There are moments in history when it is no longer accurate to say that people didn’t know.
We know. We see. The evidence is everywhere.
We see democratic norms being dismantled in plain sight in the United States.
We see schoolchildren kidnapped in Nigeria.
We see journalists silenced, courts weakened, lies normalized, and cruelty explained away as policy or necessity.
Our eyes are open. And yet—somehow—it is as if we are not seeing.
“Eyes Wide Shut” is not about ignorance. It is about disassociation—the quiet psychological move that allows us to witness harm and still tell ourselves: this is not my problem, this is too far away, this will surely correct itself, someone else will act.
History warns us where this leads.
The German pastor Martin Niemöller, reflecting on the rise of Nazism, offered a warning that has echoed across generations:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out…
Then they came for the trade unionists…
Then they came for the Jews…
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Niemöller was not describing blindness.
He was describing silence after seeing.
This is what “Eyes Wide Shut” looks like in real time. It looks like watching institutions erode while hoping the erosion stops at someone else’s door. It looks like consuming devastating news as background noise. It looks like compassion that never quite makes it into a relationship or action.
So what does it mean to open our eyes fully in times like these?
It does not begin with grand gestures or perfect answers.
It begins closer to home—with people.
Strong, compassionate communities do not begin with institutions. They begin with people who notice one another, who listen deeply, and who help make connections where they matter most. They begin when we move from silent witnessing to shared responsibility.
This is why, on February 18, the Charter for Compassion is offering TLC: Training for Local Bridge Builders. Click to register
At first glance, TLC may sound like Tender Loving Care—and in many ways, it is. But in the context of the current state of the world, TLC stands for something both practical and urgently needed: Talk. Listen. Connect.TLC: Training for Local Bridge Builders, developed by Compassionate Communities UK, is a 90-minute interactive workshop designed to equip everyday citizens—not experts, not officials—with tools to become connectors, bridge builders, and catalysts for kindness in their own communities.
The training is grounded in a simple truth: communities thrive when people know how to find one another, listen well, and act with compassion—especially in times of challenge.
During the workshop, participants will explore practices that directly counter the “eyes wide shut” condition:
- The Survival of Kindness – understanding why kindness is not a luxury, but a vital force for resilience, wellbeing, and community health.
- Treasure Mapping – learning how to identify local assets, like-minded individuals, and hidden strengths already present in your community—people and places doing good work who may not yet know one another.
- Exemplar Listening – practicing deep, respectful listening that builds trust, reduces isolation, and opens the door to meaningful connection.
- Being a Bridge Builder – discovering how small, intentional actions can link people, ideas, and resources—strengthening the social fabric without formal authority or special expertise.
In a world where fear fragments and silence enables harm, Talk, Listen, Connect becomes a form of courage.
This workshop is not about fixing everything. It is about refusing to look away. It is about choosing presence over paralysis, relationship over retreat, and compassion as a lived, shared practice.
The question before us is no longer Do we see what is happening?
The question is whether we are willing to see one another—and stand together.
With warm regards,
Marilyn Turkovich
