Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast with Will Rucker: Recent Episodes
Will Rucker
Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast is part of the grassroots organization whose mission is to foster the Charter for Compassion and the movement of compassion in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Compassion acts as our guiding principle. Nearly all moral and religious institutions suggest a version of the Golden Rule that we should "do to others as you would have them do to you", and yet we are a world divided. We believe the need for more compassion is the most pressing issue of our time. There is data to support that love and compassion are not luxuries but are necessities for human survival. We are here to host and inspire a network of compassionate businesses, government institutions, schools, groups, and individuals so that Las Vegas may be a more compassionate place to live, work and play. We are part of a network of 440 Compassionate Cities in 56 countries and growing daily. Mayor Carolyn Goodman affirmed the Charter on behalf of the City of Las Vegas in 2013.
Compassionate Las Vegas is made possible by the Jameson Foundation in partnership with the Moonridge Group. Compassionate Las Vegas is new and growing! We are looking for partners from all sectors. If you're interested, please email us at hello@compassionatelv.org
Visit us online at www.compassionatelv.org Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/compassionatelv/
Congressman Ro Khanna is a Representative of California’s 17th District in the 117th Congress. Congressman Khanna was elected to Congress in 2016 and is now serving his third term representing California’s 17th District, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. He is the Chair of the Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment and a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, and Armed Services Committees.
Khanna is also the Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, an Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus, and the Democratic Vice Chair of the House Caucus on Indian Americans. In Congress, Khanna is a progressive voice working to create good jobs and opportunities for people in the 17th district and across the country. He authored the Endless Frontier Act, which formed the basis for the sweeping CHIPS and Science bill signed into law by President Biden, to ensure that the United States remains a leader in science and technology in the 21st century and has championed a new economic patriotism to drive innovation and bring people together.
As Chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment, Khanna has been a leader on climate, bringing in the CEOs of six major fossil fuel companies before Congress to testify under oath about climate disinformation for the first time in history and playing a key role in negotiations around the Inflation Reduction Act. He has also helped introduce progressive legislation to establish Medicare for All, set term limits for Supreme Court Justices, and get big money out of politics.
Prior to holding elected office, Khanna was a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stanford University and an Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara Law School. Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the California Workforce Development Board for the State of California, where he served as chair for the Advanced Manufacturing Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and provided pro bono legal aid to the Mississippi Center for Justice on several contractor fraud cases on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims.
In 2009, President Obama appointed Khanna to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce. While there, he broke new ground organizing clean technology trade missions and expanding the Green Embassy program, which allows American clean technology firms to showcase their products in our embassies overseas. Khanna also served on the White House Business Council, working with both business and labor for policies that promote to bring back American manufacturing jobs.
Khanna’s commitment to public service is rooted in the belief that the American Dream that inspired his family should continue to inspire future generations. His grandfather participated in Gandhi’s independence movement in India, spending several years in jail for promoting human rights and his parents immigrated to the United States—coming from India to seek opportunity and a better life for their children. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago and received a law degree from Yale University. As a student at the University of Chicago, Khanna worked on the campaign of a little-known candidate for State Senate named Barack Obama. Later, he worked on Obama’s presidential campaign.
Khanna has written two books: Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America’s Future and Dignity in a Digital Age. He calls Fremont home, and he and his wife Ritu have two young children.
Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, non-profit leader, and former 2020 presidential candidate. After working as a lawyer and executive at several early-stage technology companies, Andrew eventually became CEO of an education company that became #1 in the country. He then started a national entrepreneurship non-profit, Venture for America, which worked to empower thousands of young entrepreneurs to bring their dynamism to communities across the country, from New Orleans and Baltimore to Denver and Detroit.
Andrew was named a Presidential Ambassador of Entrepreneurship by the White House under the Obama administration and a Champion of Change for his work with Venture for America.
Initially dubbed a "longer than long shot" candidate by the New York Times in 2018, Andrew became a top-tier contender for the presidency, raising nearly $40 million in grassroots funding. With a vision to rewrite the rules of the United States economy through a “Freedom Dividend” of $1,000 a month for every American adult, Andrew became one of the most exciting stories in the 2020 race.
Andrew's nationwide support, known as the “Yang Gang,” propelled him to seven Democratic primary debates, outlasting six senators, four governors, three members of congress, two mayors, and one secretary. Following this unexpected run for president, Andrew formed the non-profit Humanity Forward, successfully lobbying Congress for direct cash relief for struggling American families during the pandemic while simultaneously distributing over $8 million directly to struggling families.
From his presidential and New York mayoral runs, Andrew has seen first-hand what’s preventing our country from getting things done, and he is now directing his energies toward fixing the machinery of our stagnant democracy. With FORWARD: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy, Andrew lays out the case for a variety of democracy reform measures that can unclog the pipes of our system and realign the incentives of legislators with the well-being of the American people.
UBI #Forward #democracy
Las Vegas is always evolving. What began as a long distance gambling outpost is now a thriving metropolis fueled by the hospitality, technology, sports, and entertainment industries. The city will never stop changing, but to keep up with every evolution it needs leaders like Christian Bishop. A veteran of the video gaming industry with successful stints at Level 3 Communications, Time Warner, AT&T, and Thunder Gaming, where he developed the esports and gaming news program 4Cast.
Christian arrived in Las Vegas in 2018 as the Commissioner of the World Showdown of Esports for Estars Studios, an independent competitive gaming production company. Working in tandem with gaming titans Caesars and MGM Resorts International, he led the development of a studio at the center of the Strip to “produce premium content and showcase the best of Las Vegas to millions of people around the world.”
Today, Christian is now responsible for the sales and monetization of Twitch 1st and 3rd party properties serving as Amazon's Director of Twitch Properties. Senior leadership supporting the world’s largest brands and agencies. Twitch broadcasts to 140 million unique monthly visitors with over 10 million active streamers.
Through the gaming industry, Christian seeks to develop the foundation of a new online world, one that complements Las Vegas’ professional sports and entertainment offerings. “Combine the established spirit of innovation and entertainment that is synonymous with Las Vegas with a video gaming industry that drives more revenue than TV, film, and music combined, and all I can see is the tremendous opportunity,” Christian says.
Christian represents the diversity and inclusivity that he sees in today’s video gaming culture; one that brings people together regardless of race, religion, culture, or sexual preference. At the same time, he wants to combat the toxic aspects of gaming, notably the bullying, bigotry, and ignorance that ruin the experience for gamers. “This cold truth, and dealing with the toxic underbelly of online culture, is something I work hard to address every single day,” he explains.
twitch #lasvegas #gaming
Sondra Cosgrove has been a Las Vegas resident since 1986 and is a history professor and the Executive Director of the nonprofit Vote Nevada. Sondra received a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with areas of specialization in the U.S. West, Native American History, and Latin America.
Currently, Sondra is a full-time history professor at the College of Southern Nevada and is actively involved in a wide range of college service. As Executive Director of Vote Nevada, Sondra engages in community civics education and stresses the ways civics can empower individuals through advocacy.
Social Media:
Twitter: @sondracosgrove
Instagram: @sondracosgrove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteNevada21/
A lifelong Las Vegan, born here in 1982. Max graduated from Bonanza High School in 2000, then attended the University of Arizona where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. After graduating from college, Max moved to Washington D.C. to work for a year on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant for United States Senator Harry Reid.
In 2006, Max returned home to Las Vegas and began law school at the Boyd School of Law at UNLV. Max Berkley worked for the law firms Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck, as well as Ed Bernstein and Associates before beginning his work at the Clark County Public Defender's Office, where Max has been a Clark County Public Defender for the past 10 years. Max married his wife Kelly in 2018, and they welcomed their second son Teddy in February of this year.
LasVegas #Justice #politics
Julian High United Way of Southern Nevada President and CEO With decades of experience in driving change and raising the bar for nonprofits and for-profit organizations, Julian High is well-equipped to bring transformative change as United Way of Southern Nevada’s President and CEO.
With deep roots in Las Vegas, Julian began his career as the Director of Community and Government Affairs for Sahara Gaming Corporation. As the first African American to serve in this role for a gaming corporation, Julian began his path to breaking new ground and aligning philanthropic giving with local issues. With a heart for serving the community, Julian moved to the East Coast to lead the national communication efforts to secure employment opportunities at National Industries for the Blind.
