In association with Foróige, Pennsylvania State University, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, University of Galway and Warriors for Humanity
The purpose of this Wilton Park event was to problematise societal problems connected to the absence of empathy, to explore the ways in which empathetic behaviour and the extension of empathy can be a solution to those problems, and then to examine how greater empathy can be developed to create engaged global citizens and to facilitate more peaceful and inclusive societies. Key findings:
- Though being more digitally connected than ever before, young people face significant challenges caused by isolation and social alienation
- Empathy–the capacity to understand another’s emotional state–can be enhanced and extended, with observable benefits for social cohesion, individual well-being, and positive education outcomes, as well as improved delivery of public services
- Extending empathy can occur through a number of mechanisms, including nonformal educational programmes
- Opposition to empathic behaviour is associated with strategies and techniques of political divisiveness that undermine civil society and liberal democratic norms
- Recommended practical solutions to promote and extend empathy include the creation of an Empathy Observatory, and the organisation of networks and working groups to address specific issues, including the potential development of a Youth Empathy Charter and a Global Human Skills Council.