This event is made possible by Threshold Society
...our generous sponsors:
Designing for Empathy™ SUMMIT & Workshop 2021 | At-a-glance
SPEAKERS
Designing for Empathy™ Summit speakers and community include spiritual and cultural leaders, artists, multidisciplinary scholars and experts, innovators, social entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and practitioners of empathy-building from all walks of life who are actively shaping the future of our culture around empathy, kindness, compassion, and love.
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021
is honored to host as our Keynote Speaker:
Sufi Teacher & Author,
Co-Director of Threshold Society
AGENDA
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 agenda will explore the evolving meaning of empathy, as well as those subtle ingredients that are conducive to fostering empathy. Through an exploration of the nuances and ingredients of empathy we can better understand our own humanness and how we perceive the world within and around us; our biases as well as our capacity for empathy and love towards the oneness of all humanity and our planet.
Designing for Empathy™ is an international, multicultural, and transdisciplinary community, which gathers around a framework that enables collaboration across sectors to deepen our understanding of empathy, and to develop solutions that address the empathy deficit in our world. At the conclusion of each day of the Summit, you will leave with inspiration, practical tools, resources and the support of a growing international community to help you intentionally design those transformative experiences and spaces that foster empathy towards the interconnectedness and oneness of all of humanity and the planet.
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 is a 3-day live, virtual event featuring more than 40 speakers, facilitators, and international performers
(October 27 - 29, daily: 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST).
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 also includes an Experiential Track: Empathy-Building Sandbox, offering 10 online Workshops (scheduled from October 16 to November 2).
CLICK HERE FOR DAY 1 RECORDING
EXPERIENTIAL TRACK: EMPATHY-BUILDING SANDBOX
EXPERIENTIAL TRACK: EMPATHY-BUILDING SANDBOX
What prompts some to choose to build walls, when others choose to tear them?
Empathy lies at the heart of all solutions to the complex problems of our world --and, it is clear that we can no longer take it for granted.
We must intentionally design those spaces, experiences, tools, and ecosystems that can nurture empathy across all systems and sectors in our global society. The empathy-building experiences we are collectively developing can provide opportunities for all to experience, discover, and exercise their inherent capacities for empathy.
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 agenda includes an Experiential Track: Empathy-Building Sandbox offering 10 online workshops (scheduled from October 16 to November 2).
...
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 list of speakers and workshop facilitators will be continiously updated as we confirm the Summit agenda.
DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY™ SUMMIT & WORKSHOPS 2021 | AGENDA + SPEAKERS + WORKSHOPS | AT-A-GLANCE
Designing for Empathy™ Summit 2021 | KEYNOTE
Kabir Helminski | Sufi Teacher | Author
Kabir Helminski has explored the sacred traditions of the world seeking to understand what they can teach us about consciousness and the human heart. The focus of his work is contributing to a new language of spirituality to meet the unprecedented challenges of our times.
His books on spirituality, Living Presence and The Knowing Heart, have been published in at least eight languages. He is a respected translator of the works of Rumi and others, and Co-Director of The Threshold Society (Sufism.org). In 2009, Kabir was named as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World." He has toured North America as Shaikh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. He teaches internationally, often at inter-spiritual events. His writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, Tikkun, Patheos, and The Times of India, among others.
connecting hearts & minds | featuring sufi traditions
Selçuk Gürez
Threshold Society Dervishes
Threshold Society Dervishes
Selçuk started his Sufi journey in 1988. He studied and learned to play the ney with Halil İbrahim Yunga and started whirling with his Mevlevi Shaikh Nail Kesova. Selçuk took Classical Turkish Music classes with the famous music master Kani Karaca. Since then, he has had the opportunity to work with many Shaikhs and music masters. Selçuk became a member of the International Galata Mevlevi and Music Ensemble in 1990. He took part in many international festivals and workshops as a Director, Chief Ney (Turkish reed flute), and Kudüm (rhythm instrument used in Turkish classical music) player. He is also a vocalist/soloist in Mevlevi order ceremonies. Selçuk has taken part in over 250 international festivals and educational seminars around the world.
Threshold Society Dervishes
Threshold Society Dervishes
Threshold Society Dervishes
The Threshold Society is rooted within the traditions of Sufism and inspired by the life and work of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi, is a non-profit educational foundation with the purpose of facilitating the experience of Divine Unity, Love, and Truth in the world. Sufism is a living tradition of human transformation through love and higher consciousness. The Threshold Society is affiliated with the Mevlana Foundation, founded by Celalettin Celebi and recognized by UNESCO as the authentic representative of the Mevlevi tradition.