To ensure that every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live with equality under the law, Julian next became the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources for the Human Rights Campaign. Through his leadership and determination, the organization received national exposure for their work in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Most recently, Julian served as the Founder and President of J3H Platinum, an executive management consultancy that has helped C-Suite executives build strong, cohesive teams and create effective communications, business, and political strategies. With the goal of devoting himself to helping the community where he grew up, Julian and his husband, Michael Vaughn, returned to Las Vegas. Growing up in the Westside neighborhood of Regal Estates, where he served as the Student Body President of Chaparral High School, Julian continues to be a strong advocate for connecting local neighborhoods to resources for all to have the opportunity to succeed.
Julian is inspired to leverage resources in our community to match the $10 million donation that United Way of Southern Nevada received from Amazon co-founder MacKenzie Scott to help provide access to education, workforce development, and community support.
Twenty years ago Cristina Gonzalez, founded Ezer ABP a volunteering center in Monterrey with the goal of nurturing a culture of service and training leaders to address issues of grave concern in the community. When she started Ezer, Cristina envisioned an army, the right kind of army, to serve people in need. Ezer ABP, best known as the “Volunteer’s home”, has franchised its model to the North (Chihuahua) and the south (Yucatan) of Mexico and now has 11 volunteering centers with around 18,000 volunteers bringing support to more than 384 NGOs. In 2003, she and a group of people founded Estima ABP, an organization that helps people suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression. In 2010, he founded and directed the FOMESUR social project in Galeana Nuevo Leon, in which for more than 5 years she rescued women from prostitution to integrate and train them in a maquila project on which they earned a regular income and could be close to their families. Cristina’s passion to be a servant leader is highlighted in her work as a counselor at Retos ABP, Misioneras Catequistas de los Pobres, Human Development Subcommittee of the Nuevo Leon Council, NGO’s Council of the Institute of the Youth of San Pedro, Delta Kappa Gamma chapter Nuevo Leon and a social activist of the O&O Academy in Mexico. She is a pioneer of the interreligious dialogue in Nuevo Leon and directed the first and second World Congress SER in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 became founder and director of Encuentro Mundial de Valores ABP, a non-profit organization dedicated to promote human values and intersectorial alliances for the development of community projects. She has 5 years leading “Compassionate Nuevo Leon” (Nuevo Leon por la Compasion) and celebrated 2 years on air with her radio program “Encuentro de Valores”. Cristina is an international speaker, a poet, and recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Cervantina. In addition to this endless list of service, Cristina has been the secretary to the International Charter for Compassion since 2018.
Prosocial Spirituality training is based on the Nobel Prize-winning work of Dr. Elinor Ostrom and Br. Wayne Teasdale's interspiritual vision. It promotes greater harmony, collaboration, and equity within and among groups, as well as cultivating spiritual depth and maturity in the individuals who make up those groups.
Prosocial Spirituality, co-developed by Contemplative Life and Prosocial World, integrates evolutionary scientific concepts with universal spiritual practices to assist formal and informal groups of all sizes gain the tools they need to flourish and contribute in these difficult times.
Tiffany Biscoe shares she how delivers a Jolt of compassion at her three Las Vegas coffee shops where she lives the mantra "to inspire and be inspired." In this heartwarming conversation, Tiffany and Will Rucker talk about Guam, how the COVID-19 pandemic created positive changes for our community, TIABI's partnership that delivers over 300 meals each week, and why third spaces are critical.
DeAndre Esteen, Barclays Vice President, talks with Will Rucker about his journey to global success and why he thinks everyone should be involved in local change.
Join prolific spiritual writer, Joyce Rupp, and Will Rucker from the Compassionate Las Vegas podcast for a livestream interview event focused on the call to courageous, Boundless Compassion in our troubled world.
For 15 years, Joyce has focused on living and teaching compassion with an ear and a heart for varied perspectives including:
• Science and Medicine
• Spiritual and Theology
• Sociology and Psychology
READINGS
If you would like to get to know Joyce Rupp's writings before the event, try these books:
Joyce Rupp: Essential Writings
Joyce Rupp: Boundless Compassion
This Stillpoint Speaker event is brought to you with support from Compassionate Las Vegas.
UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield is an experienced university administrator and prolific scholar in the fields of psychology, health, and aging. A psychologist and expert on the social, psychological, and cultural factors of cognition and healthy aging, Whitfield’s current research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in African American families.
Whitfield has authored or co-authored over 200 publications and has earned nearly $20 million in funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Science Foundation. He’s a member of the NIA’s National Advisory Council on Aging, and he has served on committees for the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Whitfield previously served as provost, senior vice president of academic affairs, and professor of psychology at Wayne State University in Michigan.
Prior to Wayne State, he was vice provost for academic affairs at Duke University and held appointments as a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, a research professor in the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. He also was the co-director of the Center on Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research.
André C. Wade is the state director for Silver State Equality. In this role he leads legislative, fundraising and political efforts in the state of Nevada. Previously he was the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. With a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration, André has worked in human services for more than 20 years in a variety of public and nonprofit contexts including at the National Alliance to End Homelessness as a program and policy analyst. André has served on several boards and committees focused on LGBTQ equality and inclusion such as the Human Rights Campaigns (HRC) steering committee in Las Vegas, HRC’s All Children’s All Families program and the Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund. Currently, André is the chair of the advisory committee for the Nevada Office of Minority Health and Equity. A native of Las Vegas, André is a certified SMART Flow Yoga instructor who enjoys traveling and reading. As Nevada’s statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, Silver State Equality brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in Nevada and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. Silver State Equality is a Nevada-based program affiliated with and supported by Equality California and Equality California Institute, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Together, we’re fighting for full LGBTQ+ equality on multiple fronts: Electing pro-equality champions, up and down the ballot; Passing pro-equality legislation in Carson City, Sacramento and Washington DC; Advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice in the courtroom; and Reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ health and well-being through education and advocacy.
As CEO of Set Life Images, Nicole Williams is at the forefront of a Marketing Agency and manages multiple accounts that focus on branding new and existing companies giving new life to her clients' businesses. She has 15 years experience to include marketing, event planning and graphic design for other organizations, having produced successful strategic and brand-building campaigns from start-up companies, political campaigns, and fortune 500corporations, Nicole has paved her own way as an innovative marketing engineer.
After Nicole graduated from college she moved to Fayetteville, NC where she worked for Cumulus Media Group in the Promotions Department. Prior to launching her company in 2017, over the course of 7 years Nicole worked her way up the ladder from Leasing Consultant to Property Manager with Camden Property Trust. She was responsible for the daily operations of multi-million dollar assets, surpassing aggressive budget goals. She received national award recognition within the company, including several top performance accolades within the Nevada property portfolio. She also served as a mentor and a marketing task force leader in which she managed and performed marketing strategist that benefited the entire region. She was one of five selected to sit on the IN Committee with the owners of Camden to provide insight on how to attract the millennial renter.
In 2016, Camden departed the market and Nicole was hired by the Picerne Group to lease up a new property in Henderson before the peak of the economic surge in Las Vegas. Leasing up to 95% occupancy in record time she saved the owner millions by qualifying the property for refinancing. Nicole was selected to the 2016-2017 Board of Directors for the Nevada State Apartment Association(NVSAA) where she chaired the prestigious Jewel Awards Committee for two years, a Multi-Family Awards Ceremony for the state of Nevada.
She is an active member of the NVSAA participating in committees such as Bowling, Community Outreach, and Golf. She is an active member of the She’s Got Her OwnNetwork serving as the Event Coordinator at the Water Bar and Lounge, and helping the CEO mentor women and high school students on how to start their own businesses. October 25, 2018 she received a Proclamation from theCity of Las Vegas Mayor Goodman, Congresswoman Titus and US Senator Cortez-Masto declaring the day be recognized as Set Life Images Day. The Governor and Senators defined the event as the first urban, diverse and heterosexual inclusive Las Vegas Pride Block Party of its kind in Southern Nevada.
