lululemon and the United Nations Foundation Launch New Program to Address Mental and Physical Health of Humanitarian Aid Workers

October 8, 2019

lululemon and the United Nations Foundation (UNF) announced its partnership around Peace on Purpose, an innovative program to address the mental and physical health of UN development and humanitarian workers who serve on and off the frontlines around the world. lululemon will commit $1 million USD over the next three years to this evidence-based program, providing access to mindfulness and self-care tools to build resilience in the face of adversity and stressful environments – such as responding to humanitarian emergencies, supporting communities facing poverty, and more. Peace on Purpose's mission is to equip aid workers with the tools to care for themselves so they can effectively care for others. 

The program is a result of a three-year pilot led by lululemon’s Here to Be team and the UN Foundation, developed to address a series of issues, such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and stress-related physical, mental, and relational effects reported by UN staff members. Peace on Purpose has worked with UN agencies to build out trainings and workshops for more than 650 staff in US headquarters and seven additional countries – Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Sudan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe. 

Research that followed select trainings found that over half of the participants experienced a more than 40 percent improvement in overall well-being as seen in key psychological risk factors, such as work-related self-compassion, anxiety and depression, symptoms related to trauma, and feelings of distress.  

Humanitarian aid workers report experiencing high rates of burnout, stress, and mental health stigmas in difficult global settings. Peace on Purpose’s curriculum introduces mindfulness tools as well-being resources to support current UN mental health programs. These tools – such as mindful breaths, emotion regulation, and yoga – can be implemented to meet the varying needs of UN staff in the diverse environments in which they operate. 

With lululemon’s continued funding commitment and thought partnership, Peace on Purpose will aim to train 3,000 more UN development and humanitarian workers in-person over the next three years, build a hub of digital resources, and develop condensed trainings and curriculum translations to reach an additional 30,000 UN staff.

Peace on Purpose is a key element of lululemon’s commitment to social impact and sustainability. The company’s Impact Agenda is comprised of three elements – Be Human, Be Well and Be Planet – to support and accelerate meaningful positive impact around the world.

To learn more about Peace on Purpose or lululemon’s Global Impact Agenda, including Here to Be, visit https://shop.lululemon.com/story/sustainability