COMPASSION SYMPOSIUM

“The leadership that is required at this moment in history is a leadership of generosity, of humility, of self-offering. To lead, we need not know all the answers. We must only convene the circles, articulate the questions, frame the conversation and direct attention to the issues that matter.

“It is the community that will rise up in response to our calling – joyful to be invited, heartened to be involved – and it is the community that will lead us past our illusions, beyond our fears and into a reality brighter and bolder than all imaginings.” Jan Phillips, Visionary Thought Leader

In March, 2014 Compassionate San Antonio hosted a Compassion Symposium at the Whitley Center at Oblate School of Theology. This wasn’t be a dutiful assembly of passive people sitting on hard chairs in straight rows writing down pearls of wisdom from the experts. Nope. Our though catalysts — Diego Bernal for the public sector, Imam Omar Shakir for our faith-based communities, Patti Radle for education and Cappy Lawton for business — were just the spark to get the diverse assembly thinking, talking and collaborating . We recorded the catalysts talk though: what are YOUR ideas? Your feelings? Your experiences? Your talents? Your work?

Patti Radle, a teacher, former councilwoman and now a member of the SAISD School board, speaks as the education idea catalyst at the Compassion Symposium.

Imam omar Shakir of Masjid Bilal Ibn Ra’bah and a chaplain in the Texas prisons speaks as an idea catalyst on the topic of faith & compassion at the Compassion Symposium.

Diego Bernal, then Councilman for District 1 of the San Antonio City Council (and a civil rights attorney, social worker and musician . . . ) speaks as an public service idea catalyst at the Compassion Symposium. Diego is now the State Representative for Texas District 123.

San Antonio Restauranteur Cappy Lawton (Cappy’s, La Fonda on Main, Cappycino’s) talks about compassion in business as part of the Compassion Symposium.