As her company continues to expand, she works very closely in the Las Vegas community partnering and collaborating with other industry professionals producing top-notch events. In 2019, the Urban Chamber of Commerce Women in Business & Politics recently honored Nicole at their annual Gala. Nicole was raised in Las Vegas, graduated from Clark High School receiving the Millennium Scholarship, and is an UNLV Cheer Alumni. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Visual Communications from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Brian Knudsen was elected to represent Ward 1 in June 2019, enabling him to continue to pursue his passion of public service. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2005, Councilman Knudsen has built programs and services for people and populations in Las Vegas and continues to serve the community as a member of the City Council.
For nearly a decade, he worked in the city of Las Vegas on initiatives that shaped the downtown core, redefined the educational landscape and rethought how city services are provided to Las Vegas residents. Councilman Knudsen has worked alongside nonprofit partners, community leaders and elected officials to expand after-school meal programs for children, and helped launch a city- and community-led initiative to improve education in our downtown core.
Councilman Knudsen has more than 15 years of experience in city and state governments as well as time spent as the chief executive officer of a large nonprofit organization and as the owner of a small business. His experience covers multiple functions of government and nonprofit organizations and has focused on creating efficiencies, strategic planning and policy development. He is a founding member of Downtown Achieves, which became the city of Las Vegas’ inspiration for creating the Department of Youth Development and Social Innovation. In addition, he is a founding member of Nevada’s Big Give, a one-day, online giving event that has raised nearly three million dollars for Nevada charities. He also has served as vice chair of the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance, vice president of the McNeil Neighborhood Association and as a member of the Adoption Exchange Board.
Councilman Knudsen has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Utah in health education and mass communications. He also has a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. Brian is happily married and he and his husband have adopted two children. Councilman Knudsen believes that his children, and all Las Vegans, deserve leadership committed to making Las Vegas an even better place to live, work and play. He plans to continue to build a community that ensures equal opportunity, has great schools, provides strong public safety, preserves our neighborhoods and strives to be world class in all we do.
PublicService #LasVegas #Parenting
Karl Catarata is a young social activist who is prepping for law school and a career in government.
https://www.ted.com/talks/karl_catarata_generation_z_ers_in_the_extreme
immigration #compassion #civics
Will Rucker discusses creating housing solutions for aging residents, and the importance of creating an inclusive community through conversation with LGBTQIA seniors expert Dr. Jason Flatt.
Dr. Jason D. Flatt (He/Him/His) is an Assistant Professor in the Social and Behavioral Health Program at the UNLV School of Public Health. Jason’s current research works to better understand the risk and protective factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among LGBTQ seniors. He also is exploring the role of affordable and inclusive housing for LGBTQ seniors (Building Healthy Outcomes Using a Supportive Environment or Building H.O.U.S.E). His research interests focus on improving health among vulnerable aging populations, including sexual and gender minorities, racial/ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups.
Dr. Flatt's research expertise includes implementation science, community based participatory research, epidemiology, mental health and aging, and health disparities of vulnerable populations including sexual and gender minorities. He has an on-going NIH/NIA grant on the epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in sexual and gender minority older adults.
Mauricia Baca returned to The Nature Conservancy in Nevada as State Director in November 2020 after previously serving as the chapter’s Truckee River Project Director and Southern Nevada Project Director from 2005-2009.
Since 2010, she served as the Executive Director of Get Outdoors Nevada, formerly known as the Outside Las Vegas Foundation. Baca also serves as Chair of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council, and as a member on the Transportation Resource Advisory Committee for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, and the City of Henderson's Park and Recreation Board. In June 2020, she was appointed to serve as a member of the State of Nevada's Advisory Board on Outdoor Recreation.
Prior to coming to Nevada, Baca served as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division for four years. While in law school, she interned for groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund. She has worked as a community organizer advocating for mass transit with the New York Public Interest Research Group, and she served a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon after graduating from Vassar College.
Lauren Chapple-Love, Ph.D. (she, her, Dr.), a licensed counseling psychologist, is the owner of Elle Psychological Services, LLC in Las Vegas, Nevada. She completed a bachelor’s degree focused in Forensic Psychology in 2007 at Bay Path University, her master’s in Forensic Psychology in 2010 at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, then went on to secure her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 2018 from The University of North Dakota. She earned additional experience in a pre-doctoral internship with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (2018) and completed post-doctoral training in 2020 at a forensic private practice. She is currently licensed as a psychologist in the state of Nevada.
Dr. Chapple-Love’s clinical experience primarily lies in Forensic and Correctional Psychology. While in the community, she has worked with court-mandated individuals and in sexual health. Dr. Chapple-Love has focused on diverse populations (e.g., LGBTQAI+, People of Color, the Kink community, etc.) and the ways that they process and can excel while living within systems of oppression and majority culture spaces. She is a member of the executive board of the Nevada Psychological Association (NPA), serving as the current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. Dr. Chapple-Love will also serve as the President-Elect of NPA, the first Black-identified psychologist to be elected in the organization's nearly 65 year history.
She is the owner of Elle Psychological Services, LLC, a private practice that currently focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion training and consultation.
Compassionate Las Vegas believes that the need for more compassion is the most pressing issue of our time. There is data to support that love and compassion are not luxuries but necessities for human survival. Compassionate Las Vegas hosts and inspires a network of compassionate businesses, government institutions, groups, and individuals so that Las Vegas may be a more compassionate place to live, work, and play. So what has given me the most hope is the momentum that is built around being compassionate, particularly as it relates to how we will make it out of this pandemic together. The disparate impact has placed compassion at the forefront. The need, not only for compassion but for us to take a critical look at the ways in which we need to strengthen our systems and safety measures. So you can't have that conversation without talking about what compassion might be in a time like this. In previous years when we heard conversations about our digital divide or lack of tech technology capacity in communities, we would say, oh, there's no way we can overcome some of these challenges to see the community come together to ensure that the fifth largest district in the country has equipped all of the children to make sure that they can continue to learn while in this pandemic spoke volumes to not new possibility, because we had said something like that could never happen, but also foster new connections with organizations and an awareness of the ways in which it really is all interdependent. That's a really encouraging time.
Captain Ken Young is a native of Oakland, California. He relocated to Las Vegas in 1982 as a member of the United States Air Force. He served proudly from 1982 -1991. In 1991 Ken changed uniforms and became a member of the Clark County School District Police Department where he is still currently serving. Captain Young started his law enforcement journey 28 years ago; he worked his way up the ranks from campus officer to his current position as Captain. He is the Commander of the West Division. Over his 28-year career Captain Young has had the distinct honor of being first in a variety of areas to include the department's first Public Information Officer,he is the first African American Captain in the department's history. Captain Young has had the distinct honor of representing the department and state as a national instructor with an emphasis on Public Relations and Cultural Diversity. During his tenure Captain Young has served as the Commander for a variety of specialty units to include; Gang Unit, Problem Solving Unit, Field Initiative Team. He served as a Police Academy Instructor and Assistant Director Captain Young’s hobbies include reading, fitness, and vintage cars. Captain Young is also an accomplished musician/vocalist and recording artist. He has worked with and toured the world with a variety of artists. Captain Young remains very active in the Faith-Based community.
Following the example of his parents and various mentors, Captain Young has maintained a presence in a variety of community efforts, Youth mentor, and advocate for young men of color. He has participated in many grass-root initiatives to include Kops and Kids, Adopt a Cop, and Men of Standard.
Local, national current and past affiliations include, National Association of School Resource Officers, National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, Weed and Seed Initiative, Council of Great City Schools, International Association of Chiefs of Police. As an active member of the Las Vegas My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Captain is currently a Co-Chair for the Law Enforcement Task Force.
Captain Young has been recognized throughout his career for his accomplishments, he stated that of the many awards over his career the following are the dearest to him.
Citizen of the Year, presented by The Brothers of Mega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Kappa Xi Chapter Las Vegas, NV. Distinguished Service Award, presented by the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. Distinguished Leadership Award, presented by the Victory Missionary Baptist Church Leadership Award, presented by Students Taking Action to Eliminate Unlawful Substance. The City Of Oakland California proclaimed February 2. 2007 as “Kenneth (Kenny) L Young Day”
Captain Young stated that he is thankful for the many accolades that he has received over the years. He stated that nothing compares to hearing from a parent or a young person that he has mentored simply saying thanks.
