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Image: Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash


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​Can Generous Listening help Heal a Broken World?
Process Philosophy and the Vuslat Foundation
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Yes, it can, if enough people are committed to it.

​Generous Listening involves opening our hearts and minds to truly hear and understand the voices around us, whether they come from within ourselves, other people, or the more-than-human world. This practice is emphasized by both the Vuslat Foundation and Process Philosophy and Theology, making them natural allies in promoting a more compassionate and interconnected world. This page is an invitation to collaboration between Process philosophers and theologians and their many organizations (the Center for Process Studies, the Cobb Institute: A Community for Process and Practice, the Institute for Ecological Civilization, Process and Faith,) and stakeholders in the Vuslat Foundation.

Listening to Our Own Hearts

Listening to our own hearts involves self-reflection and mindfulness, allowing us to connect with our deepest values, desires, and fears. By understanding ourselves better, we can act with greater authenticity and integrity. This inner listening is crucial for personal growth and healing, providing a foundation for engaging with the world in a meaningful way.

Listening to Other People

In a world often characterized by division and conflict, listening generously to others can bridge gaps and foster mutual understanding. It involves being fully present, suspending judgment, and genuinely seeking to understand the perspectives and experiences of others. This form of listening can build trust, resolve conflicts, and create communities grounded in compassion and respect.

Listening to the More-Than-Human World

The natural world also has a voice, one that speaks through the rustling of leaves, the songs of birds, and the rhythms of the earth. By attuning ourselves to these voices, we can develop a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life. This ecological listening can inspire us to live more sustainably and advocate for the health and well-being of our planet.

The Vuslat Foundation emphasizes the importance of listening as a transformative practice. It promotes a holistic approach to listening that includes self-awareness, empathy, and environmental consciousness. Through various initiatives, the foundation seeks to create a culture of generous listening that can lead to positive social change.

Process Philosophy and Theology, influenced by the ideas of Alfred North Whitehead, also highlight the importance of relationality and interconnectedness. This philosophical framework suggests that reality is composed of processes and relationships rather than static entities. Listening, in this context, becomes a way to engage with the dynamic flow of life, recognizing the intrinsic value of all beings and the importance of their contributions to the whole.

Natural Allies

Given their shared emphasis on listening and relationality, the Vuslat Foundation and Process Philosophy and Theology can collaborate in several meaningful ways:

  • Educational Programs: Jointly developing workshops and seminars that teach the principles and practices of generous listening.
  • Community Initiatives: Creating community projects that encourage dialogue, mutual understanding, and ecological awareness.
  • Advocacy and Outreach: Promoting policies and practices that support social and environmental justice through the lens of generous listening.

By working together, these two approaches can help foster a world where listening is valued, and where the voices of all beings are heard and respected. This collaboration can contribute significantly to healing the divisions and wounds that afflict our world, paving the way for a more compassionate and sustainable future.


​Six Keys to Generous Listening

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The Vuslat Foundation
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The Vuslat Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting the practice of generous listening as a means to foster empathy, understanding, and connection among individuals and communities. The foundation believes that listening, when practiced generously, can lead to transformational change in society by addressing key issues such as social polarization, environmental awareness, and collaborative problem-solving.

Objectives and Mission

The Vuslat Foundation's mission is to:
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  1. Promote Generous Listening: Encourage individuals and organizations to adopt generous listening practices to enhance empathy and understanding in various contexts, including personal relationships, workplaces, and broader societal interactions.
  2. Foster Transformational Change: Use listening as a tool to drive positive, generative changes in communities and organizations, promoting collaboration and collective problem-solving.
  3. Enhance Environmental Awareness: Advocate for listening to the non-human world to better understand and address environmental issues, fostering a deeper connection between humans and nature.
  4. Support Research and Innovation: Collaborate with academic institutions, such as MIT and Tufts University, to explore novel ways of listening and to integrate these practices into various fields, including technology, urban planning, and environmental science.

