Page 26 - The Indian EYE 052722

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MAY 27, 2022 | The Indian Eye 26

AIA hosts conference

on Awareness and Empathy

The idea for this conference was conceived by Mr. Gobind P. Munjal, President of National AIA,

Asmita Bhatia, Trustee of AIA and Professor Shivaji Sengupta of Boricua College

OUR BUREAU is our ability to monitor our feelings,
be aware of them before we react.
New York
Empathy is functional; sympathy, in-
n May 16th, “The Associa- ert.
tion of Indians in America” Thus, Professor Sengupta estab-
O(AIA) National Executive lished a continuum between Con-
Committee organized a conference tact, Awareness and Empathy. He
on “What is Awareness and Empathy said there are other elements that we
and How Can We Increase Them In need to know to enhance awareness
Us?” The idea for this conference was and empathy such as field and energy
conceived by Mr. Gobind P. Munjal, that the Bhagwat Gita calls kshetra.
President of National AIA, Asmita There is also the notion of control
Bhatia, Trustee of AIA and Professor and difference. All of this help some-
Shivaji Sengupta of Boricua College. one to work with differences among
He has recently retired from there people, to bring about mutual under-
as Professor of English and its Aca- standing and empathy and resolve
demic VP. Boricua is a small, private, conflicts. However, given the com-
not for profit liberal arts institution in plex subject, he said he would explain
New York City. As vice president, he these terms at a subsequent session.
worked with the full-time faculty to The presentation lasted about
develop awareness and empathy so 20 minutes. It was followed by live-
that they may be better facilitators of ly discussions by most of the par-
learning. He was thus invited to lead ticipants. Some of the questions
the discussion. were about Covid. Since Covid has
The meeting opened at 8:30 PM. affected so many millions of people
There were over 42 attendees, all in the world, for well over two years,
participating via Zoom. Ms. Gunjan and counting, could it have affected
Rastogi, the National AIA Secretary, people’s awareness, since awareness
introduced National AIA President depends on contact? It was an excel-
Gobind Munjal. lent question.
Sengupta responded that theo-
Mr. Munjal said in his introduc- retically, yes. But there needs to be
thorough research to prove his hy-
tion to Dr. Sengupta that we are pothesis. Other questions were about
living in a sharply divided world. explanations of terms. Participants
cuss awareness and empathy, how de- and self-awareness, is empathy. asked for clarifications and examples.
There is the war in Ukraine veloping them may help others. But awareness and empathy can- It was decided at the end of the
not happen without contact. Sengup-
Shivaji Sengupta began the dis-
which shows no signs of abat- cussion by explaining what he means ta explained contact as not only be- meeting to hold another session
roughly in about a month. The audi-
ing. Internally, sharp differenc- by awareness and empathy. Aware- ing in touch with someone but being ence were enthusiastic and receptive
es between the political parties ness is being conscious, not only of aware of the nature of the contact to the idea. The three moderators,
the environment around us, the at- itself. Are we happy, sad, troubled, Ms. Gunjan Rastogi, Mr. Santosh
and social groups were tearing mosphere, the people, nature, but anxious about being in contact with Pandey and Ms. Nilima Madan han-
the country apart with unrest also conscious of how we are feeling a particular person? Contact, he said, dled the conference with awareness
is not instantaneous and sudden. It and sensitivity. Secretary Gunjan Ras-
as we are aware of them. It is the lat-
and violence. These are all hap- ter – how we are feeling – that is hard is a process. Awareness is its conse- togi thanked all the former National
pening because of lack of com- for us to be aware of, Sengupta said. quence. We need to nurture contact AIA Presidents, Chapter Presidents,
Empathy is the ability to gauge the if we are to develop empathy. National Executive Committee and
munication between people. feeling of a person one is in the com- Empathy, unlike sympathy, is ac- Chapters members, community lead-
pany of. This ability to “be in some- tive. When in empathy, we reach out ers and invited guests for attending
In this milieu, Gobind Munjal one else’s shoes,” as they say, the to help. Sympathy is more intellectu- and participating in this conference
said, it would be a good idea to dis- ability to communicate with feeling al, aloof; empathy is affective. Affect and making it a huge success.

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