Ep. 38 Lucy Thomas on Project Rockit, kindness as a weapon and empathy as the birthplace of imagination.

People throw around words like kindness and empathy like empty packets.

They don’t deeply feel those values, really know the lived truth of them or take them and use them to give comfort or a safe cradle to the people around them.

But Lucy Thomas does. 

As the Co-founder and Co-CEO of the phenomenally successful social enterprise Project Rockit, her vision is of a world where kindness and respect thrive over bullying, hate and prejudice, and where all young people are free to realise their unique potential. 

Since 2006, Project Rockit has reached half a million young Australians by delivering powerful in-school workshops and online resources to teach kids to stand up to and not stand by bullying, and to help them navigate the complex individual, relational and societal human skills of inclusion, respect, diversity and empathy. 

In this conversation, Lucy shares the Project Rockit story to now, and how after building her career as an indomitable social crusader tackling bullying, her life was fundamentally changed when she herself became the target of an extended pattern of bullying. 

Lucy wrapped up these personal learnings in her widely received TEDx talk, Kindness: The ultimate rebellion against bullying, has recently received an Order of Australia Medal for service to youth and against bullying, and has now stepped out to create impact on the global stage working with Facebook, Google, Instagram and Twitter to combat cyberbullying.  

This conversation with Lucy strikes to the heart of things. Unseats us all a little bit. But it matters. Because it reminds us so we won’t forget, that imagination is the birthplace of empathy, unconditional positive regard is the bedrock of all real human connection, and that no matter what, kindness conquers all.

Guest: Lucy Thomas
Website: projectrockit.com.au
Socials: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube

Hosts: Sabina Read and Madeleine Grummet
Producer: Daryl Missen at Purple Wax

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