The Empathy Council
Kymenlaakso Fund’s project develops methods for investigating and increasing empathy through artistic approaches.
The goal is to increase regional unity and community spirit
The Regional Council of Kymenlaakso describes Kymenlaakso as “Finland’s most caring region”. Could Kymenlaakso also be the most empathic region in Finland, where decision-making is based on empathy and collaboration? Asks Empathy Artist Enni-Kukka Tuomala, who is in charge of realising Kymenlaakso Fund’s cultural project.
“Empathy is scientifically proven to help us understand each other, and the unique experiences, perspectives, values and needs we all possess.” continues Tuomala.
The project is focused on developing methods for investigating and increasing empathy through artistic approaches. The process is participatory and evolves throughout the project.
The main goal is to increase unity and community spirit in the region. “We hope that through the project there will be methods for advancing empathy to share in different contexts across the region, ” says the fund’s administrative committee’s chair Tiina Kirvesniemi.
Decision-makers are invited to join the Empathy Council
The multi-year empathy project launches in January 2025 within the structures of regional decision-making by founding The Empathy Council. The Empathy Council invites Kymenlaakso’s current and future leaders and decision-makers from all municipalities in the region to come together to consider the role of empathy and the need for it in Kymenlaakso, the regional culture of decision-making, collaboration and conversation. The council will aim to address the need by developing shared approaches and methods for increasing empathy and co-operation in the area. The Empathy Council will be made of elected members of the local councils and youth councils, as well as civil servants from all six municipalities. They will act as the advisors as well as the audience for the first phase of the project.
Kirvesniemi wonders “could decision making and the resulting decisions be of a higher quality, more long-lasting and advance causes better, when they are built on empathy and cooperation”. “The time of being pitted against one another is over said a politician, but should the reality of politics change from celebratory speeches to reality?”
In the future the activities can expand from councils to new contexts and destinations around the region.
Realised by the world’s first Empathy Artist Enni-Kukka Tuomala
Enni-Kukka Tuomala is from Kotka, lives in London and works internationally. She is the world’s first Empathy Artist. Tuomala’s multidisciplinary art practice has long been focused on investigating the relationships between empathy, power, space and systems.
As the Election Artist she has examined the current state of Western democracy, electoral systems and the role of empathy in political culture and dialogue, documenting recent elections in Finland, Europe and USA. Tuomala has also worked as an artist in the Parliament of Finland, where she developed a series of artworks and empathy tools for politics in collaboration with Members of Parliament
“Now more than ever we need to find new ways to listen and understand each other. It is my great joy and honour to realise the Kymenlaakso Regional Fund committee’s vision of a more empathic Kymenlaakso, the region I am from. It’s meaningful that our work begins by bringing empathy into the structures of decision-making. We need collaboration in order to solve bigger and more complex future challenges. Only through empathy can we change the world together.”
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