MBK RestorativeJustice #Compassion
Support this podcast
Rich Harwood President & Founder, The Harwood Institute Author, Speaker, Innovator After working on more than 20 political campaigns and two highly respected non-profits, Rich Harwood set out to create something entirely different. He founded what is now known as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in 1988, when he was just 27 years old. Soon after, he wrote the ground-breaking report Citizen and Politics: A View from Main Street, the first national study to uncover that Americans did not feel apathetic about politics, but instead held a deep sense of anger and disconnection.
Over the past 30 years, Rich has innovated and developed a new philosophy and practice of how communities can solve shared problems, create a culture of shared responsibility and deepen people’s civic faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 U.S. States and is being used in 40 countries.
Rich has invested his career in revitalizing the nation’s hardest-hit communities, transforming the world’s largest organizations and reconnecting institutions like newsrooms and schools to society. In Newtown, CT, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich led the process for the community to collectively decide the fate of the school building. Rich is an inspiring, sought-after speaker, who regularly keynotes major conferences and events. He appears regularly on major media outlets. He has written four books, scores of articles and numerous groundbreaking reports. He’s also written numerous studies and articles that have appeared on national media including MSNBC, NPR, CNN's Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume and C-SPAN. Recently, he became a regular contributor to The Christian Citizen, a publication that provides thought on issues of justice, mercy and faith.
Follow Rich t: @RichHarwood f: Rich Harwood
Support this podcast
Dr. Michael Karlin Assistant Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics Find out more at www.compassionateintegrity.org/ Dr. Michael Karlin has always been interested in how the human mind works. So while he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do career-wise growing up, the Bethesda, Maryland native found himself gravitating toward psychology classes in undergraduate at the University of Georgia; he enjoyed learning what makes people tick, how mind and behavior are intrinsically linked. After earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology, Dr. Karlin wasn’t sure what to do next, and chose to go into business. It was the early ‘90s, and his forays into the business world found success via the new era of the Internet. “I ended up being successful in commercial banking,” he says. “With a couple of other partners, I started what ended up becoming the first bank on the Internet and the technology company that sold that technology to other banks and eventually brokerages and insurance companies.” He had made a successful career by learning on the job in a field he hadn’t expected. “All along the way, as exciting and fun and lucrative as it was, I realized that it was not really what I wanted to be doing,” he recalls. “It was kind of an empty life, and I wanted more.” He retired from the business and started a nonprofit that launched two large mythology and story-telling conferences and performance festivals here in Atlanta. Through that experience, he recognized that he wanted to continue learning and studying – he enrolled in graduate school and earned a Master’s in Religious Studies at Georgia State University. He just completed his PhD in Religious Studies at Emory University in 2014, with a focus on the interface between religion and psychology. The teaching of compassion in schools is still an unusual concept, even for more traditional psychology students who often study mental illness diagnosis rather than prevention. But Life University’s holistic focus on overall mental health, not just diagnosis, puts an emphasis on these types of pro-social emotions. “A lot of people are skeptical going into it,” Dr. Karlin says of teaching compassion in class. “Often times the image of compassion is soft or new age-y.” But he points out that to have compassion, you must have courage, and students are able to use meditation exercises to cultivate skills that lead to compassion. Unlike many academic programs, this becomes a first-person experience. “Many courses just convey knowledge and then ask students to critically analyze or apply that knowledge,” says Dr. Karlin. “We’re asking students to really embody that knowledge.” And while an onslaught of media might have jaded the average American, Dr. Karlin says compassion is built into the human DNA, an undeniable biological factor. “It’s not this thin veneer that we’ve sort of built on through society to hold down our ‘evil nature,’” he says. “You’re always going to see elements of compassion cropping up, and people acting benevolently and helping others. Clearly we have a long way to go to take that biological compassion into a universal compassion – that’ll take time, generations perhaps, but we’re doing our best.” He says that practicing compassion is an essential part of good health, just like diet and exercise. As an associate director of LIFE’s Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics, Dr. Karlin is involved in a lot of forward-thinking programs that hope to use compassion-based training to make a larger impact on society. “The CCISE is based on looking at the fundamental human values that promote human, social and environment flourishing,” he says. “These are values we can look at through empirical evidence and design research studies around. If we can look to science and say: What does the body look like when it’s feeling compassionate instead of angry? What does it look like when we’re... Support this podcast
Aimee Tram of Anytown Youth Council guest hosts Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast with Kathi Thomas of the City of Las Vegas and Heather Engle of Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Support this podcast
Shawnta Jackson is that person who leaves a lasting impression. She motivates, challenges, and provides thought-provoking dialogue. She is a leader, mother, author, internet talk show host, and social entrepreneur with a vision to help people to help themselves and others.
She is defying all limitations by succeeding as a single-mother and small business owner who for the past 12 years has been relied upon by organizations and teams across the United States to help implement and evaluate socially conscious programs and initiatives. She also serves as a facilitator and guest speaker for various audiences.
She holds a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
Shawnta is originally from Las Vegas and resides in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area with her son, Zachary. Learn more about Shawnta at ShawntaJackson.com
journaling #compassion #Entrepreneurship
Support this podcast
Abandoned at the Reno airport, adopted, and the search for a biological relative. A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. Support this podcast
A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/adoption (#adoption) https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/compassion (#compassion) https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackhistory (#blackhistory) Support this podcast
Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city’s community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master’s degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast
Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city’s community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master’s degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast
Emily Paulsen has served as the Executive Director of the Nevada Alliance since the Spring of 2016. She believes housing is a human right and is dedicated to building a socially just community where everyone can be housed. Originally from the northern central valley and bay area of California, Emily transplanted to Las Vegas in 2008. She is a doer of all things homeless related and has worked as a street outreach worker, case manager, permanent housing manager, program developer, homeless system innovator, advocate, collaboration builder, service coordinator, and voice for the homeless. She is a lifelong learner, steadfast in the knowledge that an end to homelessness is not only possible but the ultimate purpose of her work. In her article published in the Nevada Independent, Emily says, "In Southern Nevada there are more people experiencing homelessness on any given night than there are shelter beds or other resources. As a result, the shelters are full most nights of the year and thousands of people sleep on sidewalks, in storm drains and other places where no human should live. Not only are there not enough shelter beds for everyone in need, there are even fewer beds for especially vulnerable populations like youth, families, transgender individuals, disabled persons in wheelchairs and women. Nearly 1,800 homeless individuals and families are waiting for placement into a homeless service program today. They want help, but we don’t have enough resources to go around. Some of them will be lucky enough to get one of the limited shelter beds available, but many will not. This is a problem, and one that should be addressed urgently. Mayor Carolyn Goodman’s proposed ordinance to ticket or arrest people for camping outdoors will not solve this problem. In fact, if passed this ordinance will hurt the region's progress on reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness.
Homelessness is solvable. We don’t lack solutions; we lack the political will to take proven solutions to scale. The mayor can’t rightly claim that people need a ticket or jail sentence in order to be motivated to leave the street, when there are nearly 1,800 people waiting for assistance today, and we don’t have the resources available to help them. During this critical time, the City of Las Vegas should not create policies that offer no evidence of success and which counter federal policy, hurt collaborative regional efforts, harm highly vulnerable populations and waste scarce public resources.
By working together and investing in the expansion and preservation of affordable housing, and in evidenced-based solutions like supportive housing, we can build our homeless response system up so that homelessness is rare, and episodes are brief and non-recurring. There are many actions local government and private businesses can take to achieve this, and now is the time to double-down on those solutions. I’m committed to doing my part. Join me."
