A contentious election season is finally behind us, and come January, we will have a new president. No matter how you feel about the outcome of that contest, I’m guessing that you, like me, might be wondering how best to bridge seemingly insurmountable divides in our society and move forward. 

So I noted with interest that the NewCourtland Conference Center in Mt. Airy is hosting an EmpathyTech conference on Nov. 19 – an event that promises to help harness innovation not just for efficiency or profit, but for fostering human connection and understanding.

Our neighborhoods are full of people who are welcoming, kindhearted, and dedicated to the well-being of others. We write about them every week in the pages of this newspaper  – and they occupy both sides of the political aisle. 

Yet, over the past decade, it’s been easy to get lost in the ugliness of our national public discourse – and forget that most of our neighbors are good and decent people who genuinely want what's best for their country and their fellow citizens. After all, it’s difficult to fairly consider an opposing point of view if you feel dismissed as someone who simply doesn’t care – no matter what side of the debate you’re on. 

The premise of the upcoming EmpathyTech conference — that we must intentionally design our tools and systems with empathy in mind — suggests that empathy is not just a natural impulse but a skill we can cultivate.

The conference brings together an impressive array of speakers from healthcare, technology, and public service – leaders who are pioneering ways to infuse empathy into our various digital interactions, from supporting family caregivers to improving mental health services for young people. They hope to prove that technology, when designed with compassion at its core, can help bridge the gaps between us. We can only hope they succeed. 

Still, technology is just a tool, and will only ever be as good at generating empathy as are the people who use it. 

So as we move forward from this election, let's consider whether, and how, we as individuals are practicing empathy. Are we approaching our differences with genuine curiosity? Are we willing to consider that those who disagree with us might have valid reasons for their views? Are we contributing to solutions, or merely amplifying divisions?

In a country of 345 million, we as a people are always going to have a wide range of opinions about the nature of our problems, and how to solve them. That comes with the territory in a nation as big and diverse as this one. 

The path to healing our civic discourse won't be found in proving who’s right and who’s wrong. It lies in the patient, often challenging work of truly listening to one another, approaching differences with genuine curiosity, and honoring our shared humanity in the face of disagreement.

Initiatives like EmpathyTech remind us that we have the tools — both technological and human — to build bridges across our divides. The question is whether we have the wisdom and courage to use them.

For more information about the event, visit eventbrite.com

Carla Robinson

Editor