Human Rights Education Leadership
Striving for effective thought leadership by embracing George Lakoff’s empathy activities.
A caring thought leadership movement requires caring thought followers of George Lakoff.
“Everyone has duties to the community in which the free and full development of his personality is possible.”
—Article 29, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Why Four Empathy Activities for Collective Thought Leadership Training?
Effective human rights thought leadership embraces the latest insights of the brain that link facts with moral context. Moreover, cognitive scientists and linguists Elisabeth Wehling and George Lakoff write in Your Brain’s Politics: “The experiences we make as we live in this world result in physical changes to our brains. (That’s because) all reasoning is physical. We understand the world via our brains, which are part of our bodies. Any reasoning process is always a PHYSICAL process. In the cognitive sciences, this mechanism is called Hebbian learning. Experiential correlations lead to strong neural and cognitive connections. And so our cognitive apparatuses are heavily influenced by the experiences we make in our lives.”
Four empathy activities inform collective, caring thought leadership
The Four Empathy Activities frames the work of our weekly human rights thought leaders’ continuing education collective. Because empathy is the soul of our republic and its democratic institutions. Moreover, pro-empathy voters and their representatives enhance effective government when they collaborate to protect and empower one another equally. Furthermore, cognitive linguists now know that this American ideal in government can be expanded through the ongoing, repetitive, and consistent narrative. And true patriots never compromise their duty to care that protects and empowers all Americans equally.
Our trustees strive to be first followers in our communities of George Lakoff’s caring thought leadership work.
Teaching the difference between nurturing parent governing frame and the strict father governing frame is the core of all of cognitive scientist Dr. George Lakoff’s thought leadership training. In fact, these two Nation-as-Family metaphors currently dominate American thought. First, an empathic, nurturing nation is achieved through a progressive, nurturant parents model of governance, which strengthens democracy. Or second, a cruel, punishing nation is achieved through a conservative, strict father model of governance that dismantles democracy. Furthermore, the Nation-as-Family frames are also used unconsciously in ethical business, government task forces, and civil society organizations. Since people are morally complex and mostly unconscious of their core governing values, we can be manipulated by anti-empathy organizations. Consequently, it’s up to pro-empathy voters to know our values and frame the debate to strengthen democracy. Join us.
L-R: Dr. George Lakoff receives Paul Harris Fellowship Award in 2018 from Rotarians at the Berkeley, California, Rotary Club with Empathy Surplus Project Foundation founder and CEO, Charles Watts, and Edward Jones financial advisor, Jason Hillard, in attendance.
Our Trustees and Fellows for Human Rights Thought Leaders’ Continuing Education
Charles M. Watts
Empathy Surplus Network USA Founder, CEO, and Trustee Chair
Chuck embraced human rights thought leadership training with cognitive scientist Dr. George Lakoff in 2004. And he joined Lakoff’s Rockridge Nation online community board of advisors in 2005. When Rockridge closed, Chuck pivoted to continue Lakoff’s efforts to democratize the latest insights of the brain for political and moral discourse. His Empathy Surplus Campaign launched in 2009 is now Empathy Surplus Project Foundation DBA Empathy Surplus Network USA. Chuck earned his business degree from Mississippi State University in 1972 and his MDiv degree from Sewanee in 1977. A social entrepreneur at heart and active in the public square, Chuck established an Episcopal Church in Mississippi and a clothing bank and Rotary club in Ohio. A financial advisor with Edward Jones for 30 years and a limited partner, he helped launch more than 20 branches. He lives with his wife in Wilmington, Ohio. Email him at chuck.watts@empathysurplus.com or make a zoom appointment. Here is a 2022 interview with Chuck on The Path Podcast. Find Chuck on Mastadon at @empathysurplus@mastodon.world.
Maribeth Chaney Bevis
Empathy Surplus Network USA Trustee
Maribeth is a retired classroom teacher who has reinvented her teaching skills to lead senior fitness classes for the last 13 years. She graduated from the Neuroscience Academy led by Dr. Sarah McKay in Sydney, Australia. She uses the knowledge gained at the academy to understand better ways to help her clients maintain brain health and delay or avoid cognitive decline. She has lived in several states and now resides in San Antonio, Texas. Email her at maribeth.bevis@empathysurplus.
