Empathy Developing empathy about others is a key
Empathy
• Developing empathy about others is a key to conflict transformation and peacebuilding work. • Hence, it is important to know how it can be developed. • Many people are often confused with Empathy and Sympathy. • However, these two terminologies have two different meaning.
The value of Emapthy in Peacebuilding • When we are in conflict we usually do not understand each other’s perspective. • People all over the world have different experience with education, upbringing, socialization process and their way of thinking could be totally different. • So in order to understand each other better we have to be 'in their shoes' and be able to see the conflict from their perspective. • This is a big challenge in the present conflict in Nepal, because the different groups have different issues and they do not have the skill and expertise to listen to each other and understand each other’s perspective to work together towards sustainable peace. • Therefore there is a need to have empathy for each other to understand each other better.
Meaning • The ability to understand other people’s feelings and problems. - From: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. • Ability to understand other people’s feelings and problems without any judgment, and to establish trust and rapport to find solutions to the problems and diffuse conflicts.
Empathetic people • • Can take the roles of other people, View the world as other’s see it, and Relate to other’s feelings Read and interpret non verbal communications • Understand without passing judgment. - By Goldstein and Michaels (1985)
So, Empathy … • Doesn’t include agreement. • Important dimension is understanding.
Sympathy vs Empathy • Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone, understanding how they feel, because you are similar to them • Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings by putting themselves in their places and problems, despite having anything in common with them.
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