“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins.
And it’s up to you to make that happen.
Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”
- Barack Obama
Resources + Inpsiration
Below you'll find articles, interviews, research and creative projects that can help us build our empathy muscles. We invite you to click on whatever sparks your interest or whatever perspective you're the least familiar with right now.
How Can You Help?
Know of something that could make a great addition to Empathy Bank? Great! Please email us: hello (at) empathy bank. (dot) org
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These scientists keep proving that reducing prejudice is possible through Deep Canvassing.
Beautiful, moving example of inter-species empathy by documentary filmmakers James Reed and Pippa Ehrlich.
The United States Institute of Peace has made all their online classes free until the end of 2020, including this class on Media and Arts for Peace.
"For the first time since being diagnosed more than a decade ago, the 'Pose' star opens up about the shame that compelled him to hide his condition from his castmates, collaborators and even his mother, and the responsibility that now has him speaking out: "The truth is the healing."
...
"There’s happiness, yes; there’s surface joy, but there was also a feeling of dread, all day, every day. It wasn’t a fear that [my status] was going to come out or that somebody was going to expose me; it was just the shame that it had happened in the first place. And as a Black person, particularly a Black man on this planet, you have to be perfect or you will get killed. But look at me. Yes, I am the statistic, but I’ve transcended it. This is what HIV-positive looks like now. I’m going to die from something else before I die from that. My T-cell levels are twice yours because of this medication....
I’m the healthiest I’ve been in my entire life. So it’s time to let all that go and tell a different story. There’s no more stigma — let’s be done with that. It’s time."
"While sensitivity does come with it’s challenges (overthinking and emotional overwhelm to name a few), it’s a powerful strength to have as a leader. In fact, studies have shown that HSPs (Highly Sensitive People) have more active mental circuitry and neurochemicals in areas related to attention, action-planning, decision-making, and having strong internal experiences. In other words, you have a deep capacity to channel your focus with precision, make thoughtful choices, and spark rich insights to bring great ideas to the table."
"We know of the problems with excess use that can accrue for the liver and kidneys but now a new study shows that just one gram (1000mg), the standard dose of paracetamol can make you feel less empathy."
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"The researchers think that this lack of empathy might happen because the same areas of the brain that feel pain are also used to imagine pain. Hence reducing pain perception might also reduce your ability to empathize with the pain of others. It’s yet another reminder that there are no free lunches."
"The Covid-19 pandemic has changed perceptions about what makes a good leader, a survey has shown."
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"It said 44 percent of New Zealanders believed leadership had changed as a result of Covid-19, with resilience considered to be the most important trait (90 percent), ahead of follow-through (75 percent) and empathy (70 percent)."
Header photograph by Diana Simumpande Dianasimumpande.com