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Statement on Racial Justice

We at the Bedari Kindness Institute mourn the death of George Floyd and express our deepest condolences to the Floyd family and all his relations. The Bedari Kindness Institute strongly and unequivocally condemns racist acts of violence and…
Daniel Fessler interview

A Global Lifeboat: Evolution and Kindness in the Time of Coronavirus Podcast

Daniel Fessler, Anthropologist and Director of the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, discusses how an understanding of humanity's past and present can help us to meet the personal, social, and political challenges posed by the novel coronavirus…
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UCLA Sociology Professors advocate for “physical” rather than “social” distancing

In an opinion piece that was published today on CNN.com, UCLA sociology professors, Dr. Cecilia Menjívar, Dr. Jacob G. Foster, and Dr. Jennie E. Brand, recommend using the more accurate term “physical distancing” rather than the misleading…
Daniel Fessler talking on the news

Why being kind is good for you

Daniel Fessler, Director of the Bedari Kindness Institute, tells Christiane Amanpour how being kind to others can lower your blood pressure and lessen depression. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/01/10/kindness-mental-health-ucl…
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The Kindness Podcast

There are really exciting things happening in the world of kindness research. UCLA recently established the Bedari Kindness Institute, where experts will work on promoting a more humane world and exploring how and why being nice to others reduces…
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The Atlantic – America’s Epidemic of Unkindness

A new research institute at UCLA wants to start a virtuous cycle of generosity and do-gooding. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/how-be-kind/602488/
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Los Angeles Times – New UCLA Institute

Research by UCLA scientists already has shown that mindfulness and kindness actually alter the behavior of genes, turning down those that promote inflammation, which can lead to heart disease or certain cancers, and turning up the activity of…