Tim Loreman and Navleen Kaur speak about “Empathy” ahead of CUE’s fireside chat with the Rt. Hon. David Johnston
Posted on: Apr 13, 2023
The world is craving kindness. During tonight’s discussion with the Rt. Hon. David Johnston, the former Governor General will share his rich experiences and inspiring examples to demonstrate that empathy is the fastest route to peace and progress as he discusses his new book Empathy: Turning Compassion into Action.
The fireside chat will take place tonight, Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Tegler Student Centre at CUE. Members of our community and the general public are invited to attend and hear a thought-provoking chat between the Rt. Honourable David Johnston and Dr. Cecilia Bukutu, Director of the Public Health Department at CUE,
President Tim Loreman, spoke with Global News about what this event means for students and our community.
“At Concordia, we’re producing students who are independent thinkers, who are ethical leaders and citizens for the common good. A book on empathy and on understanding is a perfect fit for our mission statement and what we’re trying to accomplish with young people.” – Tim told Global News
Tim added that he is inspired by the students at Concordia. “They’re very resilient. They’ve come through a difficult time where they haven’t been able to see their friends or engage in normal social activities. It’s amazing to me just how positive and resilient they are,” he tells Global.
As a small university we are bringing that connection back and Tim insists that due to our close-knit community “there’s an opportunity to connect and reconnect with one another face-to-face, and it’s very healthy and students are craving that.”
Tim feels the university serves a unique role in society, and one of those is debating important topics in which all of society is a stakeholder. “The topic of empathy right now in this post-pandemic world is a topic of great public interest and we are pleased to have a speaker with this level of expertise and with a point of view to lend to this topic,” Tim says of David.
We also spoke with the President of the Concordia Student Association, Navleen Kaur to get a student’s perspective on what David Johnston’s book Empathy meant to her.
Navleen mentions that there is so much valuable content in the book. She says, “If I had to sum it up in three lines, I would say that empathy is such a critical human trait that helps us connect with others, build relationships with the people around us, and create positive change in the world.”
Speaking about her future career in Human Resources, Navleen says, “One of the issues dear to my heart is experiences of marginalized people and groups. I think this book gives us great examples and ways that we can promote social justice and work collaboratively to address those issues.”
We look forward to seeing you tonight! Tickets are available through Eventbrite for $30 + GST. Registration fees include a hardcover copy of the book, as well as a meet-and-greet and signing.
A limited number of complimentary seats plus books are reserved for CUE students, courtesy of the Concordia Students’ Association. Please register at cuedmonton.com/book-event to reserve your seat.