Emily Paulsen, MSW, has been a homeless service provider and advocate for more than a decade in Southern NV. She is the executive director of the Nevada Homeless Alliance, co-chair of the Southern NV Homelessness Continuum of Care Board, a cross-sector body that leads regional efforts to end homelessness, and the chair of the Policy Council on Homelessness. Support this podcast
Linda Alterwitz a visual artist whose artwork engages photography, collage and interactive installations. Her projects focus on the unseen rhythms of the human body and our relationship to the natural world. Alterwitz’s creative practice has been informed by a thirteen-year exploration of scientific technologies that provide visualizations of our physical and cognitive states. In 2015, Alterwitz was the recipient of the Nevada Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship. Her work has been published in Smithsonian Magazine, Orion Magazine, The New Statesman, Musee Magazine among others. She has exhibited her work in both traditional exhibition and site-specific installations in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Spain, Israel, Germany, Greece and Poland.
Alterwitz lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23justbreathe (#justbreathe) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23artandscience (#artandscience) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23compassion (#compassion) Support this podcast
Alex Bybee sees educational equity as a moral imperative that is required to fulfill America's promise to our children. He brings this truth to his role as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Communities in Schools of Nevada—the fifth-largest state office of the nation's leading dropout prevention organization that serves over 70,000 students in 75 schools across the Clark, Elko, Humboldt, and Washoe County school districts. Alex leads key strategic projects for the organization, builds relationships with elected and community stakeholders to amplify the impact of the mission, and advises the CEO on the education policy landscape. Previously, he worked for Teach Plus, where he served as the inaugural State Leader for Nevada and led his teachers in legislative efforts which preserved student outcomes as part of Nevada's teacher evaluation system and overhauled Nevada’s decades-old school finance plan to achieve greater equity in the state’s funding formula.
A lifelong Nevadan, graduate of the Clark County School District (CCSD), and proud alumnus of the Honors Program at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), he is deeply and personally invested in the health, education, and wellbeing of Nevada’s children and families.
His passion for our education system dates back to his involvement as a student advocate in CCSD and at UNR, having served as the President of the Nevada Association of Student Councils, Chairman of the Nevada Youth Legislature and Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada. He stays actively engaged as a mentor, counselor and workshop presenter to each of the organizations for which he is an alum.
For three years, Alex served on the steering committee and National Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) which envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. He remains engaged as a volunteer and fundraiser for pro-equality candidates in Nevada.
His most meaningful accomplishment is managing and leading the strategy for Save Our Schools Washoe in the 2016 election cycle, which brought together a diverse and broad-based coalition of partners that successfully campaigned for passage of a ballot initiative that provides a new and permanent funding stream for the construction and repair of Washoe County schools — an estimated $800 million over the next decade.
Alex is an alumnus of the Jameson Fellowship and a member of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2020. He stays connected to his passion for civic discourse and independent journalism by serving as a moderator for the Sun Youth Forum and as a founding co-chair of the Advisory Board of The Nevada Independent.
Outside of nonprofits and politics, he loves design, the arts, and being in nature. Connect with him on LinkedIn or tweet him at @AlexBybeeNV. His pronouns are he/him/his.
education #mentor #compassion
Support this podcast
The Cupcake Girls provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry, as well as trauma-informed outreach, intensive case management, holistic resources, and referral services to provide prevention, and aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking. They provide non-judgmental support to empower our clients in their pursuits through respect, resources, and relationships. The Cupcake Girls is launching Local For All, the first of its kind community-driven social enterprise and holistic resource center which combines the mission-driven work of a nonprofit with the sustainability of a public-facing business. Local For All will be a safe and inclusive space for our clients and local community to shop, eat, work and receive pro bono and/or low-cost mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial support and resources.
Local For All is collaborating with local community partners, businesses, and individuals, many of whom will rent space in our facility and/or offer services to our clients. Local For All is a business entity of The Cupcake Girls where 10% of every dollar in revenue will go towards a local nonprofit, most of which will go directly back to cover the operating costs of our Resource Center. Anyone who enters this space will understand that when they spend money here, they are directly supporting social change in their community.
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNDWk5IUmNpVGtoZkpOYnhZWkVmT2pINDBhUXxBQ3Jtc0tubXRGX3BhVHhpYWlrczJITGNPUjlUeEZ0UFBvUkhJWUUxdkNqZVpTNDBRNnUtUTd2eHNSaXFBY3J5YUJzV05aLThycTFscWNfdFpIdWJrNm9CV1E0bEVWbFdPM3M4T19RVHM0cUU5Sm1QRFhZQU1IYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthecupcakegirls.org%2F (https://thecupcakegirls.org/) https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2lCdHFMU2E4VDdJUHBWNFY2Z2FpMGcwZlNuQXxBQ3Jtc0trM3djMVBwbUdKd1V0WExkT0xiNnpzTl9SeDVRWmoybDJFYldwYzZXNkRpUDRHVHFGY1RvZGRiSUpxRTQ4bXRVQlEtMWRsbG5aRFBlV0hBNGFpVUZGU3ROSjVzQ1k0TnpPcFg1S1ZKc1ozTVVwcE8yTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.localforall.org%2F (https://www.localforall.org/)
Support this podcast
Joyce Bosen Creator and Founder of Trauma Recovery Yoga (TRY) Joyce Bosen received her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certification in Ashtanga yoga after shadowing her mentor Ki F. Kosut at the Ki-Atsu LMT, CPT, RYT at the Institute of Healing Arts for 12 months. Joyce continued to hone her skills as an Ayurveda Consultant and certified T.M. (Transcendental Meditation). Shortly after Joyce created a class called S.O.S. (seriously out of shape) and taught in back rooms of salons and spas to those who were obese, physically, medically, or emotionally unable or unwilling to join a typical yoga class at a gym or studio. It has always been Joyce’s stance that “Yoga is for Every-Body”. Over the years Joyce accumulated many CEU’s and attended numerous conferences aimed at helping vulnerable populations. Among these certifications are; Restorative Yoga for Back and Spine Injury/Disease from All About Yoga and Trauma-Informed Outreach Certification from The Connection Coalition. As well as workshops hosted by Bessel Van der kolk, Author of The Body Keeps the Score and Dr. James Gordon from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Joyce has experienced multiple traumas herself and those experiences have gifted her with profound empathy. She is drawn to help marginalized populations. In 2012 after watching her 22-year-old son die, Joyce’s desire to help was turbo-boosted. She began to research her PTSD diagnosis and work with other mind-body professionals to create a method that helped relieve her own symptoms. After counselors observed her improvement, she was asked to teach this method at the vet center where she herself was receiving talk therapy and quickly found herself very busy teaching at many agencies who needed her style of science-based yoga as a somatic intervention and therapy. Joyce and her husband Darwin co-found Trauma Recovery Yoga and are contracted to teach: at-risk youth at multiple schools, traumatic brain injury patients, PTSD vets and over-comers of other traumas such as traumatic grief, sexual assault, and domestic violence. In 2017 Trauma Recovery Yoga was awarded “The Compassionate Cities award” by the mayor of Las Vegas after the 1 October shooting, for T.R.Y.s offering of free classes in 11 location across the Las Vegas community for those effected. In June 2018 Trauma Recovery Yoga traveled to Denver CO and representing Las Vegas who was awarded the “All America Cities award” for their work to bring these self-regulating tools of yoga to the at-risk youth in Las Vegas through their “Mindful Movement” program.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23yoga (#yoga) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23compassionatelasvegas (#compassionatelasvegas) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23mindbodymedicine (#mindbodymedicine) Support this podcast
Brittany DuPree Director of Individual and Foundation Partnerships Teach For America Las Vegas A Las Vegas resident since 1999, Brittany DuPree holds two degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) - a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Mass Media Studies and a graduate degree in Public Administration with a Non-Profit Management Certification. Brittany has worked within the Las Vegas Non-Profit sector for more than a decade holding positions such as Resource Development Director for Communities in Schools of Nevada, Community Impact Director for Democracy Prep at The Agassi Campus, Associate Development Director for Olive Crest – Strong Families, Development Director for St. Jude’s Ranch for Children and Communications Manager for Nathan Adelson Hospice.
