Nurturing The Seed of Compassion
Youth is a phase of self-discovery. Living amidst a constant stream of media that presents a wide range of information, much of which is harmful, whether physical, psychological, verbal or non-verbal. This exposure can create an atmosphere that leads to emotional stress, affecting how young people interact and communicate with others. Often, this manifests as words and actions that negatively impact others. The words we choose and the attitudes we adopt when we're feeling negative can create barriers, lead to communication breakdowns, and even cause relationships to fall apart. If these problems are left unfixed, people will gradually become alienated from their social environment; something that was never intended to happen.
"I believe that everyone possesses the seed of compassion. Just think: do we feel uneasy when we or someone else is publicly humiliated? When we see our friend being excluded, do we feel a sense of sadness or disappointment?" - Gede Supardika, Facilitator.
Aware of this situation, CAMPUHAN College's one-year Leadership and Communication Programme (LNC-19), in collaboration with Capung Malajah, equips its students with various soft skills to better prepare them for living in society. One way it achieves this is by encouraging students to identify what is truly needed in their interactions with others. They first need a safe space in which to get to know and fully accept themselves, including understanding their emotions, personal values and what they need.
Following on from the Living Values Education (LVE) Workshop, which equipped students with the skills to bring their personal values to life, this next stage focuses on enhancing communication skills through the Compassionate Communication Workshop, also known as CoCo. Taking place from 9–10 September 2026, this workshop was designed to train students in building healthy, empathetic relationships. Using Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication approach, students learned to recognise and express their feelings and needs in a positive and empathetic way. These communication skills are intended to help students minimize their tendency to blame others when their needs are not fully understood or fulfilled. "I can now distinguish between requests and demands, and I have a better understanding of various feelings," said Ayu Wanda.
Enhanced communication skills are believed to boost students' self-confidence and mental strength. It is hoped that they will be better prepared to face life's challenges in the future, and that they will be more ready and responsible when it comes to making decisions and bringing positive change to themselves and their community. (en)
