Empathy: Turning Compassion into Action
with David Johnston
Hosted by Catherine Clark
It is a timeless book, not only because its values are timeless, but because as individuals, as communities, as governments, and as countries, we need to be wise and compassionate for justice to triumph. And there is no justice without empathy.
Presented in partnership with Library and Archives Canada.
Join our host, Catherine Clark, for a conversation with David Johnston, Canada’s 28th Governor General, in celebration of his most personal and book to date, Empathy: Turning Compassion into Action.
As the world stumbles through the most severe pandemic of the last century, threatened by teetering economies, torn by political division, separated by unequal access to resources, and wrestling with issues as diverse as racism, gender, cybercrime, and climate change, the nations that best adapt and prosper are those in which empathy is fully alive and widely active. Written for a post-pandemic world, Empathy is a book about learning to be empathetic and then turning that empathy into action. Based on the personal experiences of author David Johnston, the book explores how awakening to the transformative power of listening and caring permanently changes individuals, families, communities, and nations.
A how-to manual for a world craving kindness, Empathy offers proof of the inherent goodness of people, and shows how exercising the instinct for kindness creates societies that are both smart and caring. Through poignant stories and crisp observations, David contends that “Everyone has power over some things that other people don’t. When they learn ways to turn that power into action, they change the future dramatically.”
With clear and practical focus, Empathy looks at a host of issues that demand our attention, from education and immigration, to healthcare, the law, policing, business ethics, and criminal justice. In each of these areas, Johnston highlights the deeper understandings that have arisen during the COVID-19 crisis, with sharp emphasis on the positive and negative lessons now in crisp focus. Convinced that empathy is the fastest route to peace and progress in all their forms, David ends each short chapter with a set of practical steps the reader can take to make the world better, one deliberate action at a time.
PLEASE NOTE: For the safety and comfort of all patrons, masks are required to attend in person. This event will also be available as a live-stream directly from this page.
Most people coming by car park for free at the Supreme Court of Canada on Wellington St.
Books are available from our friends at Perfect Books.
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