2024.04.01
Author: Shu-Mei Lin Photographer::林祝如
In 2021, the Lizen Education Foundation initiated a collaboration with Emory University (Atlanta, GA) to introduce and promote SEE Learning in Taiwan. From March 11 to 21, 2024, Taiwan had the privilege of hosting Professor Lobsang Tenzin Negi and Mr. Tsondue Samphel of the CCSCBE for a series of lectures, forums, roundtable discussions, and workshops.
In 2024, compassion education experienced remarkable growth in Taiwan. Presently, 22 schools have started implementing SEE Learning, 1,852 educators have undergone SEE Learning trainings, of whom 18 became certified L1 facilitators. By October 2023, 2,516 students had received SEE Learning in class.
During the 11-day visit, Professor Negi and Mr. Samphel actively engaged in SEE Learning class observations at three elementary schools: Keelung Municipal Ma-Ling Elementary School (located in northern Taiwan), Taichung Municipal Qiao-Xiao Elementary School (in central Taiwan), and Guangrong Experimental Elementary School (in southern Taiwan). Sitting in these classes, they observed how instructors facilitated the Learning Experiences from the SEE Learning Curriculum in a positive and open-minded manner, effectively fostering a compassionate classroom environment conducive to SEE Learning principles.
Professor Negi and Mr. Samphel attribute the rapid growth of SEE Learning in Taiwan to its rich traditional culture. For example, the Confucian teaching, “the superior man is affable, but not obsequious,” highlights an attitude of embracing diversity. Moreover, principles of systems thinking and gratitude are evident in phrases like “the daily necessities are prepared by hundreds of workers” and Li Shen’s poem “Commiserating with the Farmers,” which expresses gratitude for the toil behind every meal. These cultural elements resonate strongly with the principles of SEE Learning, providing a solid foundation for its promotion in Taiwan.
Professor Negi and Mr. Samphel also participated in forums, workshops, dialogues with scholars from education and science, and public lectures on the Compassion Shift movement and the current development of compassion education in Taipei (National Taipei University of Education) and Tainan (National Cheng Kung University).
Earlier, in September 2023, Lin Wei-Wen, Professor of Education and incumbent Director of the founding Center for Positive Development and Social Emotional Learning at National Taipei University of Education, took the initiative to propose collaborations with the Lizen Education Foundation for SEE Learning training. Subsequently, the two organizations co-organized several educator training programs.
In March 2024, the 4-day SEE Learning events in Taipei received strong support from the Department of Education at National Taipei University of Education. Director Lin Wei-Wen, an education specialist, believed that SEE Learning offers a more holistic educational approach than SEL (Social Emotional Learning). With compassion at its core, SEE Learning’s nine key elements span three levels and three dimensions, with each element being indispensable and mutually reinforcing. Recognizing the holistic framework of SEE Learning, Director Lin aims to introduce it to more educators and instructors to benefit teachers and students across Taiwan.
During the March events, Sun Chih-Lin, Dean of the College of Education, also expressed a desire for future collaboration and sought to integrate SEE Learning into the official program.
In response to the Compassion Shift movement initiated by CCSCBE, the two-day event in Tainan addressed compassion education for various demographics, including K-12 students (SEE Learning) and university students and adults (CBCT). It facilitated exchanges between compassion education and the field of science (the College of Science, National Cheng Kung University) and fostered dialogue with the field of education (the Department of Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University).
Recognizing the crucial importance of the mental health of the university staff for sustainable development, Shen Meng-Ru, President of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), with strong support from Vice President Chen Yuh-Neu, call on organizations on and off campus (such as the Office of Student Affairs from National Cheng Kung University, the Taiwan Comprehensive University System, TCUS, and the Zhi-Shan Foundation, Taiwan) to support the events. The Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, along with the College of Science, both from NCKU, hosted the events, with additional support from the Department of Education of the Tainan City Government, the Department of Education from National Kaohsiung Normal University, and local elementary schools including Tainan Municipal Cigu District Jhuciao Elementary School and Tainan Municipal West Central District Jinsyue Elementary School.
Participants from five counties and cities in Southern Taiwan (Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung) attended the events. The significant attention and support garnered by the two-day event underscored the pressing need for compassion in contemporary society
The visit to Gukeng International Spiritual Ecovillage left a strong impression on Professor Negi and Mr. Samphel. Guided by four core values—production, living, ecology, and life—the ecovillage aspires to transform Mayuan village and its surroundings into an idyllic haven where youth are nurtured, the elderly find peace in their final days, people support one another, and harmony with nature is maintained.
These ideals are realized thanks to practices such as gratitude, compassion for others, and systems thinking, all of which align closely with the principles of SEE Learning. Professor Negi expressed deep admiration for the transformative initiatives at the ecovillage, noting with inspiration how villagers are reconnecting interpersonally and aiding neighboring communities. This resonates profoundly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advocacy for global unity—“act as one human community”—as the sole path for humanity’s survival and prosperity.
The vision to establish a compassionate and ethical world is already materializing within this compassionate community. Professor Negi firmly believed that the achievements at the ecovillage could serve as a model for the global community, demonstrating how compassion and ethical values can be integrated into communal life for the betterment of all.
During the 11-day visit of Professor Negi and Mr. Samphel, the Lizen Education Foundation collaborated primarily with three elementary schools and two universities to organize a series of events. These included three public forums, one workshop, one colloquium on implementing SEE Learning, and a three-day SEE Learning Teacher’s Preparatory Workshop, along with class observations in three different elementary schools. Each lecture attracted over two hundred attendees, while the preparatory workshop saw participation from more than 60 teachers and instructors who had already completed SEE 101 and Getting Started with SEE Learning. In total, the events were attended by over a thousand individuals.
We aspire for the SEE Learning program to flourish and thrive in Taiwan, paving the way for a future that is brighter, happier, healthier, and more beautiful for all.
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