Class Platform: Virtual Learning

Day/Time: Thursday, 9 - 10 AM, February 4 - April 15, *10 week class*

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Class Description: We live in a time of rapid change. The experience of a worldwide pandemic is unsettling and has given us pause. The world is not as safe as it once seemed. We see divisions among people, hostility toward those who are different from us, and uncertainty about the future health of our planet. We also witness the best of humanity and see countless people who not only envision a better world, but whose actions bear witnesses to the best of humanity. What is it that motivates us to selfless or selfish action? Is there a common thread that moves us toward being our best self? Compassion in its many forms is a powerful force for good in the world. Can it change us? Can it save us? Through lectures, videos, readings, and class discussion, we will explore what it means to be human, what unites us, and how we can create a world that has compassion as its compass and promise. The inspiration for this course was from a course called Compassion Integrity Training and relies heavily on the following sources: The Road to Character by David Brooks, Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World by his Holiness The Dalai Lama, and Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. The Charter for Compassion will be used as the starting point for our exploration.

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Instructor Biographies: Anja Koot’s family immigrated from the Netherlands and settled in Las Vegas in 1954. Koot attended Sunrise Acres Grammar School and Gorman High School. She has an M.A. in religious education and pastoral theology. Throughout her career, Koot has taught in Alaska, Utah, California, the British Isles, and Belgium. A special interest and concern throughout her life has been the plight of the underserved and poor in our county. Her work in both Utah and Alaska were with socio-economically distressed communities. When she left teaching she spent 15 years in San Francisco as the director of the Homeless Families Project and then as a department director at California Pacific Medical Center. She ended her working career as the Executive Director of Hospice Services of Lake County. In 2016, Anja returned to Las Vegas.