Anita Lewis
Empathy Surplus Network USA Co-Founder and Trustee Emeritus
Anita Lewis, RN, BSN, is President and CEO of I AM CLEAN ENERGY, INC. She supports a resource-based, caring, circular economy filled with ethical businesses and poison-free communities. Anita’s energies address CDG, Circular Development Goal #6 – WASH, water, sanitation, and hygiene – especially in Guyana’s wetlands and the Guiana Shield Rainforest and Rupununi savannah, as well as Malawi and the Miami Valley in Southwest Ohio, where she lives. A graduate of Julienne HS and Wright State University, School of Nursing, Anita is an Affiliate Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. A Greene County, Ohio, resident since 1977, she established Roaring Brook Farm, A Demonstration Farm For Clean Energy, in 1986. Anita has served on the Greene Soil & Water Conservation Board as an Associate Supervisor since 2000. Her current favorite read is The Third Industrial Revolution by Jeremy Rifkin. Email her at anita.lewis@empathysurplus.com.
The Rev. Dr. John Paddock, DDiv
Empathy Surplus Network USA Trustee
John brings a doctorate in American racial issues to our human rights go local efforts and has served congregations in Massachusetts, Maine, and Ohio. He is a founder of CityHeart, Dayton, Ohio, and in 2015, as rector of Christ Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio, the congregation became the first faith community to join the United Nations Global Compact to align missions around its ten principles focused on human rights, living work/leisure, and anti-corruption of government for the sake of climate survival. John has worked for more than two decades promoting housing human rights, most recently as co-chair of the Montgomery County, Ohio, Homeless Solutions Policy Board. In his retirement, he serves as a nurturant cleric at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Fairborn, OH. John and his wife have eight children, including six African-Americans, and have fostered more than 70 children. Email him at john.paddock@empathysurplus.com.
Miriam Speaight
Empathy Surplus Network USA Co-Founder and Trustee
A businesswoman and farmer in Wilmington, Ohio, for more than 20 years, Miriam is also a recorded pastor in the Quaker tradition, as well as a Reiki master. Email her at miriam.speaight@empathysurplus.com.
A Letter from the Board
Thought leadership that promotes the duty to care is more important than ever. And we are humbled by the empathy activities of our parents and grandparents after World War II to enshrine the duty to care in the UN Charter. In fact, in the UN Charter Preamble in 1945, they wrote in part,
“We the peoples of the United Nations determined… to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedoms… have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.”
THE NEED FOR MORE EMPATHY ACTIVITIES
Thought leadership that promotes the duty to care is more important than ever. And empathy is the soul of our democratic institutions and the foundation of any effective republic. Moreover, we collaborate more effectively with empathy. Furthermore, the empathy deficit we currently have in society, government, and the global economy were created over the last fifty years by those who reject empathy as a core governing value.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND CLIMATE SURVIVAL ARE THE STRATEGIC REASONS WE NEED MORE EMPATHY
Despite a groundswell of empathic thought leadership emerging, we must have all hands on deck for empathy building. And the human rights to life and freedom in the context of our climate emergency are the strategic reasons the world’s people and governments need more empathy. Consequently, we hope you will consider joining us in ongoing collective thought leadership training to build the empathy surplus needed in our local centers of influence.
ONLINE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
Thought leadership that promotes the duty to care is more important than ever. Yes. We did say ongoing collective thought leadership training. In fact, in 2004 our founder read Dr. George Lakoff’s 1st edition of Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate, which came with a 25 minute DVD. Moreover, Dr. Lakoff directed his readers to check out his think tank, The Rockridge Institute. And, the next year the Rockridge Institute launched Rockridge Nation, an online collective training community of practice. Furthermore, participants could read and discuss the material to practice how to govern their particular sphere of influence with strength, empathy for, and responsibility to others. Our founder served on that online community’s board of advisors. We are determined to continue that collective training.
