“Empathy is a quality of Character that can Change the World” says Obama.

Speaking at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast on May 12th 2011 Obama said that empathy is a source of morality in the immigration reform debate. According to Edwin Rutsch, writing to Members in Let's Find 1 Million People Who Want to Build a Culture of Empathy and Compassion, Obama has been talking about empathy and compassion more lately and Edwin thinks it will be central to his 2012 election campaign.
Here is the video posted up as part of Edwin Rutsch’s empathy documentary project. where you will find links to many other videos from Obama and others on the importance of empathy.

Here is some of the text from the video:

"So, yes, immigration reform is a moral imperative, and so it’s worth seeking greater understanding from our faith. As it is written in the Book of Deuteronomy, “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” To me, that verse is a call to show Empathy to our brothers and our sisters; to try and recognize ourselves in one another. ….

That sense of connection, that sense of Empathy, that moral compass, that conviction of what is right is what led the National Association of Evangelicals to shoot short films to help people grasp the challenges facing immigrants. It’s what led the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to launch a Justice for Immigrants campaign, and the Interfaith Immigration Coalition to advocate across religious lines. It’s what led all the Latino pastors at the Hispanic Prayer Breakfast to come together around reform...

I’m asking you to help us recognize ourselves in one another... Obama went on to say ...Empathy is a quality of Character that can Change the World.”

Empathy and Compassion are qualities whose time has come. Here is the Zeitgeist, the Spirit of the Age.

See also Edwin Rutsch's Center for Building a Culture of Empathy
And the Facebook Center for Building a Culture of Empathy and Compassion 
and the cause - Let's Find 1 Million People Who Want to Build a Culture of Empathy and Compassion 
and thankyou to the indefatigable Edwin Rutsch who is working so very hard to put all this together and keep it running - and growing!

It is a cause very dear to my own heart and I will be talking in a few days time to a local book group about empathy and compassion and how we need to nurture these qualities in everything we do to heal our broken world.