Kindness, emotions and human relationships: The blind spot in public policy

There is recognition of the importance of kindness and relationships for societal wellbeing. But talking about kindness does not fit easily within the rational lexicon of public policy.

Carnegie UK was delighted that Julia Unwin CBE accepted our invitation to become a Carnegie Fellow, to explore the complexity and contradictions of kindness and public policy through a series of roundtables and events. Julia’s report brought together our learning from those discussions.

It argues that there have been very good reasons for keeping kindness separate from public policy; but that public policy challenges demand an approach that is more centred on relationships; and, with technology and artificial intelligence transforming the way we do things, it is imperative that we focus equally on our emotional intelligence.