As the Director of Individual and Foundation Partnerships for Teach for America Las Vegas, Brittany is responsible for fundraising and forming community partnerships to support the organization’s vision that ONE DAY all children will have access to an excellent education. She is passionate about her work and firmly believes we can break generational poverty by ensuring education equity for all children. Named one of Vegas Inc.'s Top 40 Under 40 in 2020, Brittany is also a proud 2016 alumni of “Leadership Las Vegas”, serves as a Graduate Professor for UNLV, empowering future nonprofit leaders, and sits on the Board of Directors for Golden Rainbow and Leaders in Training. She is a wife, a mom to three thriving children, and enjoys working out, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends. Notably, she is known to live by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
compassionatelasvegas #nonprofit
Support this podcast
Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast's second season premiers on World Compassion Day with a special episode focused on making the Las Vegas Valley a more compassionate place to live, work, and play. Las Vegas City Councilman Brian Knudsen, County Commissioner Justin Jones, and State Assemblyman William McCurdy II come together to focus on deliverable outcomes as they relate to addressing systemic racism in the valley. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Overcast, Captivate.fm, and RSS feed. Compassionate Las Vegas is a grassroots organization whose mission is to foster the Charter for Compassion and the movement of compassion in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. They are part of a network of more than 440 compassionate cities in 56 countries and growing daily. Mayor Carolyn Goodman affirmed the Charter on behalf of the City of Las Vegas in 2013. Compassionate Las Vegas is made possible by the Jameson Foundation in partnership with the Moonridge Foundation. Learn more about Compassionate Las Vegas at www.compassionatelv.org Support this podcast
Compassionate Las Vegas' Conversations About Racism, Pathways to Systemic Change. US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Captain Sasha Larkin, Jose Melendrez, and Alexandria Evans discuss systemic racism, policing, and what is needed to bring lasting change with from a public health perspective. Conversation recorded live on July 16, 2020. Thank you to Moonridge Group in collaboration with the Moonridge Foundation, Dr. Gard Jameson and the Jameson Family Foundation, ADL Nevada, Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition, Human Rights Campaign, The Episcopal Dioceses of Nevada, Faith Organizing Alliance, and Las Vegas Mayor's Faith Initiative. Support this podcast
Compassionate Las Vegas' Conversations About Racism, Pathways to Systemic Change. US Congresswoman Susie Lee, Organizer Jameelah Lewis, and Chair of LVMP Multicultural Advisory Council Mujahid Ramadan discuss systemic racism, policing, restorative justice, and what is needed to bring lasting change. Conversation recorded live on July 23, 2020. Thank you to Moonridge Group in collaboration with the Moonridge Foundation, Dr. Gard Jameson and the Jameson Family Foundation, ADL Nevada, Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition, Human Rights Campaign, The Episcopal Dioceses of Nevada, Faith Organizing Alliance, and Las Vegas Mayor's Faith Initiative. Support this podcast
Compassionate Las Vegas' Conversations About Racism, Pathways to Systemic Change. Senator Jacky Rosen, Commissioner Justin Jones, discuss systemic racism, policing, and wha is needed to bring lasting change with community leaders Latoya Holman and Elizabeth Hunterton. Conversation recorded live on July 9, 2020. Thank you to Moonridge Group in collaboration with the Moonridge Foundation, Dr. Gard Jameson and the Jameson Family Foundation, ADL Nevada, Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition, The Episcopal Dioceses of Nevada, Faith Organizing Alliance, and Las Vegas Mayor's Faith Initiative. Support this podcast
While Hope Means Nevada is about raising awareness around mental health and teen suicide, we are also aware that COVID-19 has changed everyone’s life drastically. With these changes comes stress, anxiety, and the need for support. Hope Means Nevada's mission is to help provide access to mental health resources and a community of hope. This national pandemic has supercharged Hope Means Nevada's mission and their hope to help all. During this time, our focus is on the mental health of you, your family, and those you love.
The coronavirus is uprooting life as we know it and putting unprecedented stress on us. Shelter-in-place mandates have isolated us from our community and friends − and has disrupted routines − and we’re already seeing it adversely affecting mental wellness. Now more than ever, we must reach out and support each other, especially those suffering from depression and other mental illnesses:
NEVADA RECEIVES ‘F’ IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH The state of Nevada is graded an ‘F’ due to the high prevalence of youth with mental health illnesses and youth experiencing extreme depressive episodes.
75% OF ADULTS HAVE FELT ANXIOUS Pew Research Center reported that nearly 75% of U.S. adults say that they have felt nervous, anxious or on edge at least some or a little of the time when thinking about the coronavirus outbreak.
70% OF ADULTS HAVE EXPERIENCED STRESS Seventy percent of people are experiencing stress in direct relation to the coronavirus as compared to 61% during the 2009 recession.
NEVADA RANKS 11TH IN SUICIDE In 2019, Nevada has the 11th highest rate of suicide in the nation and is double the national rate. [Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention]
SUICIDE AFFECTS TEENS 12-19 YEARS OLD Suicide is the leading cause of death for Nevada youth ages 12−19. [Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention]
1 IN 3 TEENS HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE One in 3 teens (13−19) have considered taking their own life. COVID-19 has only made our message more critical.
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE 1-800-273-8255 (INGLÉS Y ESPAÑOL) CRISIS TEXT “HOME” TO 741741 NAMI HOTLINE 1-800-950-6264
www.hopemeansnevada.org
HopeMeansNevada #CompassionateLV #ASK5
Support this podcast
Scott Black, a native of Southern Nevada, was elected in June 2017 to represent residents of Ward 3 in North Las Vegas. He was born in Henderson and spent the majority of his childhood in North Las Vegas, attending Lincoln Elementary, Jim Bridger Junior High and Rancho High schools. Scott developed a love of country and democracy, and an appreciation and respect for the delicate balance of government. During a school trip to Washington, D.C. as a teen. After high school, Scott attended college for one year, then accepted a call to serve his church as a missionary in Oakland, California for two years. Upon his return, he resumed his schooling at UNLV, graduating with a bachelor's degree in communication studies with an emphasis on public relations and advertising. He continued his studies, earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. Scott is committed to service in the community and has served for 20 years as a Boy Scout leader. He also is very active in serving as a youth leader for his church. He enjoys camping and hiking with his family, and is an avid bicyclist and vintage Volkswagen enthusiast. Scott is proud to call North Las Vegas his hometown and is excited to serve the residents and businesses of Ward 3.
Listen to the Podcast: https://compassionatelv.captivate.fm/listen
compassion #lasvegas #publicservice
Support this podcast
Evelyn Thompson-Hilbert graduated from University of Southern California (USC) with a BS in Public Policy and Development. She received her Professional Spiritual Practitioner License at the Agape University of Transformational Studies and Leadership in Los Angeles, CA in 2000. She was co-Director of Agape’s Peace Ministry for three years where projects included participation in the Season for Nonviolence, a film festival and community summit focused on the Forgiveness Councils in South Africa with the South African Consulate. She also served in the Prison Ministry participating in workshops with inmates; Earth Spirit Agape, an environmental ministry; Hand-to-Hand, feeding the homeless; The Adoption Triad and many others. She is a public speaker, workshop facilitator, and writer addressing multiculturalism, race, adoption, adult survivors of child abuse. She was a facilitator of Universal Principles, New Thought Ancient Wisdom Teachings, Spiritual Practices, Self Mastery, and Practical Mysticism at Agape University. She completed additional studies at the Institute of Ancient Mysteries with extensive spiritual work in Egypt, Peru, Kenya and the US. She sees private clients, facilitates meditation classes, and writes about healing from childhood trauma. Evelyn currently resides in Las Vegas, NV is an Adjunct Workforce Instructor for CSN’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development (DWED) teaching the Community Health Worker Course, where she is frequently a guest speaker for Mindful Self-Care. Over the last several years she presented mindfulness as professional development for many community organizations including CNS, the City of Las Vegas, Nevada Department of Correction’s Florence McClure Prison, and other local nonprofits. She is currently a full-time student inUNLVs Masters of Urban Leadership Program where she is integrating her background into a Legacy Mindful Leadership Project with Nevada Partners. Website: http://www.meinmadness.com/ (www.MeInMadness.com) Email: info@MeInMadness.com Support this podcast
Ciara Byrne is a documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur who set up and ran a film production company, Lion Television, with offices in LA and New York. During that time, she managed over 60 employees and produced hundreds of films a year for PBS, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic, PBS, BBC, Fox, and E! A native of Dublin, Ireland, Ciara has traveled the world and decided it's her mission to leave a positive impact on the planet. Green Our Planet launched its Outdoor Garden Classroom STEM Program in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2013. The Outdoor Garden STEM Program helps public and private schools raise funding for outdoor school gardens and implements comprehensive programming so that students can learn a variety of subjects including STEM, nutrition, and conservation.
