Tag Archives: empathy
The ‘soft’ side of activism: giving ourselves an advantage…
When I was working in social policy and employment, I would frequently be told or read that what ‘disadvantaged’ individuals need is more social capital and soft skills – sometimes soft skills fit under the umbrella of social capital. The point be… Continue reading
We have to trust….
“We have to trust that if we are acting with integrity, compassion, honesty and heart that the outcome will be the right one…” anonymous I’ve made this anonymous, but I know who said it. I’m saying this because I think it is important to point o… Continue reading
Compassion: seeing you in me and me in you…
In my last post “Responsibility: Where does Gandhi’s Steer Take you?”, I asked the question: What is compassion? I asked this because living the change I want to see means being a compassionate person. I want to see, give, and experience more comp… Continue reading
Let yourself go: see yourself, allow yourself to be seen and connect…..
This week, I’m going to let Researcher Brene Brown do the talking…..via a TED talk “The power of vulnerability” Continue reading
Alone, tired, frustrated and scared – in our society….
I’m a practicing mediator (including as a volunteer with an East London mediation service, Common Ground – yes, I am making a flagrant pitch for the organisation!). Today I did some coaching. The objective of the coaching was to help a woman who h… Continue reading
Learnings along the Cotswold Way….
Last weekend, I went on a four day, fifty mile walk along the Cotswold Way. My friend Olivia Sprinkel and I use these walks for exercise, connection with nature and connection with our selves through focused dialogue, awareness, and meditation. We… Continue reading
Feral elite, feral underclass – surely we have more constructive ways of communicating?
Here I am in the suburbs of Chicago. Today I was at the local bank with my father. We were talking with someone he knows well there (he’s been going to the same bank for over forty years!). His contact is a White man in his early sixties who calls… Continue reading
Empathy: how empathic are we – you and me – really?
The other week, I wrote about empathy. I was eager to define it, because I realised that we have many misconceptions about what it means to be empathic. Last week, I suggested empathic dialogue is a critical component of post-riots recovery proces… Continue reading
(In)visibility
I’ve got a lot of reflections moving around in my head about the riots and looting, about community relations, about empathy, about stops and searches, about restorative justice, about moral reasoning and ethical values. I’ll bring them out onto t… Continue reading
London Riots – let us seize the opportunity…
Here I am in the leafy Chicago suburb of Glenview. Here I am, while London’s streets have literally been burning. London is where I live. East London – Bethnal Green, to be exact. I’ve lived in the East End for fifteen years, a marked contrast to … Continue reading
See & Connect 