Greg Fischer is not your typical politician — under his 12-year tenure as mayor, he made compassion one of Louisville’s three core city values, alongside health and lifelong learning. Here’s a glimpse of the powerful themes explored in the episode:
 

• Compassionate City Movement: Fischer led Louisville’s commitment to the International Charter for Compassion, turning it into one of the world’s model Compassionate Cities.
   
• Give A Day Week: His signature civic initiative, an annual week of service, volunteerism, and acts of kindness, inspired citizens across the city — and broke its own world record for number of compassionate acts.
   
• Institutionalizing Compassion: In 2019, Fischer helped launch Compassionate Louisville as a 501(c)(3) organization — ensuring that the city’s compassion work would outlast any single mayoral administration.
   
• Leading in Crisis: Even in moments of tension and tragedy — like the vandalism of a mosque — Fischer called on the community to respond with unity and generosity. Within days, hundreds rallied to repaint and restore, turning an act of hate into an outpouring of solidarity.
   
• Global Compassion Leadership: Louisville, under Fischer, wasn’t just locally minded — he led delegations of mayors to meet his Holiness the Dalai Lama, and nurtured a network of other cities exploring the Charter for Compassion.

In their conversation, Jennifer and Greg dive into the power of compassion in public life: How do you make “compassion” more than a slogan — building it into the fabric of a community? And how can civic responsibility thrive in turbulent times?

Listen to their episode on Substack.