Culture of Empathy Builder:  Rhonda Morton
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Rhonda Morton: Dialogs on How to Build a Culture of Empathy with the Arts
		Rhonda also leads Alligator Mouth Improv, a four-person ensemble that draws on theatre, movement, vocals, music and storytelling, all created in the moment, often from audience input and interaction. The ensemble works internationally to inspire audiences to imagine their lives differently—seeing opportunity and beauty and strength where they didn't before. Alligator Mouth believes art-making and community-making are integral to each other, and that artists play a pivotal role in the commerce of ideas and the engine of innovation and inspiration."
"If we use the body data, and our body knowledge, and our body wisdom to increase that connection, to increase that empathy, decrease the violence, we can have world peace....  So please join me, become an Empathy Ambassador too."

 

 

Links Facebook.com/Rhonda.Morton  Alligator Mouth Improv

 

Rhonda Morton & Edwin Rutsch: Dialogs on How to Build a Culture of Empathy

• 00:00 Introduction

• (transcription pending)

• (Video Transcriptions: If you would like to take empathic action and create a transcription of this video, check the volunteers page.  The transcriptions will make it easier for other viewers to quickly see the content of this video.)

Panel 003-A: How Can We Build a Culture of Empathy?


 

2011-12-23 - Video: TEDxChemungRiver - Rhonda Morton - Empathy Ambassador

"Rhonda also leads Alligator Mouth Improv, a four-person ensemble that draws on theatre, movement, vocals, music and storytelling, all created in the moment, often from audience input and interaction. The ensemble works internationally to inspire audiences to imagine their lives differently—seeing opportunity and beauty and strength where they didn't before. Alligator Mouth believes art-making and community-making are integral to each other, and that artists play a pivotal role in the commerce of ideas and the engine of innovation and inspiration."

Talk Outline

• 00:00 I am an Empathy Ambassador

  • see it as a path

• what I know about empathy

• Why is it I'm interested in empathy?

  • loving family

  • but starts with spanking

  • was youngest.

• Defense mechanism against spanking-punishment - hold breath and pass out

  • feels others pain in my body

• 2:00 I liked friendly TV shows

  • family liked violence TV programs

  • became peacenik

  • organizing against war

• 4:00 - already against the next war,

  • exhausting making war on the war machine

  • hating the haters

  • peace work is about preventing violence by increasing empathy

• Jeremy Rifkin

  • internet more connection between people

• Steven Pinker - study violence - violence is decreasing

• 7:00 increase in empathy - makes me hopeful

• 7:30 - what is empathy?

  • body knowledge

  • always gathering it, be

  • data becomes body knowledge

  • body wisdom - make life better

• Acting exercise 1

  •  doing acting exercises

  • audience feels the emotions via mirror neurons

  • what you see, you feel

  • connecting body to body

• 10:20 Exercise 2

  • audience stand and press palms together

  • separate an inch

  • can feel the connection

  • being aware of the connection

  • we all have the connection

• If we use the body data, and our body knowledge, and our body wisdom to increase that connection, to increase that empathy, decrease the violence, we can have world peace.

• What I love about it, is that it gives me hope that world peace is within our grasp

• So please join me, become an Empathy Ambassador too.

Rhonda Morton & Edwin Rutsch: Dialogs on How to Build a Culture of Empathy

• (Transcripts pending)