Welcome to Between Worlds; a showcase of my thoughts and projects that seek a better understand how empathy works to support flourishing organisations, communities, and societies. Unlimited possibilities can emerge from the liminal spaces between cultures, between academic, business, public policy & social spaces, between disciplines, beyond boundaries.
I am deeply passionate about cross-cultural understanding, collaboration, and coexistence; as a pillar of flourishing individuals, communities, and societies. This requires bringing together differing world-views, empowering marginalised voices, and promoting the richness of diversity. My work and specialisation is interdisciplinary with theories and methods at intersections between social sciences, mind sciences, and management sciences.
Since 2011, when I first came to sense the potential of empathy as a glue for flourishing societies, I have pursued understanding, experimented with community-based initiatives in three countries, and developed unique teaching methods that have real transformative impacts.
My inspiration and energy comes from over a decade of community-based collaborations in Australia, Japan and India called ‘Drishtee Immersion’, teaching interdisciplinary approaches to empathy (one of my students created the portrait image on the left) and leading a mentor program at University of Technology Sydney, and PhD research ‘towards a theory of culture and empathy’ at Australian National University, Yale University and the community of Iwaishima.
Currently, I am writing about ‘empathy’ being hindered by predominant theories based on stereotypes, are blind to diverse perspectives, and simply do not reflect the dynamic inter-connected ways most people experience life. Moreover, ‘empathy’ does not exist in a vacuum independent of other facets of positive ‘pro-social’ interpersonal relations e.g. kindness, respect, solidarity, and so on. I believe a lack of this more complex, inter-connected, and inter-disciplinary notions of ‘empathy’ restricts the potential for empathy-focused teaching, programs, and measurement to succeed in developing long-term behaviour change in individuals and promoting empathy more widely in societies. Too often I see empathy used as a label, a buzz term for self or organisational marketing purposes, but lacking any real meaning and content (i.e. consistent action). To move forward, we need to expand our thinking as to how empathy works and how to teach, measure, and support positive relations between people from all social, cultural backgrounds, and beliefs i.e. all walks of life. Differences should support possibilities - not divide and destroy. I believe this critical for the future sustainability of our world.
Eventually, I aim to create an empathy research lab that will continue to broaden and deepen our theoretical, interdisciplinary understanding of concepts relating to empathy and apply these ideas in the ‘real-world’ through collaborations with forward-thinking universities, organisations, and public policy institutions around the world.
Get in touch to collaborate.
