Strength in Community
February 16, 2026
A room full of people committed to connecting, learning, and creating compassionate communities carries real power. This spirit is at the heart of our work at the Wassmuth Center, and it came vividly to life at last month’s Cultivating Compassionate Communities Conference. Nearly 300 people gathered not simply to attend an event, but to practice what it means to be in community — listening across differences, grappling with complexities, and imagining how to create a more just and joyful world.
The Wassmuth Center’s third annual conference became a living example of how communities grow stronger when people come together with curiosity and courage. Throughout the day, participants engaged in sessions and conversations that invited reflection and action. Whether exploring how to rebuild connection across deep divides, examining the neuroscience of compassion, or wrestling with what authentic allyship looks like in practice, we leaned into learning that was both challenging and hopeful.
This year’s conference theme — Everyone Is Welcome Here – Let’s Make It Real — invited participants to move beyond aspirational language and consider what belonging actually requires. Across sessions and conversations, we explored what it looks like to create more welcoming schools, workplaces, congregations, neighborhoods, and civic spaces through thoughtful design, courageous leadership, and daily practices that honor the dignity of all people.
Keynote speaker Dr. Mitchell Maki grounded these ideas in history, sharing the story of Japanese American incarceration during World War II and the long struggle for redress that followed. His reflections challenged us to learn from the most difficult chapters of our country’s past so we can develop the moral clarity to recognize and respond to injustice in our own time.
There was an unmistakable energy throughout the day: warm exchanges in-between strangers, serious questions posed, and a shared recognition that the challenges before us are significant but not insurmountable. Participants left with new relationships, deeper knowledge, practical tools, and a renewed commitment to stay engaged in their communities.
Whether or not you were able to join us for this year’s conference, we encourage you to seek out places to connect, learn, and create. From neighborhood associations to faith communities, workplaces to classrooms, there are countless ways to step into this important work and draw strength and courage from each other.