Several civically-minded universities held a webinar where they announced a new partnership. This project is centered around the role of empathy and kindness in global recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic, severe political polarization, and racial injustice. Inspired by the discussion on the real impact of empathy and kindness, a local non-profit in Dover, Delaware is putting words into action.
During the webinar, which streamed live on @NUIGalway's Facebook page, empathy researchers shared findings from various studies and examined the impact of these findings for our world today.
Empathy, not to be confused with sympathy or pity, is “… the capacity to understand what someone is feeling. Empathy goes much further than pity, it is when you walk in their shoes…Empathy is what enables support to happen between people and between civic society, " said Dr. Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair NUIG.
Highlighted as a cornerstone of strong relationships, empathy can be learned and has real effects for our communities' well-being. Dr. Mark Brennan, UNESCO Chair Penn State stated, “community is just one big relationship and it thrives and grows when empathy is in it. The reality is from a tangible, practical, measurable sense, individuals in places that have more empathy they tend to have more fulfilled lives, they tend to take care of people better, they get through tough times but also create a place that's more caring and that there's more social support."
Caring for our neighbors and extending social support in our communities is always important, but right now it is essential as we continue to face the struggles of a global pandemic, continued racial injustice, and division along party lines. Dr. Kate Berardi shared that she has found that these acts of empathy and kindness go much deeper than surface-level and as such have been identified as “foundational in human well-being and foundational in navigating initial stages of disaster relief, limiting suffering, protecting the vulnerable, and building after crisis."
This is a powerful finding with powerful implications. No matter your age, your circumstance, or your job, you play an essential role as a helper in your community—and the most powerful tool at your disposal is empathy. It is that simple, and that powerful.
No one is more famous for his recognition of the importance of 'the helpers' than Mr. Fred Rogers who famously recalled “when I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"
Dr. Dana Winters, who works at the Fred Rogers Center, provided insight into how all of us can make decisions and choices as helpers. She reiterated a piece of the final commencement speech that Mr. Rogers gave to a 2002 graduating class at Dartmouth College in which he challenged the graduates to "stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive: Love that conquers hate, Peace that rises triumphant over war, and Justice that proves more powerful than greed."