Dervishes from around the world will join us to recite Rumi's poetry, play the reed flute, and whirl to offer us a unique shared experience of a living tradition.
DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY™ SUMMIT 2021 | AGENDA*
*Please note that:
The Summit Agenda is currently taking shape, and content here is subject to change.
All Times are in U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Registration is now open!
DAY 1 | WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 27
CLICK HERE FOR DAY 1 RECORDINGS
11:00 | Welcome by Elif Gokcigdem, PhD, Author & Founder, ONE - Organization of Networks for Empathy
11:25 | 5-minute Break
11:30 | Keynote by Kabir Helminski, Sufi Teacher, Author, Co-Director of Threshold Society
Including:
Reed flute performance by Selcuk Gurez
Recitations of Rumi's poetry & whirling by Threshold Society dervishes
12:30 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Kabir Helminski
13:15 | 10-minute Break
13:25 | Reflections & Panel Discussion: The Alchemy of Empathy, Equity & Collective Action
(Moderator) Elif Gokcigdem, PhD, Author & Founder, ONE - Organization of Networks for Empathy
Elaine Heumann Gurian, Author, Centering the Museum & Senior Museum Consultant
Brian Henderson, Director, Glencairn Museum
Philip Himberg, Executive Director, MacDowell
Susan Lanzoni, PhD, Author, Empathy: A History & Historian of Science, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Micah Parzen, PhD, JD, CEO, Museum of Us
Sheldon Scott, Artist
14:15 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Panelists
14:30 | Summit Day 1 Adjourns
DAY 2 | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 28
CLICK HERE FOR DAY 2 RECORDINGS
11:00 | Welcome & Overview
11:25 | 5-minute Break
11:30 | Empathy as a Shared Value Across Sectors & Museums as Incubators of Empathy-Building
Panel Discussion:
(Moderator) Elif Gokcigdem, PhD, Author & Founder, ONE - Organization of Networks for Empathy
CT Anderson, Founder and Creative Director, Springclean
Ibrahim Ayub, Social Innovation Designer & Coach
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, Director, Illinois State Museum & Co-Editor, Inclusive Museum Leader
Adeeb Mahmud, Managing Director, FSG
Jim Wharton, PhD, Director of Conservation Engagement & Learning, Seattle Aquarium
Amy J. Wilson, Author, Empathy for Change
12:15 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Panelists
12:30 | 10-minute Break
12:40 | Exploring the Alchemy of Empathy: Proximity, Embodiment, and Shared Experience
Presentations:
"The Promises and Pitfalls of Using Virtual Reality to Enhance Empathy” by:
Alison Jane Martingano, PhD, National Institutes of Health
"The Role of Theater in Fostering Empathy and Pro-Social Behavior" by:
Steven Rathje, PhD, University of Cambridge
& Panel Discussion, including:
(Moderator) Gregory Stevens, MAT, Director, MA in Museum Professions Program, Seton Hall University & Co-Editor, A Life in Museums
Andrew Nemr, Tap Dance Artist
Winslow Porter, Co-Founder, Director at New Reality Company & Creative Director, R/GA
13:20 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Panelists
13:35 | 5-minute Break
13:40 | An Artist’s Perspective on Empathy & Oneness
"Elemental Empathy: Deep Listening Across Deep Time"
A Presentation by:
Erika Blumenfeld, Transdisciplinary Artist
14:00 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Erika Blumenfeld
14:15 | Wrapping-up Day 2: Audience Discussion
14:30 | Summit Day 2 Adjourns
DAY 3 | FRIDAY | OCTOBER 29
CLICK HERE FOR DAY 3 RECORDINGS
11:00 | Welcome
11:05 | Making Space for Empathy-Building
Performance, Presentations & Panel Discussion:
(Moderator) Elif Gokcigdem PhD, Author & Founder, ONE - Organization of Networks for Empathy
"Tap Dance as a Vehicle for Empathy-Building" --A Performance by:
Andrew Nemr, Tap Dance Artist
"How Do We Build Empathy at Scale and Make it a Daily Habit?" by:
Kevin Shah, CEO, Jaago (Empathy Gym App)
"Re-situating Architectural Practice: Placemaking with Children" by:
Zviko Kanyoka, Project Coordinator, Play Africa
"Cultural Nuances of Empathy-Building through a Children's Museum" by:
Michelle Seaters, VSP Global & (formerly) Founding Director of Children's Discovery Zone at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)
"Empathy Walks - Learning Empathy Through Nature" by:
Nitin Das, Filmmaker & Founder, Healing Forest
"Environmental Images, Empathy, and Action" by:
Gabby Salazar, Associate Fellow, International League of Conservation Photographers
12:00 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Panelists
12:15 | 15-minute Break
12:30 | Empathy to Collective Action: How to Start Empathy-Building in Your Organization, and Foster Collaboration with Others?
