavilions and offer these practices there.”
Bisram’s academic grounding is rooted in the Caribbean—her Master’s thesis explored environmental impacts in the region. That research helped shape both her climate expertise and her passion for well-being within global governance spaces.
In environments that run on sleepless nights and speed, she argues that pausing is more than relaxing—it’s neurological.
“We’re not just slowing down. We’re interrupting the pattern. It’s okay to pause. It’s okay to shift, use different language, and find common ground, as long as you know your ultimate goal. It’s the neuroscience of mindful negotiation, if you will. And one of the best negotiation teachers in the world, William Ury, applies this same strategy to peace and consensus-building—the ‘third side.’”
Even a few short exercises, she says, can transform the emotional atmosphere of a space where the fate of the planet is being negotiated.
“Mindfulness opens up your attention in a way where we’re no longer operating from the small ego self,” she said. “It helps shift our perspective from the small ‘me’ to recognising the interconnectedness of the humans in the room.
“I think it was Mandela who said there’s a difference between having an enemy and an adversary. An adversary simply has a different point of view. Mindfulness allows us to feel that compassionate interconnection while acknowledging those differences—and that can lead to creative solutions we may never have otherwise considered.”
In a space defined by urgency and pressure, Knellee Bisram is demonstrating that sometimes the most powerful climate action begins with a single, intentional breath.
