The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we interact on many levels.
Lockdowns, politics and racial unrest have tested us and our ability to show compassion to our fellow community members over the last 18 months.
The University of Arizona’s annual downtown lecture series is returning with in-person sessions after going virtual last year and will tackle the topic of compassion from four approaches:
- Social conflict and public opinion
- Racial justice and transformation
- Spirituality and mindfulness
- Psychology and cognitive science
Titled "Compassion: A Tool for Human Understanding and Liberation," the series will be held every Wednesday in October at 6 p.m. at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
"We hope people leave these talks with additional insights into the complexity of compassion and the ways it can be cultivated to help our own well-being and to create a more just world," said John Paul Jones III, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
The talks are free but attendees must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the event. Masks are also required. They will also be livestreamed online.
This is the ninth year of the popular Downtown Lecture Series. Previous years have focused on happiness, food, immortality, privacy, truth and trust in the global scene, music, animals and woman power.
For more information or to register for the lectures, visit sbs.arizona.edu/dls-2021.
