¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Public Dialogue and Reception: Power of Empathy, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 
October 23, 2019

Facilitator: Elodie Jacquet & Robert Daum

Have you ever said something that was completely insensitive to someone else without realizing it? Have you stood by while someone else was being verbally attacked because you didn’t know what to do or you were too shocked to act?

Whether it be on social media, in the news, or in the line at the grocery store we’ve all experienced the discomfort that can come from hearing views that are dramatically different from our own particularly when they come laced with prejudice. Whether it be overt or thinly veiled most of us have experienced hate, discrimination and racism.

But what do we do in such situations? How can we ensure we aren’t causing harm by our own words or actions and how can we protect ourselves and the people we love, from being hurt by others?

Kimberly Jackson Davidson is no stranger to discussions of race, discrimination and difference. As the Ombudsperson and Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue at Oberlin College, one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the US and the first American college to accept black students and women, Kimberly has lived and worked for years in mediating conflicts and addressing racism and discrimination. Through dialogue, we explored with Kimberly one of the most profoundly important and difficult conversations of our time – how to live and thrive together with difference in an increasingly polarized world.