The Charter for Compassion supports a number of different websites--each is listed below. If you are interested in contributing to the Charter Blog, the Compassionate Community Blog or the Education Blog, please send sent your request to: . If you are interested in creating an on-going Blog, like the one written by David Breaux then we will make arrangements with you to explore how this can happen.
Charter for Compassion Blogs
Charter Blog
Here we highlight the work of excellent writers who are also engaged in leading the compassion movement in various places in the world. One of the writers featured is Caren Goldman, an award-winning author and seasoned journalist who writes inspirational books and articles about the intersections of healing, spirituality, psychology and religion. Her most recent book, Restoring Lifes Missing Pieces: The Spiritual Power of Remembering and Reuniting with People, Places, Things and Self (Sky Light Paths Publishing) was named one of the “Best Spiritual Books of 2011.” Caren is also an organizer of the St. Augustine Initiative for Compassion. Read blogs.
Compassionate Community Blog
What constitutes a compassionate community? What is happening in the place where you live? Are you involved in organizing a compassionate community or city initiative? Let us know your thoughts, the accomplishments you've been making and the problems you've uncovered. Share your opinions, ideas, thoughts and concerns.
In a Louisville, KY in 2013 the Dalai Lama said, "I was very much impressed by how the mayor spoke of Louisville participating in the Compassionate Cities movement. I think that’s highly necessary, very important in today’s world. I think globally, we really need a more compassionate attitude." Last century was the century of violence and bloodshed. Now this century should be the century of dialogue.
Add your voice to this new century of dialogue. Let us know how your compassionate community initiative is progressing. Read posted blogs.
"What did you learn in school today, dear little boy of mine?" That line is from an old Pete Seeger folksong popularized in the latter part of the last century. It would be an interesting discussion to consider what is being taught in schools around the world today versus what was taught in the 1970s, or for that matter in the 1950s or even the 1930s. Regardless whether we are looking at the past or the present, when it comes to teaching there are three questions that educators often consider:
- Who are the students?
- What's worth (most important, most meaningful) teaching?
- How do we go about teaching the material?
What's happening in your teaching and learning? Welcome to the exploratory world of education. This Education Blog is a place to share and explore ideas about compassionate education and related skills (empathy, gratitude, happiness, kindness, mindfulness, etc), where we share what is happening in classrooms around the world, and link educators and students with one another. We want to hear from you. Join us in the discussion.
Women and Girls Blog
The Women and Girls Blog support the sector of the same name. Women and girls who are partners and members of the Charter are encouraged to share their writing on the blog.
Consult the Women and Girls sector pages to see the concerns of this sector: The Women and Girls sector’s vision is to provide the space to amplify the voices and efforts of women and girls Partners in a unique space within Charter for Compassion network.
Our vision is to stretch the boundaries of our unique and diverse creativity and power to accomplish our common goal of a more compassionate world and the Charter for Compassion is a bonding agent in service to this power. Click here to send your blog. Click here to read the blog.
Woman Undiluted
Tam is a mother of three adult children, a transpersonal therapist, writer and group facilitator living in South West England. She has had her fair share of (ultimately empowering) challenges, including neurodiversity and mental health crises, and is currently learning to embrace the dubious title “Older Woman”- and make it wonderful! This blog is a sharing of her lessons, strengths and vulnerabilities.
Read Tam's blog.
Charter for Compassion Partner Blogs
Aberjhani's Charter Blog
From his journalism and award-winning books on history to his diverse literary writings and poster art campaigns, author-poet Aberjhani has worked many years to help position the practice of compassion as a primary strategy for nonviolent conflict resolution across the globe. The need to achieve this became most evident following the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. The increasing levels of technologized violence and extreme polarizations both within and between nations prompted him in to found Creative Thinkers International (2007-2015). The online global community of educators, artists, poets, photogaphers, musicians and everyday people utilized their creative gifts to advocate for a compassionate approach to achieving a unified humanity dedicated to peaceful coexistence.
He expanded his platform on the issue when addressing such topics as domestic violence, capital punishment, mass incarceration, racism, and gender equality through his former AXS Entertainment cultural arts column and in contributions to the Voices Education Project. He has spent the better part of the last decade working on a book of nonfiction narratives in which he explores the various implications of immigration, caretaking, human trafficking, literary culure, and race relations as they pertain to his hometown of Savannah, Geogia (USA), and the larger international community.
Read Aberjhani's blog
David Breaux's Compassion Blog
On June 3rd, 2009, David Breaux began asking people to share their written concept of the word compassion in a notebook. It evolved into a personal endeavor to bring awareness to compassion. Since then, he has asked over 18,000 people and received over 9,500 responses, becoming a respected figure in the community of Davis, California. This endeavor enables David to lead discussions on compassion and provide spiritual healing to hundreds of people as a “street therapist” at the corner of 3rd and C downtown where he stands. He also distributes “Compassion is...” bumper stickers and the endeavor has also provided him with the opportunity to self-publish a portion of the responses in a compilation book entitled Compassion: Davis, CA. He continues to bring awareness to compassion every day by his presence throughout the community.
