The Wheelbarrow Favorite 

Empathy may be the cornerstone of any Global Justice movement, but how do we cultivate the conditions for empathy to thrive?
The wheelbarrow symbolises something universally useful, practical and pleasingly straightforward. A space to deliver things in an efficient and direct manner - no packaging and completely people powered.

As an interactive empathy project, The Wheelbarrow exists as an online resource which aims to strengthen, expand, promote and facilitate empathy and empathetic communication.
The creation of this flexible space is to provide a place where everyone can offer, share and receive a gift of empathy that is born out of each person’s capacity for thought, imagination and creativity.

The collective behind the initiative are a group of five artists, educators and activists who have a strong desire to communicate, establish and share empathy as a fundamental human(&beyond) right. Intrinsic to the project is a strong desire to create an awareness and engagement with global values and beliefs, such as this right to empathy, an understanding of kindness, compassion, respect and having a voice. In this current disruptive global climate, The Wheelbarrow offers itself as an opportunity to participate and receive in an engaged and active virtual hands-on environment. It is a space to explore the feeling of connection to oneself, to others and the wider world, and to experience an expansion of one's core heart-felt values through a curious moment of learning.

The Wheelbarrow is a young initiative, testing out its wheels, thus far building up its early collection of participants and responses. So far these have been inspiring and genuine snippets into the empathetic thoughts of others, and the project is delighted that this cyclical style of co-learning kindness is starting to take shape. The project hopes to exist on a broader spectrum, potentially becoming an on the-ground resource tool for educators, mental-health practitioners, activists, creatives and individuals alike.

Accessibility and multi-threshold learning and sharing are key principles of The Wheelbarrow, whereby it aims to exist as an antidote to noisier and often over-saturated platforms. The Collective wishes to maintain The Wheelbarrow as a collaborative project by nature, thus carrying out the goals of true participatory practices, in which stabilisers are removed, and the project continues sustainably with a co-ownership ethos at play.

A reflective note from the collective: The enhancement of human connectivity and emotional experience is something we would hope to continue to offer, regardless of the format of our work.
Click on the link to participate and engage with The Wheelbarrow.

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