Key Initiatives
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  1. Educational Programs: The foundation organizes workshops, seminars, and courses to teach the principles and practices of generous listening. These programs are designed for diverse audiences, from individuals to corporate teams.
  2. Collaborative Projects: Partnering with organizations like MIT, Tufts University, and the World Economic Forum, the Vuslat Foundation supports projects that explore the applications of generous listening in different sectors, such as technology, architecture, and social sciences.
  3. Public Awareness Campaigns: Through various media channels, the foundation raises awareness about the importance of generous listening, highlighting its impact on personal well-being, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability.
  4. Research Grants: Providing funding for research that investigates the benefits and applications of generous listening across multiple disciplines, encouraging innovative approaches and solutions.

Vision for the Future

The Vuslat Foundation envisions a world where generous listening is a widespread practice, leading to more empathetic, connected, and resilient communities. By promoting this transformative skill, the foundation aims to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future, where individuals and societies can navigate challenges collaboratively and with greater understanding.


​Process Philosophy and
the Vuslat Foundation
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Process philosophy and the Vuslat Foundation share several fundamental ideas and values that highlight their natural alignment. Here are the key links between them:


  1. Empathic Inter-becoming: Process philosophy offers an image of the cosmos where people already "feel the feelings" of others, both human and more than human. This perspective suggests that interconnectedness goes beyond mere cause-and-effect relationships, emphasizing empathic inter-becoming. This resonates with the Vuslat Foundation's emphasis on empathy and understanding in human relationships.
  2. God as Deep Listening: Process philosophy proposes an image of God as the Deep Listening of the universe, a field of consciousness that pervades the cosmos and dwells within each person. This divine presence "feels the feelings" of each being with a tender care that nothing be lost. This view aligns with the Vuslat Foundation's focus on deep, generous listening as a means to foster connection and understanding.
  3. Generous Listening Within: Process philosophy suggests that the field of Deep Listening is within each person, serving as a lure to listen and respect the needs and rights of others. This inner capacity for generous listening supports the Vuslat Foundation's mission to cultivate respectful and attentive listening in individuals and communities.
  4. Ecological Civilization: Process philosophy offers a social ideal of an Ecological Civilization, where generous listening plays a crucial role. This vision aligns with the Vuslat Foundation's goal of creating a society where empathy and understanding guide human interactions and relationships with the environment.
  5. Subjectivity and Mind in All: Process philosophy emphasizes that the universe is filled with entities that possess subjectivity or mind, making it possible to listen to everything. This idea supports the Vuslat Foundation's belief in the importance of listening to all forms of life and respecting their intrinsic value.
  6. Emotional Life and Listening: Process philosophy underscores that human life, and all life, is rich with emotions that can be felt and listened to. This recognition of the emotional dimension of existence aligns with the Vuslat Foundation's emphasis on empathy and deep listening as essential to understanding and connecting with others.

In these ways, process philosophy and theology naturally ally with the Vuslat Foundation's mission and values, offering a robust framework for fostering empathy, understanding, and interconnectedness in human and more-than-human relationships.

About Vuslat Doğan Sabancı:
Founder of the Vuslat Foundation

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​Vuslat Doğan Sabancı is a civil society and business leader and prominent voice on human rights, gender equality and freedom of expression in Turkey and around the world.

She served at Hürriyet Publishing, Turkey's leading newspaper group, between 1996-2018, the last ten years of which she steered the company in her role as Chair of the Board of Directors. While turning Hürriyet into Turkey's largest digital content company, Vuslat also led the editorial policy for promoting gender equality and minority rights. The “No! To Domestic Violence” campaign, which she initiated in 2004 in order to advance the social empowerment of women, was the first example of such efforts to use media in generating substantive, positive social change. She is also an artist: see sculpture below:

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Vuslat Doğan Sabancı
Open Horizons