As I write these words, and you read them, a line of orange-robed Vietnamese monks makes its way through snowy highways, rural roads, large and small towns, on a 2,300-mile pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., to spread peace, loving kindness and compassion throughout the US and the world.
The pilgrimage began in October 2025 and is expected to last 120 days. It has not been easy or uneventful: one monk lost a leg after a truck ran into their accompanying vehicle (and the vehicle, into him), lead monk Paññākāra is walking barefoot, and has needed to bandage his feet every night after stepping on rocks, nails and glass, and two of the monks are adhering to dhutanga, a set of Buddhist practices that only allow three postures during the pilgrimage: walking, standing or sitting; never lying down, even to sleep.
The response has been emotional and overwhelming, with crowds offering food, water, and flowers along the way, and many staying up all night in the cold to greet the monks as they resume the walk with first light. People have felt the walk as a profound, silent call for unity and understanding in the midst of political division. Upon arrival, they plan to ask Congress to recognize Vesak—the sacred day celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha—as a federal holiday.
Aerial views of the orange-robed monks traversing snowy roads, being greeted and gifted with flowers by thousands along the way, is a powerful reminder of our profound need to come together in compassion and strength.
Here are some news, practices and inspiration to help us do just that!
News You Can Use: From Self-Compassion to Social Change
New research suggests that how kindly people treat themselves may shape how they view others, and society at large. The study finds that self-compassion is linked to lower support for social hierarchies and inequality, largely because it's related to greater empathy. In particular, emotional empathy—not just intellectual perspective-taking—appears to reduce dominance-oriented attitudes and preference for authoritarianism. These relationships held steady even during the social disruption of COVID-19, suggesting they are relatively stable psychological patterns.
The findings point to empathy as a key bridge between inner self-attitudes and broader social values, with potential implications for reducing prejudice and promoting more egalitarian societies. While cautioning that their study cannot establish causality, authors Michael Juberg and Polina Beloborodova suggest that enhancing self-compassion and empathy could have societal benefits by weakening psychological and cultural structures that uphold inequality, prejudice, and group-based dominance. These findings point to a bridge from psychological processes to potential social change.
Let's Practice! From Inner to Outer Care
Notice how you speak to yourself when something feels hard, and offer yourself a brief moment of self-compassion. You can do this by placing a hand on your heart, and saying to yourself, silently or out loud: “This is difficult”, “I can get through this”, “I’m allowed to learn.” Or you can seek out warmth and companionship in a close friend or loved one, or even from your animal companions.
Later, when you encounter someone you’re tempted to judge or dismiss, see if you can extend the same compassionate intention to them. Reflect on whether softening toward yourself made empathy toward the other person easier, or more accessible.
The Growing Edge: What Mister Rogers Still Teaches Us About Love
"When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’." Many of us remember the beloved Fred Rogers offering this and other heartfelt advice, and providing a safe haven for countless children, and adults.
Lady Gaga is now covering the iconic Mr. Rogers “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” song for an upcoming Super Bowl ad for Rocket and Redfin, which they say is all about spreading “kindness, compassion and community.” Her soulful rendition feels like the perfect encapsulation of the pioneering television host and educator’s message of love and mutual acceptance. Despite speaking to an audience of children, Mister Rogers did not share a saccharine view of love, but rather urged his young viewers to embrace all of their emotions, and to know that they are always worthy of love and appreciation.
“Love isn't a perfect state of caring. It's an active noun, like 'struggle',” he said.
Compassionate Collective Action: Serving Where It’s Needed Most
CENCORDEC is a humanitarian organization in Cameroon that works to support under-privileged women, children, and hard-to-reach rural communities living in conditions of deep poverty. Led by Kingsley Mbwogge, GCC National Coordinator for Cameroon Connectors, the organization offers practical, compassionate care where it is needed most.
One expression of this commitment is the organization’s healthy school lunch program for vulnerable children. Recently, Kingsley and his team visited the Full Gospel Primary and Nursery School in Limbe, which serves 156 pupils, including conflict-displaced children and orphans.
Among them are Betondi Faith and Fongwa Cindy, two conflict-displaced children who previously missed many days of school because of hunger. Through the provision of nutritious daily meals, both children are now attending school regularly, participating actively in their studies, and rediscovering a sense of stability and care. Such on-the-ground, hands-on service is the very heart and soul of the GCC’s Connectors Program.
Take a Stand: Private Land Becomes a Public Good
In rural Antigonish, Nova Scotia, doctor Amy Hendricks and her husband Paul Davie bought a 46-acre property, and found it was more land than they needed for their home and a medical clinic. As reported by Good Good Good, they offered the land to the local Antigonish Affordable Housing Society, a gift that non-profit leaders called “a dream” because land is one of the biggest expenses in housing development.
Working with partners including The Naomi Society (which supports survivors of domestic abuse) and Inclusion Canada (which advocates for people with disabilities), the project — called Sugarloaf — is being designed to include affordable homes, transitional housing, and supportive community spaces. The first phase is expected to include at least 54 homes, with plans for energy-efficient design and tenant supports. The couple said they also hope to one day add a daycare and corner store in the new community, hoping to provide a walkable and communal area for everyone who lives nearby.
Save the Date! A Shared Heart: Compassion in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism
How can the shared heart of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism help bridge today’s deep divisions? In this one-hour panel, facilitated by Rev. Neddy Yong, Lailatul Fitriyah, Ashley Plotnick, and Aizaiah Yong explore compassion as a powerful counterforce to extremism. Through personal stories and theological insight, they reflect on how compassion can renew faith traditions and help build more connected, humane communities.
When: Friday, February 13, 2026 9 am PT / 12 pm ET / 5 pm UK / 7 pm SAST
Where: Online (free)
Register here !
Bridging Brain Science and Education
NeuroEDU2026 is a landmark international conference, co-presented by the Global Compassion Coalition and the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience in Puerto Rico, which aims to transform our educational landscapes. By weaving together cutting-edge brain science with the principles of social-emotional learning and compassion, it envisions moving beyond traditional academic models to address a deeper question: how do we build school environments where empathy and resilience are the foundations of learning?
We invite you to join this two-day experience, either in person, or online.
AI Will Shape Wellbeing. Will We Shape AI?
The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) is convening a timely and important Virtual Summit on AI and the Future of Wellbeing in March. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes how we pursue happiness, resilience, and personal growth, new tools promise deeper insights and faster transformations. Yet many of these systems are being developed without meaningful input from psychology or wellbeing science. The question is no longer whether AI will influence human flourishing, but whether the field of positive psychology will actively help shape that influence.
Chaired by Martin Seligman and Llewellyn van Zyl, the summit brings together leading voices to explore both the extraordinary promise and the profound risks AI presents for wellbeing. Designed for researchers, clinicians, coaches, educators, organizational practitioners, and all those committed to human flourishing, the gathering offers a shared space to ensure that compassion, and ethical care remain at the heart of our technological future.
When: March 23–27, 2026.
Where: online
Find details and register here.
A Question for You
Who are the “helpers” you notice when you slow down, and how might you become one in your own way?
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Peace, as this issue reminds us, is not always a simple state of contentment. It often involves looking out for others, standing our ground, speaking up for ourselves. Like any living system, it depends on attention, steadfastness and relationship.
May this week offer you many chances to tend that ecology within yourself, in your conversations, and in the communities you touch. May we offer peace many places to take hold.
With gratitude for all the ways you help keep this living network alive.
Fabiana, Editor
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