Presentations & Panel Discussion:
(Moderator) Jim Wharton, PhD, Director of Conservation Engagement & Learning, Seattle Aquarium
"Embodying Empathy in Community Collaborations" by:
Anna Rebecca (AR) Lopez, Evaluation Specialist, Woodland Park Zoo
"Building and Sustaining an Empathy Initiative" by:
Sarah Brenkert, Principal Evaluator, Seattle Aquarium
& Will Kittel-Muhammed, Empathy Fellowship Coordinator, Seattle Aquarium
"Empathy & Design" by:
Kathayoon Khalil, PhD, Director of Engagement at Zoo Advisors
13:15 | Q&A and Audience Discussion with Panelists
13:30 | 5-minute Break
13:35 | Summit Wrap-up & Audience Discussion: Intentions, Reflections & Commitments
14:30 | Summit Day 3 Adjourns
DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY™ SUMMIT 2021 | WORKSHOPS*
Workshops: October 16 to November 2
*Please note that:
The Summit & Workshops Agenda is currently taking shape, and content here is subject to change.
All Times are in U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Registration is now open!
HEAR. CARE. ACT! STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING BLACK LIVES MATTER
By Monica O. Montgomery, MA
Social Justice Curator & Museum Engagement Consultant
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
From George Floyd to Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin to Eric Garner, stories about the unjust deaths and police brutality against black people regularly flood the media and our timelines as a racial reckoning continues to occur in the US. As the #BlackLivesMatter movement gains momentum, museums can play a critical role in fostering empathy and providing opportunities for audiences to discover avenues to action. In this session participants will have the opportunity to discuss activism through a lens of artistic interventions, explore strategies to Hear (listen to voices of victims and movement music), Care (cultivate empathy and advocacy for liberation struggles) and Act (take intentional steps towards supporting black lives.). Guided by the motto ‘Hear. Care. Act! Social Justice Curator Monica O. Montgomery will lead a workshop designed to provide insights for racial equity and interactive learnings around modern movements.
MEETING OBJECTS TO MEET OURSELVES & OTHERS
By Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, and Director of Creativity & Emotions Lab,
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
&
Elif Gokcigdem, PhD
Author & Founder, ONE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
In this workshop we will unpack how learning about objects teaches us about empathizing with people. When we walk into a museum gallery, often times we see objects from far away cultures with little context. These objects are very much like refugees from other cultures. This workshop challenges us to consider what we might be missing as we encounter these objects: What do we need to know to understand the objects? How much do the labels help? What is missing? How can we use encounters with objects as mirrors to better understand ourselves and others?
JAAGO'S EMPATHY STRETCH
By Kevin Shah & Ryan Driscoll
Co-Founders of Jaago
(The Empathy Gym App)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
This interactive workshop enables people to share stories and listen through their cultural lens, where:
- Participants will explore the concepts of cultural lenses and unconscious biases and how they impact the way they view and engage with the world.
- Participants will examine various dimensions of their identities and reflect on how their cultural lens has been shaped by the intersection of the various aspects.
- Participants will share two aspects of their identity and how they have shaped their cultural lens in small groups to practice vulnerability and empathy.
SAY IT WITH XOXO: PLAYFUL STRATEGIES TO TALK ABOUT LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
By Anne Fullenkamp
Senior Director of Creative Experiences, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
&
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh created the traveling exhibition "XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness" with the goal to create a space where families can explore their emotions through playful, interactive experiences. In this workshop based on the exhibit content, you will dive into these same themes through a series of hands-on activities designed to help children and families channel emotions in positive ways. You will ask questions, listen, and learn more about the people around you. This workshop is suitable for all ages, with specific focus on practicing adult child communication strategies.
