The second year of the “Compassionate Conversations” series centers on “kindness to the stranger.” Illustration by Tina Hordzwick.
On Nov. 17, 2025, the UCLA Newsroom announced the launch of the second year of the Bedari Kindness Institute’s “Compassionate Conversations” series in an article titled “UCLA’s Compassionate Conversations focuses on ‘kindness to the stranger,’” written by Citlalli Chávez-Nava.
An excerpt from this article reads:
“Thinking about what it means to be kind to those who are ‘strange’ to us is the call of our times,” Ferdman said. “We can think of the ‘stranger’ as immigrants who are increasingly vilified and attacked, as people with whom we disagree, as stereotypical ‘rivals’ or enemies.”
To explore this year’s theme, the series will feature speakers from a variety of fields and traditions who share a deep and humane commitment to engaging others with passion, compassion, empathy and respect.”
To read more, click here.