CONSIDER JOINING US
Fast forward to 2021 and the Empathy Surplus Project Foundation (ESPF), with Dr. Lakoff’s mentorship and encouragement, is in its 12th year. In the tradition of the Rockridge Nation, ESPF continues to offer a much-needed online community of practice in the community section of its Facebook page. We hope you will consider joining us online and embrace our Four EmpathY Activities and start reading and inwardly digesting and discussing Dr. Lakoff’s insights into the brain on applying empathy and responsibility to the public square.
REFRAMING IS SOCIAL CHANGE
Thought leadership that promotes the duty to care is more important than ever. Yes. We do need to be involved in the electoral process. Every election at every level is a choice between a more empathic government versus an authoritarian government trying to dismantle it. Yet, more importantly, we need to unite behind both cognitive science and linguistics. Now is the time, to know and understand our empathic values and reframe the debate around empathy. Dr. Lakoff’s Introduction to his bestselling Don’t Think of an Elephant is entitled “Reframing IS Social Change.” If we are going to change the world, we must change our language, and repeat our language, to describe the empathic world we want.
WE NEED COGNITIVE PROGRESSIVE EXPANSION – THE DUTY TO CARE
Thought leadership that promotes the duty to care is more important than ever. Yes. We have the science to make our “Duty to Care” stronger. For too long the science has been used by extreme conservatives to inhibit our duty to care about effective government and progressive markets. And the most important thing we must do is to talk continuously about the empathy surplus to care for our world. We can use cognitive science for good. I hope you will consider how you can help. We have two needs for donations.
INVEST IN OUR VISION
The first need is for help for us to physically engage in dialogue with our partners in the Global Compact and in Rotary to promote human rights. Ironically, most people, Rotarians included, are unaware of Rotary’s contribution to the UN’s establishment, and the potential for partnerships. We have no employees – yet – and none of our board receives a salary. Consider a monthly donation at this link. Or consider a monthly ad sponsorship in our pocketbook version of the Illustrated Universal Declaration of Human Rights – email info@empathysurplus.com.
PARTNER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
Our second need is for distribution partners in our Human Rights Pocketbook Venture, a positive peace initiative, launched in 2018. We want to distribute a personal pocketbook copy of the UDHR described above to every teacher and student in kindergarten, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th-grader in our member spheres of influence, as well as to 1st-year college students.
The first Human Rights Pocketbook Venture was in Clinton County, Ohio, where we have invited county commissioners to join the UN Global Compact every year since 2015. You can help fund that venture or start one of your own by using the GET IN TOUCH function below. Thank you for your consideration.
Caring citizens are the solution,
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Your Donations Support Thought Leaders Continuing Ed
Caring Thought Leaders Core Values
Empathy
the soul of democracy
Responsibility
both personal and social
Commitment
to govern with empathy and responsibility
Ten-Word
Pro-Empathy Philosophy
Stronger America(ns)
reframes stronger military
Progressive Markets
reframes free markets
Better Futures
reframes lower taxes
Effective Government
reframes less government
Mutual Responsibility
reframes family values
George Lakoff's Resources
The basic idea is this: Dr. Lakoff's resources are free and open to all. He will provide framing suggestions regularly over social media, and whoever receives them can decide how to use them, and whether to share them or retweet them. Dr. Lakoff's process is bottom-up.
Dr. Lakoff also offers this framing service to activist organizations, media folks, and elected officials and their staff.
Pro-Empathy Pledge to the People of the World
(Recited while holding a neighbor's hand. People from other countries may insert the name of their country.)
I pledge allegiance to the people of the world
and to my neighbors in the United States of America
and to our human rights, which I defend and promote,
one world governed with empathy and responsibility,
with liberty and justice for all.
The Empathy Surplus Network USA is a charitable human rights thought leaders continuing education collective headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio. We fulfill our mission with adult weekly forums and partnerships with teachers and organizations to distribute complimentary copies of the Illustrated Universal Declaration of Human Rights to K-12 and college students. Donations are exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) and described in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.