In September, the DCI partnered with the Office of the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Dean Rusk International Studies Program, Chaplain’s Office, and Public Lectures Committee to bring Christy Vines to campus as part of our Deliberative Speaker Series. Christy is President and CEO of Ideos Institute and Executive Producer of the documentary film Dialogue Lab: America. Much of her current focuses on the concept and practice of empathic intelligence.
In the course of her visit, Christy met with multiple student groups, led two workshops, and gave one public lecture. She argued that empathic intelligence is a skill that we can all hone over time, and that it is required in order for us to be effective in our goals that require engaging with and understanding others. Empathic intelligence involves our ability to understand others in a way that humanizes them in spite of our differences. Christy argued persuasively that harnessing this skill can help us heal polarized divides in the U.S., and it can help us make progress toward collective decision-making.
Watch Christy’s lecture below to find out more. In her talk and the Q&A session afterwards, she talks directly about both the challenges related to the religious, racial, and political fractures in our society and the ways by which an empathic mindset can enable us to promote better understanding across those divisions.
Faith, Race & Politics: Can empathy help bridge our divides in a polarized world?
Christy also led a workshop about promoting empathic intelligence in the classroom and other contexts. If you didn’t catch the workshop but would like to find out more, whether you’re an educator or a student, you can watch it below.
Empathic Intelligence: What it is and how to cultivate it in the classroom and beyond
It is our hope that these resources will go some way toward healing our divides and enabling us to solve our collective problems together. Follow us on your favorite social media site, and we hope to see you at our future events!
