A group of more than two dozen professionals met in October 2018 at the first-ever museum summit with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. Entitled Fostering Universal Ethics and Compassion through Museums, the Summit’s purpose was to engage His Holiness, and each other, in exploring new ways to promote the value of compassion through museums. The Summit was co-chaired by Elif Gokcigdem, author and founder of the Empathy-Building Through Museums Initiative; Dr. Jon Kolkin of Kolkin Fine Art Photography; and the Office of Tibet in Washington, D.C. The Tibet Museum was the local counterpart and host.
The group represents different aspects of museum work: from directors and leaders to educators, designers, planners, and strategists. Professionals from outside the museum world also joined, and provided differing perspectives on the role of museums and those who engage the public in informal education. Their areas of expertise included behavioral science, ethics, and social transformation. (See attendee list at the end of the video.)
Representative Ngodup Tsering, from the Office of Tibet in Washington, D.C., explains the purpose of the meeting: “This Summit initiative is inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s call for a universal secular ethics and is in keeping with his vision and advice that the delegates have gathered to deliberate on how to foster universal ethics and basic human compassion through works of museum[s].”
Summit Details:
Dharamsala, India
October 28 – November 1, 2018
Video Production: www.art-work.global
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