Building Bridges For Peace

Stitching together messages of peace from around the world

To mark World Peace Day 2018, Empathy Action partnered with humanitarian relief supplier NRS International to run a #PeaceDoves campaign to give wings to a message of hope, peace and reconciliation that went across the world.

The project connected local schools and businesses in Kent with NRS International’s factory workers in Pakistan and Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh. Some even made it to the United Nations for Global Goals week in New York.

Small doves, big messages

Six women stitchers in Pakistan crafted 650 handcrafted dove toys made from upcycled offcuts of refugee blankets and tarpaulins. Speaking about the #PeaceDoves concept, Sandy Glanfield, Innovations Manager at Empathy Action, says:

The doves carry a reminder that for the 65 million refugees around the world, a blanket or tarpaulin is basic necessity to survive. The passionate and skillful women who made the doves, add the love into this story.”

It’s more than just a dove

Empathy Action worked with children at local schools as part of the initiative, including Tonbridge Grammar School, Hilden Grange School in Tonbridge and Lady Boswell’s Primary School in Sevenoaks. The children reflected on the meaning of peace and what peace means to them. They also had the opportunity to buy their very own #PeaceDove.

Local businesses and community groups also backed our campaign, including Juliet’s Café, independent retailer Anna Poulsen, local yoga teacher Helen Bishop and Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club. Peaceful messages about ethical business practices, community, self-care and peace were shared on social media under the #PeaceDoves banner.

Messages of hope

Meanwhile in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, an art exhibition organised by the Danish Refugee Council to highlight peace and hope in conflict settings, involved over 300 displaced Rohingya children. 150 of our #PeaceDoves were presented to the children as prizes, bringing joy and hope.

I am very happy with this dove. I like it so much” Anjuman (age 8)

Through the #PeaceDoves project, Empathy Action and NRS International hope to raise social awareness, ignite empathy and encourage private businesses and individuals to contribute to a more peaceful society by spreading messages of peace.

Please get in touch if you would like to learn more about how to bring a messages of peace activity to your group.

Students at share their messages of peace

Students trying to sell the Peace Doves at Hilden Grange School

Taking a Dove made by Fozia to the UN during Global Goals week

Messages from Peace from local businesses including Lili from Pinq Creative

The #PeaceDove at the Global People’s Summit in New York

Tonbridge Grammar School craft their messages of Peace

The Peace Doves in Bangladesh

Empathy Action Gifts partner (Annie Makoni) in Zimbabwe helps prepare the dove for its journey

#PeaceDoves made from the scraps of aid items

Lahore #PeaceDove maker Haleema

Lahore #PeaceDove maker Sana

Lahore #PeaceDove maker Nazia

Lahore #PeaceDove maker Fozia

Lahore #PeaceDove maker Shagufta

Empathy Action wearing white at a Peace Assembly on Peace Day

Peace Doves in Sevenoaks

“The Empathy Deficit”

In December 2006, the then Senator for Illinois, Barack Obama, describe d how a country must overcome a deficit in empathy to address the needs of those at risk in society.

6 years later philosopher Roman Krznaric built on this, calling for a new era and the need to move from a world of introspection to a worldview of ‘outrospection‘. He stated the medium for this as empathy.

Fast forward to 2017 and Andrew Halls, Headmaster of King’s College School London, says that the younger generation are increasingly becoming ‘phone fixated’ and ‘me-focused’. He has highlighted this deficit in empathy in children and has introduced lessons specifically to teach empathy at his school.

Andrew Halls and King’s College School are embarking on a Pastoral Conference, convening over a 100 other Heads and educators to address this widening gap in empathy. The ‘Mind the Gap! Tackling the empathy deficit in schools and colleges’ conference being held this week at King’s has attracted emerging research from Dr Sara Konrath and other expert speakers ranging from Professor Tanya Byron, Dr Cat Sebastian, Michael Frayn, Dr Tom Harrison and Jo Berry.

Empathy Action will play a role at the conference, showcasing ‘The Poverty Trap’ slum simulation with 100 year 7 & 8 students, allowing the conference delegates to experience empathy teaching in action.

Teaching empathy has been described as:

a crucial mission for our times”

In a selfie obsessed generation, more and more people are beginning to see the vital role empathy plays in deepening understanding in students.

Co founders Matthew Gurney and Ben Solanky founded Empathy Action with a similar view, that empathy must be redeemed in a world saturated and numbed with mass information.

Matthew shared the crucial role of empathy in humanitarian work at the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul 2016, and more recently at the Global People’s Summit.

Empathy Action are not the only group teaching empathy. An emerging cohort of organisations are also proactively pursuing this mission.

If you are interested to find out more or book a simulation please get in touch.