A concern for compassion is at the heart of every major religion and of many secular spiritual, philosophical or humanistic pursuits. In Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism it is an attribute of God or certain Gods; in Buddhism it is the path and practice above all others. However, religious intolerance, rampant consumerism, ethnic division, and individualism pose severe challenges to compassion – even as the world’s suffering is made more vivid by our ever present media and interconnectedness. In this semester’s dialogue symposium we ask, “Who cares?” and turn the lens on ourselves – how is our own compassion nourished, challenged, and in what ways might that call us to action?

What’s behind the slogan? Chosen many years ago and used extensively in promoting Clark and its values, the Clark slogan can be invisible for lack of meaning. In this community conversation, we ask ourselves what we mean by “challenge convention, change our world” and how the concept of compassion can relate to the slogan and the mission of the university. Professor James Cordova (Psychology), and others will help facilitate the conversation.

• Thursday February 17 at 7 p.m.
• Dana Commons second floor lounge

This event is sponsored by the Difficult Dialogues Initiative of the Higgins School of Humanities.