Green Our Planet’s “turn-key” Outdoor Garden STEM Program is now the largest and one of the most comprehensive school garden programs offered in the United States. It is also the only school garden program in the United States accredited by STEMWORKS, a national organization that rigorously evaluates STEM programs using strict criteria and then recommends them nationally.
97% of the teachers who use the Green Our Planet school garden programs recommend them to other schools.
Visit Green Our Planet online at https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fgreenourplanet.org%2F&event=video_description&v=yFm_xuavuo4&redir_token=2SOM8VQQE2fVXv8q9KJVcPQ_-g98MTU5MDMzNjc5NkAxNTkwMjUwMzk2 (https://greenourplanet.org/)
Watch the Podcast on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFm_xuavuo4&t=1s Support this podcast
Tahil Sharma is an interfaith activist based in Los Angeles who was born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother who works as the North American Coordinator for the United Religions Initiative, the world's largest, grassroots interfaith network. Following the Oak Creek, WI shooting of a Sikh temple in 2012, Tahil became involved in efforts for interfaith literacy and social justice and has been doing this work professionally for the past seven years. Tahil serves as one of three Interfaith Ministers in Residence for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and as the Los Angeles Coordinator for Sadhana: A Coalition of Progressive Hindus. Tahil also serves various organizations in different capacities to educate, engage, and serve various communities that promote interfaith cooperation and ethical pluralism and social and productive norms in society including the Interfaith Youth Core, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, The Guibord Center, and The Interreligious Council of Southern California. He is also a contributing author to books including Co-Human Harmony: Using Our Shared Humanity To Bridge Divides, Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care: Chaplaincy in Theory and Practice, and Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism, and Hope Across Religions. Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/DnYgiwNF0zg Support this podcast
“I think it's very important at a time like this for us to be reminded that diversity is a strength, not a weakness. Equality matters, and so does equity.” — Patricia Spearman Doctor Patricia Spearman's courage, commitment and dedication for the rights of the people, started before becoming Senator of Nevada District 1. For 29 years, she was on the front line, serving in the Army Operations Center for the Pentagon, ascending to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Feeling the need to do more for her community, Patricia took on the San Marcos Independent School District Board. Within 6 months of membership and with a pledge to serve and adherence to education, she took on the challenge of President of the School Board. It was here that she realized the challenges that parents, administrators and educators face when ensuring that every child has access to an equal and sustainable public education. In 2008 Patricia Spearman took on the reins to ensure Barack Obama's 12.5 point Nevada victory-the state’s largest margin of victory in two decades. Her work with the Obama campaign, her experience as a public servant and the 2008 recession prompted her need to do more. In 2012 Patricia Spearman filed to run for Nevada’s 1st Senate District. Her opponent a conservative incumbent stood no chance against Spearman's grassroots foundation. As Spearman ran for Senate, she pursued a Doctor of Business Administration at Walden University. Her mission statement to become a voice of the people, a supporter of community groups and an ally to local leaders guaranteed her 63% victory. Support this podcast
Mario Lemons is a native of Detroit, and was educated in the Detroit Public Schools system. He graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Curriculum, with a Specialization in English and Language Instruction. Mario is passionate about empowering young people to be their best selves and is excited to bring his expertise to Detroit Achievement Academy. For the past five years, Mario has dedicated himself to educating young people in the arts, as well as empowering students academically, socially and emotionally. Outside of school, Mario enjoys traveling frequently with his travel club, being involved in the arts community, and giving back to the less fortunate.
Education #Compassion #Leadership
Support this podcast
Dr. Dominique Hammonds is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Qualified Supervisor, National Certified Counselor, and Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider. She is the recipient of the 2017 Creativity/ Innovation in Counseling Award and the 2018 ACES Supervision Award. Dr. Hammonds' interests, guided by her scholarly compass, include: (a) eliminating barriers to the counseling field for marginalized populations; (b) increasing access to quality mental healthcare in a global society; and (c) creatively meeting the needs of diverse students in a changing educational landscape. In addition, Dr. Hammonds strongly values clinical work and maintains a private practice where she meets with individuals, couples, and supervisees. Dr. Hammonds strives to creatively educate, compassionately counsel, and champion mental health awareness and advocacy where it matters most - the community. Instagram (@hammondscounseling) Facebook (@DrDSHammonds) Twitter (@Dr_DSHammonds) Website (http://www.hammondscounseling.com/ (www.hammondscounseling.com)) Support this podcast
Nadia Krall graduated from the Boyd School of Law at UNLV right here in Las Vegas in the year 2000. For the past 12 years, she has had a successful law practice and now, Nadia is running for District Court judge. Nadia’s many roles have included Judge Pro Tem, Mediator, Arbitrator, Appeals Officer and more. When she is not working, Nadia loves to rock climb in the beautiful rock in Red Rock Canyon with only the sounds of nature to surround her.
CompassionateLV #RestorativeJustice #HumanConnection
Support this podcast
This episode features a special COVID-19 rendition of Coldplay's "Fix You". Aaron Abke was born and raised as a Pastor’s Son in the Silicon Valley of California. He desired to work in Church Ministry like his father and went to college at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Music and Theology. He spent one year working as a full time worship pastor at a church in San Jose until eventually, at 23, he felt called to leave his religion and pursue a deeper and more authentic spirituality. At 27 years old, Aaron had a dramatic spiritual awakening that changed the course of his life. He was working as a signed Fitness Model in San Francisco and competing at the National level in men’s bodybuilding at the time, and completely walked out of his former life and into a brand new, space of being. Aaron’s passion is to share the path inner freedom and self realization with the world, and he does so today via YouTube where he has over 100k followers, Social Media, Meditation classes, workshops and seminars. Aaron believes that lasting joy and peace are everyone’s birthright and are attainable for anyone who truly desires them. Connect with Aaron online at www.AaronAbke.com Support this podcast
Rick Sperling is a world-renowned Arts Education, Community Arts and Creative Youth Development pioneer. He is the founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit which he began as a way to address what he calls, "gaps in arts education through the metro Detroit area." During Rick’s 27 years of leadership, Mosaic became a fixture on Detroit's arts scene while frequently earning national media attention. It is known for the high quality (and high energy) of its performances and its ability to propel its students into performing arts careers — and other successes. His most recent endeavor is Sperling Arts Strategies LLC, Which serves as the Arts Consultant for Detroit Public Schools leading the Detroit School of Arts (DSA) Pathways Initiative, connecting 24 Arts Partners with the Detroit School of Arts, and creating Middle School Arts Conservatories. www.MosaicDetroit.org Support this podcast
Dr. Annie Weisman is the Director of Wellness & Integrative Medicine with the UNLV School of Medicine. She is working to develop wellness and integrative medicine curriculum and workshops for the medical students, faculty and residents. Previously Dr. Weisman worked in the field for thirteen years as a massage therapist in HIV/AIDS clinics and hospices. She was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service for this work in 2007 and has presented her research numerous times at the Nevada Public Health Association and American Public Health Association conventions and was chosen to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University in Miami, FL. Dr. Weisman spent 13 years caring for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as volunteering and working for hospice patients. During this time, she developed continuing education classes for nurses and other health care providers to help teach some techniques that are soothing for patients and non-pharmacological. Her role now with the medical school will be to introduce these and many other techniques to the medical students, faculty and residents to help them manage their own stress as well as to help provide a broader understanding of integrative treatments for their patients. Dr. Weisman earned her B.A., M.P.H. and Ph.D. degrees from UNLV (Human Touch: Perceptions of Self-Efficacy From a Non-Pharmacology Treatment for Individuals Living With HIV/AIDS). Additionally, she studied at the University of Cape Town with New York University in a 4- week immersion course where she worked with the families and patients in a community setting. She specializes in integrating massage therapy and other integrative practices into the care and treatment of patients. Dr. Weisman has taught therapists about her integrative techniques and works to teach patients, care providers and families techniques that they can use at home. Support this podcast
From President Barack Obama to Pastor T.D. Jakes, Jamal Simmons has served as a trusted advisor at the highest levels and on the most complex situations. While all of our shows feature important topics, today’s show is especially timely given all of the attention Las Vegas is receiving in the news.