Using the XOXO story puzzle as jumping off point, workshop participants will engage in an active discussion about how to use playful and practical tools to discuss emotional topics. The group will be invited to contribute to a collective virtual story puzzle and practice ways to use this tool with people of diverse ages, experiences and learning styles. Participants can also make their own puzzles and share with the group. The session will conclude with an open dialogue of play as a tool for informal learning for adults, as well as children, and what our role as facilitators, curators and designers can be.
EASY EMPATHY, DIFFICULT EMPATHY
By Tom Rockwell
Creative Director, Exploratorium
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Who do we easily feel empathy for, who is hard for us, and who is neutral? This activity will guide participants through experiences of differential empathy, encouraging reflection about what facilitates, and what poses barriers to, engaging empathically with different people.
BUILDING EMPATHY THROUGH ART-INSPIRED MEDITATION
By Aparna Sadananda, Yoga & Meditation Teacher
&
Donna Lee Jonte, Manager of Art & Wellness and Family Programs, The Phillips Collection
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Guided by a mindfulness teacher and a museum educator, participants will experience a 20-minute, art-inspired meditation followed by an interactive, 15-minute discussion of the artwork and reflection on the meditation itself. While building empathy by stepping into Wilmer Wilson IV’s photograph Self-Portrait as Henry Box Brown, we will practice techniques for mindful looking and thinking that we can carry with us wherever we are.
AN ART-CENTRIC LISTENING CIRCLE
By Aleksandra Sheren
Artist & Film Producer
&
Elif Gokcigdem, PhD
Author & Founder, ONE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Portraiture, a short film by Aleksandra Sheren will be the artistic focus of a non-judgmental listening exercise co-developed by Aleksandra Sheren and Elif Gokcigdem. ABOUT "PORTRAITURE": A portrait photographer is having yet another day in her studio, when changing a camera lens she suddenly starts seeing people differently. This short film is exploring the difference between our persona and the true essence beyond our roles, gender, age, racial identity. With all the facets that create our diversities, there is always a shared field where we are very similar to one another. The song playing with this film was written as a dedication to my own moment of transformation in life. Although this movie is a fiction story, it is also partly a real record of how people were acting spontaneously in front of the camera while listening to the music.
FOSTERING EMPATHY FOR WILDLIFE: DESIGN CHALLENGE
Jim Wharton, PhD, Director of Conservation Engagement and Learning, Seattle Aquarium
Sarah Brenkert, Principal Evaluator, Seattle Aquarium
Dave Glenn, Volunteer Engagement Manager Seattle Aquarium
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26
12:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Great minds...think divergently! Join us for an experimental design charette to create a mobile, community-centered experience to inspire conservation action through the development of empathy for animals.
Be part of a facilitated design process to imagine a brand-new outreach experience that will bring marine animals and conservation activities into neighborhoods. No design or zoology experience needed - just curiosity, creativity and empathy. This mobile interactive experience will inspire participants to adopt and understand the perspective of wildlife. Charette contributors will engage in facilitated activities and work collaboratively to address this playful, empathy-centered design challenge.
EMPATHY CIRCLE: AN EXERCISE IN EMPATHIC LISTENING
By Edwin Rutsch
Founding Director,
Center for Building a Culture of Empathy
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
An Empathy Circle is a structured dialogue process that effectively supports meaningful and constructive dialogue. The basic process can be fairly easily learned in about 15 minutes and it is a life long practice to deepen. An Empathy Circle increases mutual understanding and connection by ensuring that each person feels fully heard to their satisfaction. The practice is the most effective gateway practice for learning, practicing and deepening listening and empathy skills, as well as, nurturing an empathic way of being. How to?
You can take part in Empathy Circles as well as, an Empathy Circle Facilitation Training year round. Edwin Rutsch can also design and host customized Empathy Circles and Trainings for groups and organizations. If you are interested in these offerings, please reach out to Edwin here.
USING IMAGINATIVE EMPATHY TO UNPACK CLIMATE CHANGE
USING IMAGINATIVE EMPATHY TO UNPACK CLIMATE CHANGE
By Lidewij Niezink, PhD
&
Katherine Train, PhD
Co-Founders of Empathic Intervision
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
How can we hold a space to understand the complex consequences of our
behaviours in this world? With climate change threatening our very existence on this planet, this is an urgent issue to explore. In this workshop we will make use of imaginative empathy to understand an environmental
issue. We will unpack and explore the perspectives of the multiple stakeholders touched by and impacting upon it.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
