Compassionate Listening Introduction

Compassionate Listening, a practice of resolving conflict through deep listening, was conceived by Gene Knudsen Hoffman (1919 - 2010), an international peacemaker, and further developed by facilitators of the work, including Sarah Zale, who has recently moved to Sun City.

While conflict unsettles our lives, Zale suggests that it is also the path to inner strength and wisdom, as well as healing for oneself and others. As stated by Leah Green, founder of the Compassionate Listening Project, “Conflict is our greatest teacher.” Compassionate listening teaches powerful skills for addressing conflict with family, friends, and members of your local and greater community.

A poet and facilitator of Theatre of the Oppressed and Playback, two practices that use interactive theatre to resolve conflict, Zale was first introduced to Compassionate Listening when she joined a peace delegation sponsored by the Compassionate Listening Project. She travelled to Israel and Palestine and listened to the stories of both sides. Gene Knudsen Hoffman said, “An enemy is one whose story we have not heard.”

Zale is also trained in Restorative Justice, a community-based, voluntary approach to conflict that brings together those most impacted by a particular conflict in facilitated, compassionate dialogue to understand the consequences of what happened, take responsibility, and collectively decide how to repair the harm.