Center for Building a Culture of Empathy

   Home    Conference   Magazine   Empathy Tent   Services    Newsletter   Facebook    Youtube   Contact   Search

Join the International Conference on: How Might We Build a Culture of Empathy and Compassion?


Empathic Design
Empathy Circles

  Restorative Empathy Circles
Empathy Tent
Training
Conference
Magazine

Expert Interviews
Obama on Empathy

References

    Books
    Conferences
    Definitions
    Experts
(100+)
    History
    Organizations
    Quotations
    Empathy Tests

 

Conference  -  Panels  -  Possible Panels  -  Facebook Event  -  Education  -  Volunteer - [Planning]

International Online Conference on:
How Might We Build a Culture of Empathy?
Permanently Ongoing

Index: Panel# 025
http://j.mp/14MqJ93
 

Panel 25: Libertarian: How might we transform domination cultures & systems into empathic cultures?

Panelists:

Wesley Bertrand

Katie Testa

Tom Garrett

Edwin Rutsch

 

Through a reflective listening and empathy process, we explored some of the concerns about systems (organizations and institutions with laws, rules, policies, procedures, and norms) that can discourage empathy with self and with others. Domination systems are based on hierarchies of authority and demanded compliance, with punishments administered for noncompliance.
In turn, people tend to play roles and obey rules that deny personal choice and self-responsibility, which diminishes human freedom. Perhaps anger, fear, and distrust underlie such "power-over" practices, in which others are not really seen as capable and willing to meet human needs--so they must be forced to do so. We speculate that if empathy were focused on and practiced in relation to systems of domination, helpful transformations could take place.

 

 

Libertarian: How might we transform domination cultures & systems into empathic cultures?

 

Panelists:

  Wesley Bertrand
   

From an early age I’ve been fascinated about how to achieve a higher level of emotional awareness and personal evolution, and thus life satisfaction. Psychology has been a passion of mine well before receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in this field in ’97. I have a keen interest in answers to the important questions about self, reality, and others. Reading profound books such as Honoring the Self by self-esteem psychologist Nathaniel Branden helped provide many of the missing pieces.

       
  Katie Testa
     
       
  Tom Garrett
 

   
   
  Edwin Rutsch
    Convener:  Edwin Rutsch is founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. See his full Bio here.