David envisions asking about compassion for as long as he can. His vision is to see himself and others asking about compassion in communities worldwide, creating a network of Compassion Ambassadors who continue to inspire people to think about compassion. Each community will create its own monument to compassion based on its own needs and community outlook. A compilation book will also be published from a portion of the anonymous entries shared, creating a series of books dedicated to people’s ideas on compassion. David has already facilitated numerous talks with book groups, local charities, and faith-based groups and will continue to do so as the project grows. Imagine the breadth and depth of compassion’s influence on the way in which people think about themselves, others, and the world around them as David continues his lifelong endeavor. Read David's blog and find out about his project.
Photo: Ben Tuason
Bill Bruehl's Blog
Bill Bruehl lives in Seneca, SC. A Professor Emeritus of Theater Arts at Stony Brook University on Long Island, he wrote over 25 plays, many of which have been produced. He was awarded a fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has turned his playwrights skills to narrative fiction and poetry.
Bruehl has published three books, most recently a collection of coming-of-age short stories titled What the Girl at the Picnic Said. Bill is working on another story collection and a novel. Most recently his story The Sounds of Silence was published by The Petigru Review.
Read Bill's blog.
Sister Henrieta Frost's Circle of Compassion Blog
Situated in a Central Wisconsin tranquil forest, the Christine Center is a unique sanctuary for spiritual deepening leading to individual and global transformation. The Christine Center has served the spiritual needs of thousands of people from all over the world for more than 36 years.
Sister Henrita Frost, SSND of the Christine Center writes compassion posts often accompanied by her Mandala art work. Her writings are inspirational, often offering ways to meditate on compassion.
Vanessa Hurst's Blog
Vanessa F. Hurst is a Compassion Consultant. She evaluates compassion competencies and mindful practices within organization. Vanessa develops and facilitates resources for increasing compassion in the workplace through stakeholder/community building, mindful coaching, and organizational culture strengthening. Vanessa assists organizations wishing to become partners with the Charter for Compassion. She is the author ofA Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships (Wildefyr Press, 2016), a resource for mindfully engaging others in relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent and Action (Wildefyr Press, 2014), a resource for increasing awareness of compassion.
Read Vanessa's Blog
Steve Kaye: Lessons from the Birds
Steve Kaye inspires respect for nature. His blend of professional speaking and professional photography create a uniquely memorable experience. Steve believes we can build a world that serves all humanity and that this is a world that can be environmentally sustainable, socially just, and emotionally rewarding for all. Steve offers us some incredible lessons that echo compassion through the lives of birds.
Read Steve's blog
John Smelcer's Blog
John Smelcer, Ph.D., is the author of over fifty books, many translated and published worldwide. His bestselling book of mythology, The Raven and the Totem, includes a foreword by Joseph Campbell (The Power of Myth). With Russian Orthodox Archbishop Benjamin, John contributed to the revised map of global Christianity in the 10th edition of Living Religions (Mary Pat Fisher, Ed.). With the Dalai Lama, John co-authored a poem on compassion. He is currently writing a book about his experience of discovering the worldly possessions of Thomas Merton in the spring of 2015. Dr. Smelcer’s education includes postdoctoral studies at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard, where he studied Buddhism, Islam and Sufism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity, including the historical Jesus of Nazareth.
Read John's Blog
TED Blog of Charter Stories
TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. TED believes passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. TED.com is building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world's most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long.
TED and the Charter for Compassion have a history that dates back to 2009 when the Charter's founder, Karen Armstrong received the TED prize. TED administered help with launching the Charter at the United Nations in 2010.
This blog contains stories about Charter for Compassion projects that are occuring around the world. All of these stories appeared orginally on the TED Blog website.
The Charter signature courses are designed to explore the complexities of compassion from various perspectives. Compassion is a humongous topic that has been around for thousands of years, dating back to the philosophy of Confucius. The Essence of Compassion is one of four courses the Charter for Compassion Education Institute will be offering on the topic of compassion. While The Essence of Compassion is the recommended first course in our signature series, the other courses to follow will be on The Charter for Compassion and its global work, The Science of Kindness and Compassion, and Creating a Compassionate Action Plan. Participation in all four courses of the series will earn you a certificate of completion.
The work of the Charter of Compassion is concerned with understanding and acting on compassion for self, others and the earth. Therefore Featured Courses are designed to augment development in the context of these three areas. The objectives of each course are skill based and help answer pertinent questions of the theme being presented.
