Playing cupid
#9 | 8/2/23
“In a time where we are distanced meaningful messages are vital for connection rather than just more texts, IMs, whatsapps or emails. Our role as a messenger is a real honour.”
We learnt the power (or perhaps more adequately put “the privilege”) of being a messenger during the pandemic.
We sought to use a messaging service (with a product) to help deepen meaningful connections using some incredible ethical gifts from The Empathy Store.
Check out the Rainbow Campaign (at the height of social distancing) and then #ForYouBecause campaign (acts of gratitude to say ‘thank you’) for people who helped us get through the difficult year.
We loved playing messenger… and this valentines, we thought we’d try again following last year’s alternative valentine’s campaign and build upon the messaging and showing admiration.
Designed by our 2 interns from Activate Learning who loved the idea of playing cupid whilst intentionally building meaningful and empathetic connections through moments and messages.
The Valentine’s campaign is highlighted in pictures beneath - it also includes a thank you your admirer follow up. Here’s a sneak peak at this!
We are looking at expanding our Empathy Exercises programmes to curate newer complementary exercise around our core issues of poverty, displacement and climate justice. We will be (socially) hacking this with UCL students as part of their Social Hackathon next week. (Last time we looked into hacking digital empathy… read more about here.)
Further tributes to our team member Claire Mannion at this lovely MuchLoved site
What we are watching, listening, reading, attending…
Put your headphones in, close your eyes and take a meditative audio journey into Antartica made by our friends at Reboot The Future.
Other reads, clips, podcasts, events, films from around the team
Americanah - Chimanda Ngozi Adichie (she was listed as one of Claire Mannion’s fav authors)
For holocaust memorial day we watched Denial (on BBC iPlayer)
Jeremy Irons pitches in with helping local refugees in his community
We bumped in an Empathy Angel who shared that she’s eventually getting round to reading ‘The Parable of the Sower’ - Octavia Bulter
How well do you know the situation of refugees? Refugee Action have compiled this helpful quiz which also serves to help educate us. Take the quiz.
The Climate Change narrative can be very negative. Here’s Futerra’s Chief Solutionist, Soli Townsend and her “Happy Endings For Climate Change? My Top 14 Anti-Fatalism Novels.“
Reading FC makes a bold statement about Climate Change during their FA Cup clash against Manchester United through wearing a very special kit
With our friends from Empathy Week (w/c 27th Feb) launching their 2023 event… here’s one of their incredible videos from a few years ago. If you are interested in running an Empathy Week then please check them out!
* We’re looking into an empathy curriculum and year long programme made up of empathy exercises, immersive workshops, assemblies and messaging campaigns, like valentines, but around key days (Peace Day, Refugee Week & International Women’s Day).
* Dig Deeper: check out the ground breaking partnership with Shakti women by UNILEVER that pretty much started a revolution toward social business
5 ways to help us…
Volunteer - we really need a bunch of regular helpers (eg a few hours or more(!) a week or for our immersive workshops from time to time).
Share the news! - please forward, share any social media posts. Ta!
Spread the word! - we’d value an intro… to any potential vols, customers or even clients! Word of mouth is the best!
Become an Empathy Angel - this year we are looking for 100 ‘Empathy Angels’ to help invest into us as we reboot empathy action to build a ‘Culture of Empathy’. Could you spare us the price of a cuppa (£2.50) a week… We can’t and don’t want to do this alone!
Host a coffee morning with a table of our handicrafts to sell and invite interested people to learn more and enjoy a cuppa
Thank you!