How to Participate

Why Participate?

It's incredibly satisfying to be heard or to really hear someone! Empathy is part of what makes us human. Plus, you get to be part of a movement. People who participate in the International Day of Empathic Action will help to build strong trusting relationships in their communities, promote nonviolence as a viable way of life, and establish compassionate ways of living together. IDEA events will directly expose participants to the power of empathy and the effective change it can have on local and global issues.

How to Participate?

Attend an event on October 2nd or create your own. You don't need to be an expert to host an event. Anyone can create an event. Get ideas below. If you''d like to host an event and you want more confidence in your empathic skills, please check out our resources.

If you decide to host an event, let people know about it through your email contacts, Facebook, Twitter, and offline in your local area.

Ideas for IDEA Events

10 things anyone could do on October 2nd:

IMG_0025Spend an hour listening to a loved one share stories about their life.

Make 3 phone calls to people you know, especially ones who may need connection, and listen with empathy.

Make cards of appreciation that clearly state how someone has enriched your life, and mail them.

Put a sign at your table in a local coffee shop, offering to listen to anyone who''d like to be heard.

Call into the Tele-Empathy line to give and receive empathy with people from around the world (details about this posted each year on the worldempathy home page).

At a school, offer to be an empath for the day, for parents, students, teachers, and administrators.

Carry a list of universal human needs to a meeting of people whose opinions differ from yours. Before speaking, quietly guess what their needs are.

Go where you are likely to encounter someone homeless and take them for a meal and listen to their story.

Go to a senior center, nursing home or hospital, bring an empathy card deck, and play Easy Empathy.

Contact a local Peace and Justice center and invite various social action groups to come together to share ideas and connect.