Enhancing Wellbeing with Respect and Dignity

The unit develops students' understanding and skills in promoting health, safety, relationships, and wellbeing through altruistic behaviour. Students will explore the positive effects of altruism on mental and physical health, investigate examples of compassionate giving represented on social media to think about the impact of social media on our attitudes towards charity and giving as well as consider the role of respect and dignity in compassionate giving by individuals and organisations.

This unit was created in collaboration with The Life You Can Save. The Life You Can Save conducts research to identify non-profits running highly impactful programs that address the multiple dimensions of poverty. They also help connect people who want to donate money and resources with these non-profits to maximise the impact of their gifts. They aim to create a world where everyone has an opportunity to build a better life and where there’s no suffering or death due to extreme poverty.

Students will be inspired and empowered to help people build better lives by engaging in thoughtful discussions, analysing real-world scenarios, and creating meaningful messages to enhance their understanding of the positive impact of altruistic behaviour and the importance of respecting the dignity of beneficiaries. By fostering critical thinking and empathy, the unit aims to empower students to make informed decisions that contribute to their and others' wellbeing.

Peter Singer wrote the first edition of The Life You Can Save to demonstrate why we should care about and help those living in global extreme poverty, and how easy it is to improve and even save lives by giving effectively. To delve more deeply into the themes and ideas in this unit, you can access a free copy of the eBook or listen to the free audiobook narrated by Kristen Bell, Stephen Fry, Paul Simon and more on Spotify.