Skye’s Legacy

“The Human Need for Belonging”, Amelia Franck Meyer, Ted Talk

In this 18-minute video, Amila Franck Meyer discusses the innate human need to belong, starting with the desire for meaningful connection as an infant and expanding on that theme with youth that are aging out of care. She is the founder and CEO of Alia: Innovations for people and systems impacted by childhood trauma. Alia provides deep-dive systemic interventions, training, consultation, demonstration projects, and leadership coaching to transform child welfare. By sharing an incredibly powerful story of a teen girl Amila worked with during her time as a social worker, the ripple effect of a child’s sense of either fulfilling or absent belonging is made apparent, manifesting in at-risk behaviours and cries for help. Additionally, the importance of relational belonging and identity within a family or community is further explored.