Jamal is a unique interviewer and voice on the American political and media landscape. He worked for U.S. President Bill Clinton and was an advisor to President Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign and White House. His real world political experience and work with the US government, international NGOs, Fortune 500 companies and early stage startups gives him keen insights. Jamal’s appearances on every major cable news network, radio and online give him wide audience reach. Currently, he can be found each week on Hill.TV and reg ularly on NPR’s “Here and Now.” A rare voice of reason, Jamal has credibility among political, social justice, and corporate decision-makers. Jamal got his start in on-air political analysis on the Fox News Channel in the mid-2000’s and became a fixture on CNN during the 2008 presidential campaign advocating for Barack Obama. CBS News hired him as their in-house Democratic Analyst during the 2010 midterms appearing regularly on the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” and CBS “This Morning.” Since then, Jamal appears regularly on MSNBC programs such “AMJoy” and “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” In 2016 he was a frequent guest on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and still appears regularly on CBS “Face the Nation.” Today he is here with you on Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast. Few things are as polarizing as our subject today. So we want to be clear that this show is not affiliated with any political party and is not endorsing any candidates, but we are certainly going to talk about how compassion is recognizable in the political landscape. This is an episode you are going to love - so tweet or post or whatever social media method you use, share this episode right now and use the hashtag #compassionateLV Support this podcast
Catherine Scherwenka, a successful entrepreneur, a globally recognized Spiritual/Mental Health and Wellness guide, a workshop facilitator, and a mentor for the youth, has led thousands of people through transformational experiences both in person as well as virtually. She focuses on bringing balance and stability into the Body.Mind.Spirit. Most recently, she has been pioneering a recovery wellness program for the 1st responders of the 1 October incident in Las Vegas and started a 501 © 3 non profit called, “Inner Peace for the children” in hope of bringing meditation to the youth. Her passion is to help guide people on how to go from living in a stressful state into living in a beautiful state. Catherine is the published author of, "PTSD & A Drug Free Me! - Get real about handling trauma without abusing drugs, alcohol and/or prescription meds"and spends much of her time guiding and facilitating meditations and workshops around the world. She is also a certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor and weaves this powerful practice into her work. Connect with Catherine online at: https://www.catherinescherwenka.com/ (https://www.catherinescherwenka.com) https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinescherwenka (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinescherwenka) https://www.facebook.com/catherine.scherwenka (https://www.facebook.com/catherine.scherwenka) https://instagram.com/catherine_scherwenka?igshid=uk49vp6s0h9p (https://instagram.com/catherine_scherwenka?igshid=uk49vp6s0h9p) https://twitter.com/catscherwenka (https://twitter.com/catscherwenka) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLM4VHaLARDtHcaVXjfqAOQ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLM4VHaLARDtHcaVXjfqAOQ) Support this podcast
ALICE VO EDWARDS is a translational psychological scientist who is passionate about using social capital and technologies as levers to increase human thriving. She is an expert in understanding and aligning employer and employee needs for the best win-win outcomes so employees can be happy and productive, and organizations can be more profitable. Alice has a passion for how technology can help improve outcomes for at-risk groups and individuals with disabilities. With an MBA and nearly 20 years corporate experience, Alice is extremely knowledgeable about what makes businesses run. Currently, Alice is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a focus on research and evaluation. Her dissertation topic is researching the relationships between social capital, personality, job satisfaction, and turnover. Alice isn’t all business. She also finds joy in gardening and creating a mini paradise of greenery in the Nevada desert. If you visit her at the right time of the year, you can enjoy home grown fruits and veggies straight from the garden. Today we talk about everything from meditation to mermaiding. If you are a business owner, leader, or employee - this episode is for you. Today Alice helps us to understand why and how Compassion makes Dollars and Sense. Connect with Alice online at http://www.alicevoedwards.com/ (http://www.alicevoedwards.com/) Support this podcast
On this episode of Compassionate Las Vegas, we talk about having church at the bar, conversations amongst strangers, political disagreement, and why we all need bigger tables. Jeremy Martin is the founding pastor of Downtown Faith, a community of faith in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. He is married to his beautiful wife and partner in life and ministry, Martha, and they have two amazing children, Greyson and Hennley. Together, his family and church community create space in downtown Las Vegas to discuss life and faith. Jeremy is the author of Build A Bigger Table: Creating Space to Discuss Life & Faith and host of The Downtown Faith Discussion podcast. He has been published in Church Planter Magazine multiple times, as well as a featured guest on their corresponding podcast, Hardcore Church Planting. Twitter & IG: @jmart316 @dtlvfaith FB: https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.martin316 (https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.martin316) Support this podcast
Rico Ocampo was born in Morelos, Mexico and immigrated to United States in 1992. He is an undocumented/DACAmented community organizer and activist. He has engaged in local, statewide, and national platforms to advance advocacy and justice for homeless youth and immigrant communities. He serves as the Director for Camp Anytown’s Social Justice and Leadership program. Through his decade of experience in youth development, he remains passionate about anti-racism work and amplifying youth voices. In addition, Rico also serves as the Youth and Programs Organizer for Make the Road Nevada, a non-profit organization that works with Latinx and working-class communities of color through policy innovation and transformative education. Rico spends his spare time volunteering for interfaith and peace building organizations like the United Religions Initiative where he serves on the URI North America Leadership Council and provides strategic direction and helps implement various programming and initiatives within the North America region. Connect with Rico online: FaceBook - Rico Ocampo Instagram - @ricoocampo_ Twitter - @ricoocampo_ Connect with Camp Anytown Las Vegas: FaceBook - Camp Anytown Instagram - @campanytownlasvegas
Support this podcast
Fear, anger, and anxiety represent qualities of emotional energy at separate us from that which matters most… Every species of life on the planet carries the instinct of security and survival.… What we come to realize on the spiritual journey is that we are, in fact, dual-origin creatures. We have biological roots, we also have spiritual roots. The great paradox of life is that what we need to provide for our immediate security and long-range survival is a realization of our authentic nature- unselfish compassion. Dr. Gard Jameson received his Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2005. He teaches Chinese and Indian Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Prior to his tenure at UNLV, he spent 25 years practicing as a CPA. He is the author of several books, including The Peace Pilgrim Pictures which we talk about on this episode. Gard helped found and chairs the boards of the Children's Advocacy Alliance and the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada. He is the founder and inspiration behind the Jameson Fellows. Along with his wife, Gard organized and founded Volunteers in Medicine in Southern Nevada (www.vmsn.org). He also helped found the Nevada Community Foundation. He is a proud father, and I am so proud to call him friend. Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast is part of the grassroots organization whose mission is to foster the Charter for Compassion and the movement of compassion in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Compassion acts as our guiding principle. Nearly all moral and religious institutions suggest a version of the Golden Rule that we should "do to others as you would have them do to you", and yet we are a world divided. We believe the need for more compassion is the most pressing issue of our time. There is data to support that love and compassion are not luxuries but are necessities for human survival. We are here to host and inspire a network of compassionate businesses, government institutions, schools, groups, and individuals so that Las Vegas may be a more compassionate place to live, work and play. We are part of a network of 440 Compassionate Cities in 56 countries and growing daily. Mayor Carolyn Goodman affirmed the Charter on behalf of the City of Las Vegas in 2013. Compassionate Las Vegas is made possible by the Jameson Foundation in partnership with the Moonridge Group.Compassionate Las Vegas is new and growing! Compassionate Las Vegas is looking for partners from all sectors. If you're interested, please email us at hello@compassionatelv.org Visit us online at: www.compassionatelv.org Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/compassionatelv/ Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/compassionatelv/ (https://www.instagram.com/compassionatelv/) Support this podcast
The Charter for Compassion The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect. It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion. We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies. We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community. Affirm the Charter at www.compassionatelv.org Email Will@WinningWithWill.com to share your story of compassion. Support this podcast