Help us to Continue Growing Compassionate Hearts
Growing Compassionate Hearts: Changing Our Future
As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on our mission to help people strengthen their compassion, understand mind more deeply and together build a more caring, happier world. How are we doing?
Our Patron, the Dalai Lama said:
"The survival of humanity depends on educating the hearts of children. This attitude is not a luxury item. This is survival. Because the ultimate source of happiness is within ourself."
—HH the Dalai Lama
In a world where emotional intelligence is as crucial as academic progress, FDCW has helped children and young people to live with more compassion and wisdom. By cultivating a good heart - a feeling of caring for others, by using a strong framework of inner values to navigate daily life and by gradually understanding how our mind works more deeply, we can become a true source of happiness for ourselves and others.
Inspired by the success of our Growing Compassionate Hearts Conference, we're launching an end-of-year fundraiser to raise £5,000. Your contribution will help us continue our vital work of integrating compassion and wisdom into the lives of more and more young people and children all over the world.
Help us to change our future.
Why Now?
Our Growing Compassionate Hearts Conference was a pivotal moment this year. Many, many educators contacted us beforehand to share the different ways they are working to support children cultivate kindness, mindfulness and values during these troubled times. Our children urgently need an education system that nurtures their whole being—not just their intellect.
The Conference was an important step in harnessing this collective uplifting energy for change, encouraging and inspiring each other and sharing methods that work. But it’s just the beginning.
We need your help to keep this momentum going - by supporting these pioneering educators, by building a strong global community for change, by creating more programs and tools that nurture children, young people, parents, families and teachers.
Real Life Stories
Finding new ways to develop our compassion and wisdom is at the heart of what Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) is all about. Every year we host an online conference to bring together speakers who share their inspiration, practical methods and advice on how to navigate the world with compassion and wisdom.
This year, we focused on ways to educate children and young people in kindness and compassion. Growing Compassionate Hearts Conference took place on 10 and 11 October 2023. It featured speakers from Mexico, India, Australia, UK, Italy, USA, France and Sri Lanka. We explored new perspectives on inspiring these values in children and young people. We were honest about the challenges we face in transforming traditional education systems while at the same time sharing our successes. The Conference also revealed a treasure trove of beautiful guided meditations for children including the Inner Smile Meditation, Secret Garden Meditation, 7 Rainbow Colours Meditation and Re-Imagining The Universe.
Below are just a few of the highlights from the conference. You can find all the recordings from the conference on our Growing Compassionate Hearts playlist here.
1. All Children Understand Kindness
Teaching a good heart with Raquel Mason
All Children Understand Kindness is an excerpt of Raquel Mason's presentation. Raquel met a 5 year old boy called Akshy. This meeting inspired her to found the Akshy School in Anwar, India. Her teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked her what was taught in the school. She replied: English, Hindi, maths... Rinpoche said but what about teaching them to have a good heart? Raquel discovered the 16 Guidelines program and now all the children practise a good heart by learning the 16 Guidelines - the one they most easily connect with is Kindness. Older children visit elderly people each week who live in poverty, alone or uncared for.
Children at the school created their own video on Kindness, you can watch it here.
You can watch Raquel’s session from the conference here, Raquel is the first speaker.
2. Teaching Children Compassion with K.E.T.C.H.U.P.
Laughter yoga with Susie Adams
Teaching Children compassion with K.E.T.C.H.U.P. is an excerpt of Susie Adams's presentation. Susie Adams presents various ways to support families to develop resilience especially where there is neurodiversity in the family. She shares some laughter yoga techniques which can help the learning process.
You can watch Susie’s session from the conference here, Susie is the first speaker.
3. Centering and Connecting to Love
Classroom exercises with Gillian Watt
Centering and connecting to Love is an excerpt of Gillian Watt’s presentation on the Theme of Building Resilience & Positive Mindset. During this session we focus on the importance of families - the good soil from which a child grows and thrives. Gillian Watt presents mindfulness, the 16 Guidelines and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as powerful tools for creating a positive mindset and developing one's own resilience toolkit.
You can watch Gillian’s session from the conference here, Gillian is the second speaker.
4. The Inner Smile Meditation
Guided meditation with Ven Tseten
The Inner Smile Meditation with Ven Tseten - this guided practice is a simple but powerful meditation for children. We are invited to gradually smile with the whole body and then share that smile with others. Ven Tseten shared that when you teach children to meditate they don't really understand what they are doing at first so it’s helpful to begin with the outside world, then turn inwards to breathing and eventually thoughts. Introducing neuroscience can bring an exciting flavour to learning meditation. Meditation can help soothe and re-program the neurons in a helpful way.
You can watch Ven Tseten’s session from the conference here, Ven seten is the second speaker.
5. Re-Thinking Education
with Andy Wistreich
Are educational systems falling short in teaching core values and compassion? By educating the whole person including the traditionally neglected areas of social, emotional and ethical development, we can recognise these areas as key skills needed for the current challenges of our world. Andy examines the colonization of our minds by "values" like individualism, materialism, and consumerism and how we can teach our children better values to live their lives by.
You can watch Andy’s session from the conference here.
You can watch Andy’s complete session, alongside Pam Cayton and Ven Connie Miller here, Andy is the second speaker.
How Will Your Donation Make a Difference?
Our goal is to raise £5,000 by the end of the year. Here's how your donation will make a difference in children’s lives:
£2,000 will help us refresh and create new course materials for children
£1,500 will sponsor scholarships for various courses
£1,000 will cover administrative costs to offer more conferences like this one
£500 will fund our impact program to share successful outcomes
Every pound counts and will help to make a difference in the lives of children all around the world.
Thank You
FDCW is inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama's vision of educating the heart not just the intellect. An education that is based on values like forgiveness, kindness, and affection. By watering the seeds of natural empathy, building resilience through better understanding of how things exist, and above all, caring for others, our young people can face the future with courage and confidence.
Help us continue to bring compassion to children and young people, by donating to our £5,000 fundraiser. Your support is much appreciated and will help us to continue spreading compassion and wisdom - making a real difference in people’s lives.
Our Honorary President, the late Lama Zopa Rinpoche said:
“The main aim of this essential wisdom is to open the heart, to generate good heart, the thought of loving kindness and compassion, the precious thought of benefiting others…”
And you, our donors and supporters, play an essential role in that mission.
As 2023 draws to a close, please help us bring a little bit more compassion and wisdom to children all over the world. Help us change our future.
