Connecting Across Divides: Empathy Circles w/ Edwin Rutsch

Tuesday, June 15, 4-6 ET

Guest Presenter Edwin Rutsch

Cofacilitators Rosa Zubizarreta and Rivera Sun

Guest Presenter Edwin Rutsch will offer a short talk on Empathy Circles, followed by exercise/conversation. An Empathy Circle is a structured dialogue process based on mutual active listening. The process increases constructive dialogue and mutual understanding by ensuring that each person feels fully heard to their satisfaction. Edwin Rutsch has hosted them between deeply polarized groups, people across the political spectrum, and amidst contentious protests. This webinar is part of a Pace e Bene series on how ordinary people like us can help disarm hate, connect across divides, and decrease the likelihood of violence. The series explores ways interpersonal nonviolence can help de-escalate political tensions, unpack misperceptions, and open space for change.

“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”  

— Carl Rogers

Cost: $20, scholarships available

Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The center’s website, CultureOfEmpathy.com, is the internet’s most comprehensive portal for empathy-related material. It hosts many empathy building projects including interviews with over 300 experts on the topic, trainings and the Empathy Tent.  The Tent goes to public events and offers listening, facilitated dialogue and conflict mediation. The center’s current focus is on designing and hosting empathy trainings. Center for Building a Culture of Empathy: http://cultureofempathy.com Empathy Circle: http://www.empathycircle.com