Karen Armstrong, Charter for Compassion and Peace Starts Here

Picture above from here

Karen Armstrong is one of the great contributors to the interfaith scene with a substantial list of written works. Armstrong received the $100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was unveiled the following year.  In short, Armstrong puts her money where her mouth is.  Armstrong is a clear thinker.  She sits or has sat on a substantial mix of different faith (yes faith not interfaith) organisations. Clearly, she has the confidence of a broad spectrum of faith traditions.  Out of her own personal experience has come a substantial body of work and, in more recent times, something which Armstrong hopes will have a greater on-the-ground effect across the world --- Charter for Compassion.

September 10, 2013 Greetings, Inter-cultural dialogue is an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups from different cultures that lead to a deeper understanding. The lack of this is the origin of most conflict. I know a little about this. As a mother, I raised three sons, and my parenting skills were most challenged when my sons disagreed and fought over a toy or my attention. I learned in those moments how important it is to teach them peacemaking skills. In fact, given the current state of the world, teaching this skill to young people is our only hope if we are to create a sustainable and compassionate world. The Charter for Compassionate Education is an exciting development on this front. Its’ very existence gives credibility to what I, and zillions of other parents, have always known – that integrating compassion into a child’s education is the most important value (s)he will learn and the soil from which all meaningful learning grows. Check out the Charter for Compassionate Education featured below, and share it with educators where you live. Warm regards, Sekai Ayana-Senwosret "We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world ...indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community." ~ The Charter for Compassion The Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest co- opetition begins September 11 and runs through the 21st. This year's games are hosted in fifteen cities, from Seattle to Gurgaon, India. The Games are a fun way to engage the community and promote service projects, positive social connection and community pride. There are four ways to play: Service Projects, Random Acts of Kindness, Secret Agents of Compassion and sharing stories on the Compassion Map. The Compassion Games are an example of how the Charter for Compassion is inspiring action around the world. Visit the Compassion Games website to learn how to play and organize your city and play in 2014. Add your hometown to the growing list of players!  Raising and Educating Compassionate Children. If you are an educator, parent, guardian or grandparent, don't let another day go by without acting on the Children's Charter for early primary and elementary schools, and the Charter for Compassionate Schools for middle through secondary schools. Learn more about both and find a wealth of materials in our Compassionate Education Reader for thinking about educating, raising responsible children and teaching compassion and other related skills.  Research shows that compassionate business practices benefit society and are good for the bottom line. For example A.W.I.S.H. is a new partner, and their mission is to promote sustainable development and quality of life for residents in Nepal, particularly, and across the region in South Asia. A.W.I.S.H, and partners like them, are changing the landscape of business because they are driving both economic and social agendas. If you are not already a partner then why not consider joining our community of 52 business partners who are committed to integrating the principles of the Charter into their business practice. Check out our Prezi to find out why compassion is a new driver for business growth. Then explore our Business Compassion Reader, a comprehensive library of articles related to compassionate business  Read about our other 30 healthcare partners and what they are doing from Europe to Asia. Hearts in Healthcare aims to put the care back in healthcare. The Upaya Zen Center is a practice, service, and training center devoted to integrating practice and social action by bringing together wisdom and compassion to the care of others. Public Health England has been established to protect and improve the nation's health and wellbeing, and to reduce inequalities. If you know of healthcare providers and agencies that should be a part of our community, tell them about The Charter for Compassion International. My Jihad's mission is to build bridges between faiths. Watch as an Imam goes to church on Christmas Day and how the congregation responds. This is an example of how interfaith actions around the world are changing the dialogue about the role of religion and faith as a catalyst for human cooperation and understanding. We have 95 Charter Partners who are building bridges between faiths around the world, you can also read our Religion and Spirituality Compassion Reader which is a comprehensive resource of the latest articles and ideas shaping the religious and spiritual world. Support the work of our charter partners by first learning more about what they do. The global peace and non violence initiative is a cross-sector global community that is reframing how we address conflict inspired by the ideas of the Charter for Compassion. We recently debuted the Peace and Non Violence Compassion Reader containing a comprehensive collection of 'must read' articles and contributions from within the movement. We also have 39 Charter partners who are actively building bridges of peace around the world including Peaceful Tomorrows who are turning grief in to actions for peace. These are great examples of how the Charter is coming to life as movement builders are inspired to create a more peaceful world.  Compassion Games run September 11-21 Check out the website for city specific information. There is a great deal happening in the UK this fall: participate in AnonCare's Enhancing Compassion in Healthcare in Birmingham on September 23, hear Karen Armstrong at St. Paul's Cathedral on September 24, and on October 24 participate in the Empathy and Compassion in Society Conference. Find out about conferences in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and the U.S. Visit Events at our Charter site.  Poverty and Wealth in America An open dialogue on "Poverty and Wealth in America" is running throughout September and October, via in-person and virtual gatherings. The organizers are looking for participants as well as "point people" to help connect and engage members of the Compassion Movement. There is an optional introductory call Saturday September 14th at 8am Pacific/11am Eastern (US time). Click here or email Ben Roberts of The Conversation Collaborative for more information.