Michael Juberg interviews Dr. Simon Cottle, a media and communication professor emeritus at Cardiff University, about his work on global crises and the role of media. Dr. Cottle discusses his latest book, "Communicating a World in Crisis," which explores how various communication fields, including journalism, can address interconnected global issues, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach and the importance of compassion in media narratives.

Today we have the privilege of speaking with Dr Deanna Varley, a postdoctoral research associate at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney. Her research is interested in understanding factors that contribute to psychological distress and how early life experiences influence mental health later in life.

Today we have the privilege of speaking with Dr Darcy Harris, a Professor of Than-natology at King’s University College at Western University in Canada. She also maintains a private clinical practice specializing in issues related to change, loss, and transition. In addition, she is a faculty member of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition. Her research focuses on Grief and Loss, Compassion Focused Therapy, Compassion, Palliative Care and Sociology of Death and Dying, to name a few.

Dr. Harris shares her journey into studying political grief, which began in 2016 after witnessing the emotional reactions to Donald Trump's election victory. She explains the concept of political grief, which stems from the disruption of one's "assumptive world"—the framework of beliefs and expectations that provide a sense of safety and predictability.

Today we have the privilege of speaking with Dr Myriam Mongrain, a clinical psychologist and Full Professor of Psychology at York University in Canada. She is an active clinician and researcher. Her Positive Psychology lab explores topics related to human flourishing, existentialism, and compassion-based training.

Dr. Olga Klimecki, a neuroscientist and psychologist, discusses her research on mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and compassion in this interview. She explores how mindfulness and compassionate practices can enrich lives, improve brain health, and even foster conflict resolution on both individual and societal levels.

Dr. Lynn Reeder from the Charter for Compassion discusses her work promoting compassion-driven initiatives from local community projects to global research collaborations. She highlights the Charter's impact across 470 cities worldwide and shares insights on innovative projects like "Seeds of Compassion" in Ballarat, Australia. Dr. Reeder also explains her role in advancing compassion science through research initiatives and networks, emphasizing the need for evidence-based approaches and action at all levels to create a more compassionate world.

Across the world, democracy is in retreat. In many nations, far-right populist leaders are gaining ground while everywhere elections are becoming increasingly susceptible to interference by rogue states. The result is increased distrust in politics and divisions in society. In this panel, we will explore the guiding role that compassion can play in helping us not only reinvigorate support for democratic ideals but also create political systems that are inclusive, cooperative, and effective in improving the lives of citizens.

With the avalanche of information coming at us every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. In this climate of distraction and division, Nate Klemp, PhD, will talk about the new science and age-old practices we can use to experience more moments of openness.

On 7 July 2017 – following a decade of advocacy by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and its partners – an overwhelming majority of the world’s nations adopted a landmark global agreement to ban nuclear weapons. It entered into force on 22 January 2021. In this talk with Claire Yorke, expert on empathy and international security and convenor of the GCC's working group on International Relations, Daniel Hogsta - Interim Director of ICAN - will talk about how the treaty was won, the lessons he learned, and why peace is always possible.

10,000 children die every day from hunger-related illnesses and globally more than 1 billion children live in poverty. This despite the fact we have the resources and the wealthy to alleviate poverty and end hunger. To build a compassionate world today and have it last into the future, we must start to invest properly in the care, nurturance, and wellbeing of the youngest among us.

This panel explored how we can do that.